[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20659]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2000

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. CONSTANCE A. MORELLA

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 25, 2000

  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to join me in 
supporting the passage of H.R. 2392, a bill to reauthorize the Small 
Business Innovation Research Program, or SBIR.
  Last year around this time, the House passed H.R. 2392. After months 
of work by the House and Senate, the Senate took action and passed H.R. 
2392, with an amendment in July of this year. Their amendment 
incorporated both changes to the House provisions and new Senate 
provisions.
  Now, H.R. 2392 is to go back to the Senate with additional Small 
Business provisions attached to the bill, but with the agreed-to 
provisions relating to SBIR untouched, These include: extending the 
program through fiscal year 2007; requiring small businesses to submit 
a concise commercialization plan with their proposals; requiring 
agencies participating in SBIR to provide an annual performance plan in 
accordance with the Government Performance and Results Act; requiring 
the collection and maintenance of data which will allow program 
evaluation; and a National Research Council report on how SBIR has used 
small businesses to stimulate technological innovation and how agencies 
have used SBIR in meeting their research and development needs.
  The above are the main provisions that emanated from the House. The 
Senate has added provisions, including: a partnership grant program 
between small businesses and states (FAST, Federal and State Technology 
Partnership Program), and a mentoring network developed through the 
funds provided for in the FAST program.
  Overall, the provisions contained in this bill improve upon the SBIR 
program and I am confident that we can again work with the Senate to 
reach an agreement allowing for the continuation of this excellent 
program. I urge my colleagues to support this important 
reauthorization.

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