[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 94 (Thursday, June 7, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S3320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2401. Mr. GARDNER (for himself and Mr. Coons) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2282 submitted by Mr. 
Inhofe (for himself and Mr. McCain) and intended to be proposed to the 
bill H.R. 5515, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2019 for 
military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle I of title VIII, add the following:

     SEC. 896. IMPROVEMENTS TO TECHNICAL AND BUSINESS ASSISTANCE.

       (a) In General.--Section 9(q) of the Small Business Act (15 
     U.S.C. 638(q)) is amended--
       (1) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``and 
     Business'' after ``Technical'';
       (2) in paragraph (1)--
       (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)--
       (i) by striking ``a vendor selected under paragraph (2)'' 
     and inserting ``1 or more vendors selected under paragraph 
     (2)(A)'';
       (ii) by inserting ``and business'' before ``assistance 
     services''; and
       (iii) by inserting ``assistance with product sales, 
     intellectual property protections, market research, market 
     validation, and development of regulatory plans and 
     manufacturing plans,'' after ``technologies,''; and
       (B) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``, including 
     intellectual property protections'' before the period at the 
     end;
       (3) in paragraph (2)--
       (A) by striking ``Each agency may select a vendor to assist 
     small business concerns to meet'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(A) In general.--Each agency may select 1 or more vendors 
     from which small business concerns may obtain assistance in 
     meeting''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) Selection by small business concern.--A small 
     business concern may, by contract or otherwise, select 1 or 
     more vendors to assist the small business concern in meeting 
     the goals listed in paragraph (1).'';
       (4) in paragraph (3)--
       (A) in the paragraph heading, by inserting ``or business'' 
     after ``technical'';
       (B) by inserting ``(A)'' after ``paragraph (2)'' each place 
     it appears;
       (C) in subparagraph (B)--
       (i) by striking ``$5,000 per year'' each place it appears 
     and inserting ``$50,000 with respect to each award''; and
       (ii) in clause (ii), by striking ``which shall be in 
     addition to the amount of the recipient's award'' and 
     inserting ``which shall be included as part of the 
     recipient's award'';
       (D) in subparagraph (C)--
       (i) by inserting ``or business'' after ``technical'';
       (ii) by striking ``the vendor'' and inserting ``a vendor''; 
     and
       (iii) by adding at the end the following: ``Business-
     related services aimed at improving the commercialization 
     success of a small business concern may be obtained from an 
     entity, such as a public or private organization or an agency 
     of or other entity established or funded by a State that 
     facilitates or accelerates the commercialization of 
     technologies or assists in the creation and growth of private 
     enterprises that are commercializing technology.'';
       (E) in subparagraph (D)--
       (i) by inserting ``or business'' after ``technical'' each 
     place it appears; and
       (ii) in clause (i), by striking ``the vendor'' and 
     inserting ``1 or more vendors''; and
       (F) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(E) Multiple award recipients.--The Administrator shall 
     establish a limit on the amount of technical and business 
     assistance services that may be received or purchased under 
     subparagraph (B) by small business concerns with respect to 
     multiple Phase II SBIR or STTR awards for a fiscal year.''; 
     and
       (5) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(4) Annual reporting.--
       ``(A) In general.--A small business concern that receives 
     technical or business assistance from a vendor under this 
     subsection during a fiscal year shall submit to the Federal 
     agency contracting with the vendor a description of the 
     technical or business assistance provided and the benefits 
     and results of the technical or business assistance provided.
       ``(B) Use of existing reporting mechanism.--The information 
     required under subparagraph (A) shall be collected by a 
     Federal agency as part of a report required to be submitted 
     by small business concerns engaged in SBIR or STTR projects 
     of the Federal agency for which the requirement was in effect 
     on the date of enactment of this paragraph.''.
       (b) Review.--Not later than the end of fiscal year 2019, 
     the Administrator of the Small Business Administration 
     shall--
       (1) conduct a survey of vendors providing technical or 
     business assistance under section 9(q) of the Small Business 
     Act (15 U.S.C. 638(q)), as amended by subsection (a), and 
     small business concerns receiving the technical or business 
     assistance; and
       (2) submit to the Committee on Small Business and 
     Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small 
     Business of the House of Representatives a report reviewing 
     the efficacy of the provision of the technical or business 
     assistance.
                                 ______