H.R. 5001

119 HR 5001 IH: SBIR/STTR Oversight Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2025-08-19
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 I  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  H. R. 5001  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   August 19, 2025   Mr. McGarvey  introduced the following bill; which was referred to the  Committee on Small Business , and in addition to the Committee on  Science, Space, and Technology , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned   A BILL
To amend the reporting requirements for the SBIR and STTR programs, and for other purpose.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   SBIR/STTR Oversight Act  .
2.
Annual reports to Congress
Section 9 of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 638 ) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (g)(9)—
(A)
by inserting  the House Committee on Small Business, Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship,  after  SBIR program to ;
(B)
by inserting a comma after  Administration ; and
(C)
by inserting after  Technology Policy  the following:  and publish such report on the website of such Federal agency as soon as practicable ;
(2)
in subsection (o)(10)—
(A)
by inserting  House Committee on Small Business, Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship,  after  STTR program to ;
(B)
by inserting a comma after  Administration ; and
(C)
by inserting after  Technology Policy  the following:  and publish such report on the website of such Federal agency as soon as practicable ; and
(3)
in subsection (gg)(6), by inserting  Congress and  after  agency to .
3.
Comptroller General report on diversification and commercialization
(a)
In general
Not later than three years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 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 on the effectiveness of the SBIR and STTR programs with respect to diversification of participants and commercialization.
(b)
Contents
The report shall include, to the extent practicable, an assessment of—
(1)
the demographics of small business concerns receiving SBIR or STTR awards, including new entrants and underrepresented groups;
(2)
the efforts of participating agencies to broaden representation and participation of new entrants and underrepresented groups in the SBIR and STTR programs;
(3)
how participating agencies develop solicitation topics and attract applicants;
(4)
the efforts of participating agencies to support technology commercialization;
(5)
the extent to which the SBIR and STTR awards made by each participating agency align with the research priorities and technology needs of that participating agency; and
(6)
such other matters as the Comptroller General, in consultation with the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives, determines appropriate.
(c)
Definitions
In this section:
(1)
Federal agency; sbir; sttr
The terms  Federal agency ,  SBIR , and  STTR  have the meanings given such terms in section 9(e) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 638(e) ).
(2)
New entrant
The term  new entrant  means a small business concern that has not previously received an SBIR or STTR award.
(3)
Underrepresented groups
The term  underrepresented groups  means small business concerns located in States with respect to which a low level of SBIR and STTR awards have historically been awarded, small business concerns owned and controlled by women, and small business concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.
(4)
Participating agency
The term  participating agency  means a Federal agency carrying out an SBIR or STTR program under section 9 of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 638 ).
(5)
Small business concern
The term  small business concern  has the meaning given such term under section 3 of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 632 ).
(6)
Small business concern owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals; small business concern owned and controlled by women
The terms  small business concern owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals  and  small business concern owned and controlled by women  have the meanings given such terms in section 8(d) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 637(d) ).
4.
Extend the report on award timeliness
Section 9(ii)(2)(A) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 638(ii)(2)(A) ) is amended—
(1)
in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking  3 years  and inserting  11 years ;
(2)
in clause (i), by striking  and  at the end;
(3)
by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii); and
(4)
by inserting after clause (i) the following new clause:
(ii)
provides the average and median amount of time that each Federal agency with an SBIR or STTR program takes to review and make a final decision on proposals submitted under the program; and
 .
5.
Pilot program to accelerate National Institutes of Health evaluation process
(a)
In general
Section 9(hh) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 638(hh) ) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
(3)
Pilot program to accelerate the national institutes of health sbir and sttr awards
(A)
In general
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this paragraph, the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall establish a pilot program to reduce the time for awards under the SBIR and STTR programs of the National Institutes of Health.
(B)
Award procedures
In carrying out the pilot program under subparagraph (A), the Director shall develop simplified and standardized procedures across all relevant awarding offices at the National Institutes of Health and reduce the amount of time between the provision of notice of such awards and the subsequent release of funding with respect to the awards to be as close to 90 days as possible.
(C)
Merit review
(i)
In general
Under the pilot program under subparagraph (A), the Director of the National Institutes of Health may, with respect to awards under the SBIR and STTR programs of the National Institute of Health, use such peer review procedures (including consultation with appropriate scientific experts) as the Director determines to be appropriate to obtain assessments of scientific and technical merit and potential for commercialization.
(ii)
Deemed
The use of peer review procedures under clause (i) shall be deemed to fulfill any requirements applicable to the award under the SBIR or STTR program of the National Institute of Health under sections 406(a)(3)(A) and 492 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 284a(a)(3)(A) ; 289a).
(D)
Termination
The pilot program under subparagraph (A) shall terminate on September 30, 2030.
 .
(b)
Evaluation report
Not later than three years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall submit to the Committees on Small Business and Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate an evaluation of the pilot program established under paragraph (3) of section 9(hh) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 638(hh) ), as added by subsection (a), including an analysis of the peer review procedures used under subparagraph (C) of such paragraph and the effects on award times.