To reauthorize the Small Business Technology Transfer Program, and for other purposes.

May 9, 2001

Mr. KERRY (for himself, Mr. BOND, Mr. CLELAND, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. BENNETT, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. ENZI, Ms. CANTWELL, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. BURNS, and Mrs. CARNAHAN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

August 28, 2001

Reported under authority of the order of the Senate of July 30, 2001, by Mr. KERRY, without amendment

To reauthorize the Small Business Technology Transfer Program, and for other purposes.

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 Technology Transfer Program Reauthorization Act of 2001'.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF PROGRAM AND EXPENDITURE AMOUNTS.

(a) IN GENERAL- Section 9(n)(1) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(n)(1)) is amended to read as follows:

`(1) REQUIRED EXPENDITURE AMOUNTS-

`(A) IN GENERAL- With respect to each fiscal year through fiscal year 2010, each Federal agency that has an extramural budget for research, or research and development, in excess of $1,000,000,000 for that fiscal year, shall expend with small business concerns not less than the percentage of that extramural budget specified in subparagraph (B), specifically in connection with STTR programs that meet the requirements of this section and any policy directives and regulations issued under this section.

`(B) EXPENDITURE AMOUNTS- The percentage of the extramural budget required to be expended by an agency in accordance with subparagraph (A) shall be--

`(i) 0.15 percent for each fiscal year through fiscal year 2003;

`(ii) 0.3 percent for each of fiscal years 2004 through 2006; and

`(iii) 0.5 percent for fiscal year 2007 and each fiscal year thereafter.

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT- Section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638) is amended in subsections (b)(4) and (e)(6), by striking `pilot' each place it appears.

SEC. 3. INCREASE IN AUTHORIZED PHASE II AWARDS.

(a) IN GENERAL- Section 9(p)(2)(B)(ix) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(p)(2)(B)(ix)) is amended--

(1) by striking `$500,000' and inserting `$750,000'; and

(2) by inserting before the semicolon at the end the following: `, and shorter or longer periods of time to be approved at the discretion of the awarding agency where appropriate for a particular project'.

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendments made by subsection (a) shall be effective beginning in fiscal year 2004.

SEC. 4. AGENCY OUTREACH.

Section 9(o) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(o)) is amended--

(1) in paragraph (12), by striking `and' at the end;

(2) in paragraph (13), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

`(14) implement an outreach program to research institutions and small business concerns for the purpose of enhancing its STTR program, in conjunction with any such outreach done for purposes of the SBIR program; and'.

SEC. 5. POLICY DIRECTIVE MODIFICATIONS.

Section 9(p) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(p)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(3) MODIFICATIONS- Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this paragraph, the Administrator shall modify the policy directive issued pursuant to this subsection to clarify that the rights provided for under paragraph (2)(B)(v) apply to all Federal funding awards under this section, including the first phase (as described in subsection (e)(6)(A)), the second phase (as described in subsection (e)(6)(B)), and the third phase (as described in subsection (e)(6)(C)).'.

SEC. 6. STTR PROGRAM DATA COLLECTION.

(a) IN GENERAL- Section 9(o) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(o)), as amended by this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(15) collect, and maintain in a common format in accordance with subsection (v), such information from awardees as is necessary to assess the STTR program, including information necessary to maintain the database described in subsection (k).'.

(b) DATABASE- Section 9(k) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(k)) is amended--

(1) in paragraph (1)--

(A) by inserting `or STTR' after `SBIR' each place it appears;

(B) in subparagraph (C), by striking `and' at the end;

(C) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end and inserting `; and'; and

(D) by adding at the end the following:

`(E) with respect to assistance under the STTR program only--

`(i) whether the small business concern or the research institution initiated their collaboration on each assisted STTR project;

`(ii) whether the small business concern or the research institution originated any technology relating to the assisted STTR project;

`(iii) the length of time it took to negotiate any licensing agreement between the small business concern and the research institution under each assisted STTR project; and

`(iv) how the proceeds from commercialization, marketing, or sale of technology resulting from each assisted STTR project were allocated (by percentage) between the small business concern and the research institution.'; and

(2) in paragraph (2)--

(A) by inserting `or an STTR program under subsection (n)(1)' after `(f)(1)';

(B) in subparagraph (A)(iii), by inserting `and STTR' after `SBIR'; and

(C) in subparagraph (D), by inserting `or STTR' after `SBIR'.

(c) SIMPLIFIED REPORTING REQUIREMENTS- Section 9(v) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(v)) is amended by inserting `or STTR' after `SBIR' each place it appears.

(d) REPORTS TO CONGRESS- Section 9(b)(7) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(b)(7)) is amended by striking `and (o)(9)' and inserting `, (o)(9), and (o)(15)'.

Calendar No. 142

To reauthorize the Small Business Technology Transfer Program, and for other purposes.

August 28, 2001

END