[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 120 (Tuesday, June 30, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S4055]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2349. Mr. KENNEDY (for himself, Ms. Baldwin, and Mr. Risch) 
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2301 
proposed by Mr. Inhofe to the bill S. 4049, to authorize appropriations 
for fiscal year 2021 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 appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. __. SBIR AND STTR PILOT PROGRAM.

       Section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(vv) Department of Defense Pilot Program.--
       ``(1) Definition.--In this section, the term `Department' 
     means the Department of Defense.
       ``(2) Establishment.--The Secretary of Defense shall 
     establish a pilot program to provide small business concerns 
     an increased level of assistance under the SBIR and STTR 
     programs of the Department.
       ``(3) Activities.--Under the pilot program, the Department, 
     and any component agency thereof, may--
       ``(A) in any case in which the Department seeks to make a 
     Phase II SBIR or STTR award to a small business concern based 
     on the results of a Phase I award made to the small business 
     concern by another agency, establish a streamlined transfer 
     and fast track approval process for that Phase II award;
       ``(B) establish a phase during which additional funding may 
     be provided during the gap between a Phase I and Phase II 
     award--
       ``(i) which shall be limited to small business concerns 
     located in eligible States, as defined by the Defense 
     Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research 
     (DEPSCoR); and
       ``(ii) under which the Department may provide SBIR and STTR 
     awards--

       ``(I) to provide funding for 12 to 24 months to continue 
     the development of technology;
       ``(II) of not more than $1,000,000, for each individual 
     award; and
       ``(III) of not more than $30,000,000, in the aggregate, per 
     year; and

       ``(C) carry out subparagraph (B) along with other 
     mentorship programs.
       ``(4) Duration.--The pilot program established under this 
     subsection shall terminate 5 years after the date on which 
     the pilot program is established.
       ``(5) Report.--The Department shall submit to Congress an 
     annual report on the status of the pilot program established 
     under this subsection, including the improvement in funding 
     under the SBIR and STTR programs of the Department provided 
     to small business concerns located in eligible States, as 
     defined by the Defense Established Program to Stimulate 
     Competitive Research (DEPSCoR).''.
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