Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, presented a bill this week to reauthorize small business innovation research (SBIR) and small-companies technology transfer programs (STTR) until 2028.
Ernst introduced investment in next -generation national opportunities for risk acceleration and technological excellence, or Innovation LawDuring a small audience of the Company and Entrepreneurship Committee on Wednesday. According to a summary of the Ernst office, the bill aims to “Doge-IIFY” the SBIR/STTR programs “swollen” through the elimination of unnecessary and low-performance pilot programs, the restriction of the number of awards proposals that a single company can offer annual and more.
The legislation also seeks to increase national security protections by creating a legal definition for foreign risk and providing a baseline for the evaluation of all agencies and components of the agency that also participate in the program. Ernst’s bill says the summary, “strengthens the capacity of the participating agencies to recover awards dollars if a small company exposes products funded by SBIR-STTT to the adversary influence after the award.”
“It is clear that Sbir needs additional reforms to safeguard taxpayers’ funds and allow this program to fulfill its maximum potential,” Ernst said at the audience. “Despite the financing covered by 11 agencies and innumerable areas of critical technology, Sbir has demonstrated incredible potential to revitalize our industrial base of small businesses and preserve the technological leadership of the United States.”
Ernst said the bill also seeks to eliminate preferences of diversity, equity and inclusion.
The text of the bill establishes that an agency cannot consider the “race, gender or ethnicity of the principal investigator, founder or key personnel” of the business requesting a Sbir award in its decision.
In addition, agencies may not require or consider statements or plans for a small business as part of a request for a adjudication or offer complementary funds to a recipient of the SBIR/STTT award based on the race, gender or ethnicity of the same personnel.
“These measures allow agencies to explore the best substances based on the whole country,” Ernst said at the audience. “I am committed to guaranteeing open competition for innovators with a traditionally lower commitment in the program.”
SBIR and STTR programs, founded in 1982 and 1992, respectively, currently use the Seed fund of America, which is provided through the National Science Foundation, to help small businesses develop technology and move towards marketing.