[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 87 (Wednesday, May 19, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S2800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1551. Mr. RISCH (for himself, Mr. Crapo, Ms. Rosen, Ms. Cortez 
Masto, Mrs. Capito, and Mr. Hoeven) submitted an amendment intended to 
be proposed by him to the bill S. 1260, to establish a new Directorate 
for Technology and Innovation in the National Science Foundation, to 
establish a regional technology hub program, to require a strategy and 
report on economic security, science, research, innovation, 
manufacturing, and job creation, to establish a critical supply chain 
resiliency program, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on 
the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. __. FEDERAL AND STATE TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.

       Section 34 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657d) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following:
       ``(11) Underperforming state.--The term `underperforming 
     State' means a State participating in the SBIR or STTR 
     program that has been calculated by the Administrator to be 
     one of 18 States receiving the fewest SBIR and STTR Phase I 
     awards.'';
       (2) in subsection (c)--
       (A) in paragraph (1)--
       (i) in subparagraph (E)--

       (I) in clause (iii), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (II) in clause (iv), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (III) by adding at the end the following:

       ``(v) to prioritize applicants located in an 
     underperforming State.'';
       (B) in paragraph (2)(B)(vi)--
       (i) in subclause (II), by striking ``and'' at the end; and
       (ii) by adding at the end the following:

       ``(IV) located in an underperforming State; and'';

       (C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``Not more than one 
     proposal'' and inserting ``There is no limit on the number of 
     proposals that''; and
       (D) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(6) Additional assistance for underperforming states.--
     Upon application by a recipient that is located in an 
     underperforming State, the Administrator may--
       ``(A) provide additional assistance to the recipient; and
       ``(B) waive the matching requirements under subsection 
     (e)(2).'';
       (3) in subsection (e)--
       (A) in paragraph (2)--
       (i) in subparagraph (A)--

       (I) by inserting ``and STTR'' before ``first phase'' each 
     place that term appears;
       (II) in clause (i), by striking ``50'' and inserting 
     ``25'';
       (III) in clause (ii), by striking ``1 dollar'' and 
     inserting ``75 cents''; and
       (IV) in clause (iii), by striking ``75'' and inserting 
     ``50'';

       (ii) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``, beginning with 
     fiscal year 2001'' and inserting ``and make publicly 
     available on the website of the Administration, beginning 
     with fiscal year 2022''; and
       (iii) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(E) Payment.--The non-Federal share of the cost of an 
     activity carried out by a recipient may be paid by the 
     recipient over the course of the period of the award or 
     cooperative agreement.''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(4) Amount of award.--In carrying out the FAST program 
     under this section--
       ``(A) the Administrator shall make and enter into awards or 
     cooperative agreements;
       ``(B) each award or cooperative agreement described in 
     subparagraph (A) shall be for not more than $500,000, which 
     shall be provided over 2 fiscal years; and
       ``(C) any amounts left unused in the third quarter of the 
     second fiscal year may be retained by the Administrator for 
     future FAST program awards.
       ``(5) Reporting.--Not later than 6 months after receiving 
     an award or entering into a cooperative agreement under this 
     section, a recipient shall report to the Administrator--
       ``(A) the number of awards made under the SBIR or STTR 
     program;
       ``(B) the number of applications submitted for the SBIR or 
     STTR program;
       ``(C) the number of consulting hours spent;
       ``(D) the number of training events conducted; and
       ``(E) any issues encountered in the management and 
     application of the FAST program.'';
       (4) in subsection (f)--
       (A) in paragraph (1)--
       (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)--

       (I) by striking ``Small Business Innovation Research 
     Program Reauthorization Act of 2000'' and inserting ``FAST 
     Fix Act of 2021''; and
       (II) by inserting ``and Entrepreneurship'' before ``of the 
     Senate'';

       (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the 
     end and inserting ``; and''; and
       (iv) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(D) a description of the process used to ensure that 
     underperforming States are given priority application status 
     under the FAST program.''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2)--
       (i) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``Annual'' and 
     inserting ``Biennial'';
       (ii) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking 
     ``annual'' and inserting ``biennial'';
       (iii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (iv) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting a semicolon; and
       (v) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(D) the proportion of awards provided to and cooperative 
     agreements entered into with underperforming States; and
       ``(E) a list of the States that were determined by the 
     Administrator to be underperforming States, and a description 
     of any changes in the list compared to previously submitted 
     reports.'';
       (5) in subsection (g)(2)--
       (A) by striking ``2004'' and inserting ``2022''; and
       (B) by inserting ``and Entrepreneurship'' before ``of the 
     Senate''; and
       (6) in subsection (h)(1), by striking ``$10,000,000 for 
     each of fiscal years 2001 through 2005'' and inserting 
     ``$20,000,000 for every 2 fiscal years between fiscal years 
     2022 through 2026, to be obligated before the end of the 
     second fiscal year''.
                                 ______