[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5166-S5168]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     SMALL BUSINESS BROADBAND AND EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 
                        ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2022

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 395, S. 3906.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 3906) to improve certain programs of the Small 
     Business Administration to better assist small business 
     customers in accessing broadband technology, and for other 
     purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Small Business and 
Entrepreneurship, with amendments, as follows:
  (The parts of the bill intended to be stricken are shown in boldface 
brackets, and the parts of the bill intended to be inserted are shown 
in italics.)

                                S. 3906

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Small Business Broadband and 
     Emerging Information Technology Enhancement Act of 2022''.

     SEC. 2. BROADBAND AND EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 
                   COORDINATOR.

       The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating section 49 (15 U.S.C. 631 note) as 
     section 50; and
       (2) by inserting after section 48 (15 U.S.C. 657u) the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 49. BROADBAND AND EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.

       ``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
       ``(1) the term `Associate Administrator' means the 
     Associate Administrator for the Office of Investment and 
     Innovation;
       ``(2) the term `broadband' means--
       ``(A) high-speed wired broadband internet; and
       ``(B) high-speed wireless internet;
       ``(3) the term `broadband and emerging information 
     technology coordinator' means the employee designated to 
     carry out the broadband and emerging information technology 
     coordination responsibilities of the Administration under 
     subsection (b)(1); and
       ``(4) the term `emerging information technology' includes--
       ``(A) data science technologies such as artificial 
     intelligence and machine learning;
       ``(B) Internet of Things;
       ``(C) distributed ledger technologies such as blockchain;
       ``(D) cloud computing and software as a system 
     technologies;
       ``(E) computer numerical control technologies such as 3D 
     printing; and
       ``(F) robotics and automation.
       ``(b) Assignment of Coordinator.--
       ``(1) Assignment of coordinator.--The Associate 
     Administrator shall designate a senior employee of the Office 
     of Investment and Innovation to serve as the broadband and 
     emerging information technology coordinator, who--
       ``(A) shall report to the Associate Administrator;
       ``(B) shall work in coordination with--
       ``(i) the chief information officer, the chief technology 
     officer, and the head of the Office of Technology of the 
     Administration; and
       ``(ii) any other Associate Administrator of the 
     Administration determined appropriate by the Associate 
     Administrator;
       ``(C) has experience developing and implementing 
     telecommunications policy in the private sector or 
     government; and
       ``(D) has demonstrated significant experience in the area 
     of broadband or emerging information technology.
       ``(2) Responsibilities of coordinator.--The broadband and 
     emerging information technology coordinator shall--
       ``(A) coordinate programs of the Administration that assist 
     small business concerns in adopting, making innovations in, 
     and using broadband and other emerging information 
     technologies;
       ``(B) serve as the primary liaison of the Administration to 
     other Federal agencies involved in broadband and emerging 
     information technology policy, including the Department of 
     Commerce, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of 
     the Treasury, and the Federal Communications Commission;
       ``(C) identify best practices relating to broadband and 
     emerging information technology that may benefit small 
     business concerns; and
       ``(D) identify and catalog tools and training available 
     through the resource partners of the Administration that 
     assist small business concerns in adopting, making 
     innovations in, and using broadband and emerging information 
     technologies.
       ``(3) Travel.--Not more than 20 percent of the hours of 
     service by the broadband and emerging information technology 
     coordinator during any fiscal year shall consist of travel 
     outside the United States to perform official duties.
       ``(c) Broadband and Emerging Information Technology 
     Training.--The Associate Administrator shall provide to 
     employees of the Administration training that--
       ``(1) familiarizes employees of the Administration with 
     broadband and other emerging information technologies;
       ``(2) includes--
       ``(A) instruction on counseling small business concerns 
     regarding adopting, making innovations in, and using 
     broadband and other emerging information technologies; and
       ``(B) information on programs of the Federal Government 
     that provide assistance to small business concerns relating 
     to broadband and emerging information technologies; and
       ``(3) to maximum extent practicable, uses the tools and 
     training cataloged and identified under subsection (b)(2)(D).
         [``(1) Training.--The Associate Administrator shall 
     provide to employees of the Administration training that--
         [``(A) familiarizes employees of the Administration with 
     broadband and other emerging information technologies;
         [``(B) includes--
         [``(i) instruction on counseling small business concerns 
     regarding adopting, making innovations in, and using 
     broadband and other emerging information technologies; and
         [``(ii) information on programs of the Federal Government 
     that provide assistance to small business concerns relating 
     to broadband and emerging information technologies; and
         [``(C) to maximum extent practicable, uses the tools and 
     training cataloged and identified under subsection (b)(2)(D).
         [``(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to 
     carry out this subsection.]
       ``(d) Reports.--
       ``(1) Biennial report on activities.--Not later than 2 
     years after the date on which the Associate Administrator 
     makes the first designation of an employee under subsection 
     (b), and every 2 years thereafter, the broadband and emerging 
     information technology coordinator shall 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 regarding the programs and 
     activities of the Administration relating to broadband and 
     other emerging information technologies.
       ``(2) Impact of broadband availability, speed, and price 
     and emerging information technology deployment on small 
     businesses.--
       ``(A) In general.--Subject to appropriations, the Chief 
     Counsel for Advocacy shall conduct a study evaluating the 
     impact of--
       ``(i) broadband availability, speed, and price on small 
     business concerns; and
       ``(ii) emerging information technology deployment on small 
     business concerns.
       ``(B) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
     enactment of the Small Business Broadband and Emerging 
     Information Technology Enhancement Act of 2022, the Chief 
     Counsel for Advocacy shall submit to the

[[Page S5167]]

     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the 
     Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the 
     Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives a 
     report on the results of the study under subparagraph (A), 
     including--
       ``(i) a survey of broadband speeds available to small 
     business concerns;
       ``(ii) a survey of the cost of broadband speeds available 
     to small business concerns;
       ``(iii) a survey of the type of broadband technology used 
     by small business concerns;
       ``(iv) a survey of the types of emerging information 
     technologies used by small business concerns; and
       ``(v) any policy recommendations that may improve the 
     access of small business concerns to comparable broadband 
     services or emerging information technologies at comparable 
     rates in all regions of the United States.''.

     SEC. 3. ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT.

       Section 21(c)(3)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
     648(c)(3)(B)) is amended--
       (1) in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting 
     ``accessing broadband and other emerging information 
     technology,'' after ``technology transfer,'';
       (2) in clause (ii), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (3) in clause (iii), by adding ``and'' at the end; and
       (4) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(iv) increasing the competitiveness and productivity of 
     small business concerns by assisting entrepreneurs in 
     accessing broadband and other emerging information 
     technology;''.

  Mr. SCHUMER. I further ask that the committee-reported amendments be 
withdrawn.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee-reported amendments were withdrawn.
  Mr. SCHUMER. I ask that the Cardin substitute amendment, which is at 
the desk, be considered and agreed to.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 6027) in the nature of a substitute was agreed to, 
as follows:

                (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)

        Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Small Business Broadband and 
     Emerging Information Technology Enhancement Act of 2022''.

     SEC. 2. BROADBAND AND EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 
                   COORDINATOR.

       The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating section 49 (15 U.S.C. 631 note) as 
     section 50; and
       (2) by inserting after section 48 (15 U.S.C. 657u) the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 49. BROADBAND AND EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.

       ``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
       ``(1) the term `Associate Administrator' means the 
     Associate Administrator for the Office of Investment and 
     Innovation;
       ``(2) the term `broadband' means--
       ``(A) high-speed wired broadband internet; and
       ``(B) high-speed wireless internet;
       ``(3) the term `broadband and emerging information 
     technology coordinator' means the employee designated to 
     carry out the broadband and emerging information technology 
     coordination responsibilities of the Administration under 
     subsection (b)(1); and
       ``(4) the term `emerging information technology' includes--
       ``(A) data science technologies such as artificial 
     intelligence and machine learning;
       ``(B) Internet of Things;
       ``(C) distributed ledger technologies such as blockchain;
       ``(D) cloud computing and software as a system 
     technologies;
       ``(E) computer numerical control technologies such as 3D 
     printing; and
       ``(F) robotics and automation.
       ``(b) Assignment of Coordinator.--
       ``(1) Assignment of coordinator.--The Associate 
     Administrator shall designate a senior employee of the Office 
     of Investment and Innovation to serve as the broadband and 
     emerging information technology coordinator, who--
       ``(A) shall report to the Associate Administrator;
       ``(B) shall work in coordination with--
       ``(i) the chief information officer, the chief technology 
     officer, and the head of the Office of Technology of the 
     Administration; and
       ``(ii) any other Associate Administrator of the 
     Administration determined appropriate by the Associate 
     Administrator;
       ``(C) has experience developing and implementing 
     telecommunications policy in the private sector or 
     government; and
       ``(D) has demonstrated significant experience in the area 
     of broadband or emerging information technology.
       ``(2) Responsibilities of coordinator.--The broadband and 
     emerging information technology coordinator shall--
       ``(A) coordinate programs of the Administration that assist 
     small business concerns in adopting, making innovations in, 
     and using broadband and other emerging information 
     technologies;
       ``(B) serve as the primary liaison of the Administration to 
     other Federal agencies involved in broadband and emerging 
     information technology policy, including the Department of 
     Commerce, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of 
     the Treasury, and the Federal Communications Commission;
       ``(C) identify best practices relating to broadband and 
     emerging information technology that may benefit small 
     business concerns; and
       ``(D) identify and catalog tools and training available 
     through the resource partners of the Administration that 
     assist small business concerns in adopting, making 
     innovations in, and using broadband and emerging information 
     technologies.
       ``(3) Travel.--Not more than 20 percent of the hours of 
     service by the broadband and emerging information technology 
     coordinator during any fiscal year shall consist of travel 
     outside the United States to perform official duties.
       ``(c) Broadband and Emerging Information Technology 
     Training.--The broadband and emerging information technology 
     coordinator shall provide to employees of the Administration 
     training that--
       ``(1) familiarizes employees of the Administration with 
     broadband and other emerging information technologies;
       ``(2) includes--
       ``(A) instruction on counseling small business concerns 
     regarding adopting, making innovations in, and using 
     broadband and other emerging information technologies; and
       ``(B) information on programs of the Federal Government 
     that provide assistance to small business concerns relating 
     to broadband and emerging information technologies; and
       ``(3) to maximum extent practicable, uses the tools and 
     training cataloged and identified under subsection (b)(2)(D).
       ``(d) Reports.--
       ``(1) Biennial report on activities.--Not later than 2 
     years after the date on which the Associate Administrator 
     makes the first designation of an employee under subsection 
     (b), and every 2 years thereafter, the broadband and emerging 
     information technology coordinator shall 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 regarding the programs and 
     activities of the Administration relating to broadband and 
     other emerging information technologies.
       ``(2) Impact of broadband availability, speed, and price 
     and emerging information technology deployment on small 
     businesses.--
       ``(A) In general.--Subject to appropriations, the Chief 
     Counsel for Advocacy shall conduct a study evaluating the 
     impact of--
       ``(i) broadband availability, speed, and price on small 
     business concerns; and
       ``(ii) emerging information technology deployment on small 
     business concerns.
       ``(B) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
     enactment of the Small Business Broadband and Emerging 
     Information Technology Enhancement Act of 2022, the Chief 
     Counsel for Advocacy shall submit to the Committee on 
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on 
     Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Small 
     Business of the House of Representatives a report on the 
     results of the study under subparagraph (A), including--
       ``(i) a survey of broadband speeds available to small 
     business concerns;
       ``(ii) a survey of the cost of broadband speeds available 
     to small business concerns;
       ``(iii) a survey of the type of broadband technology used 
     by small business concerns;
       ``(iv) a survey of the types of emerging information 
     technologies used by small business concerns; and
       ``(v) any policy recommendations that may improve the 
     access of small business concerns to broadband services or 
     emerging information technologies.''.

     SEC. 3. ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT.

       Section 21(c)(3)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
     648(c)(3)(B)) is amended--
       (1) in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting 
     ``accessing broadband and other emerging information 
     technology,'' after ``technology transfer,'';
       (2) in clause (ii), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (3) in clause (iii), by adding ``and'' at the end; and
       (4) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(iv) increasing the competitiveness and productivity of 
     small business concerns by assisting entrepreneurs in 
     accessing broadband and other emerging information 
     technology;''.

  Mr. SCHUMER. I further ask that the bill, as amended, be considered 
read a third time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read 
the third time.
  Mr. SCHUMER. I know of no further debate on the bill, as amended.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. If there is no further debate, the bill having 
been read the third time, the question is, Shall the bill pass?

[[Page S5168]]

  The bill (S. 3906), as amended, was passed.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Finally, I ask that the motion to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or 
debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________