[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.
____________________