119-hr5212

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5212 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5212

To amend 

section 9 of the Small Business Act to permit Federal agencies 
to make awards to small business concerns that have received a Phase II 
 SBIR or STTR award to provide fellowship opportunities, and for other 
 purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 September 8, 2025

 Ms. Scholten 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 

section 9 of the Small Business Act to permit Federal agencies 
to make awards to small business concerns that have received a Phase II 
 SBIR or STTR award to provide fellowship opportunities, 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 ``SBIR/STTR Innovation Workforce 
Act''.

SEC. 2. SBIR AND STTR FELLOWSHIPS.

 

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

    (1) in subsection

    (f) , by adding at the end the following 
 new paragraph:
 ``

    (5) Fellowships.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--A Federal agency may provide 
 grants or awards, either directly or in partnership 
 with a third party, to small business concerns that 
 have received SBIR or STTR Phase II awards to provide 
 fellowship and internship opportunities at the 
 undergraduate, baccalaureate, graduate, and 
 postdoctoral levels in fields that are important to 
 such Federal agency.
 ``
        (B) Enhanced outreach.--Each Federal agency that 
 makes an award or enters into a partnership under 
 subparagraph
        (A) shall provide for enhanced outreach to 
 increase the participation of women, socially 
 disadvantaged individuals (as described in 

section 8

    (a)

    (5) ), and economically disadvantaged individuals 
 (as described 

section 8

    (a)

    (6)
        (A) ) in the fellowship and 
 internship opportunities described under subparagraph
        (A) .
 ``
            (C) Support organization.--Each Federal agency 
 that makes an award or enters into a partnership under 
 subparagraph
        (A) may partner with or provide grants or 
 awards to a third-party organization to support and 
 facilitate the enhanced outreach under subparagraph
        (B) provided that such third-party organization is a 
 nonprofit organization with relevant experience and 
 demonstrated expertise in delivery of services 
 described in subparagraph
        (B) .
 ``
            (D) Funding.--In carrying out this paragraph, a 
 Federal agency may use only the following amounts:
 ``
            (i) With respect to a Federal agency that 
 uses the authority under subsection
            (mm) , the 
 funds authorized under such subsection.
 ``
            (ii) With respect a Federal agency other 
 than a Federal agency described in clause
            (i) , 
 not more than three percent of the funds 
 required to be expended under paragraph

    (1) .''; 
 and

    (2) in subsection

    (n) , by adding at the end the following 
 new paragraph:
 ``

    (4) Fellowships.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--A Federal agency may provide 
 grants or awards, either directly or in partnership 
 with a third party, to small business concerns that 
 have received SBIR or STTR Phase II awards to provide 
 fellowship and internship opportunities at the 
 undergraduate, baccalaureate, graduate, and 
 postdoctoral levels in fields that are important to 
 such Federal agency.
 ``
        (B) Enhanced outreach.--Each Federal agency that 
 makes an award or enters into a partnership under 
 subparagraph
        (A) shall provide for enhanced outreach to 
 increase the participation of women, socially 
 disadvantaged individuals (as described in 

section 8

    (a)

    (5) ), and economically disadvantaged individuals 
 (as described 

section 8

    (a)

    (6)
        (A) ) in the fellowship and 
 internship opportunities described under subparagraph
        (A) .
 ``
            (C) Support organization.--Each Federal agency 
 that makes an award or enters into a partnership under 
 subparagraph
        (A) may partner with or provide grants or 
 awards to a third-party organization to support and 
 facilitate the enhanced outreach under subparagraph
        (B) provided such third-party organization is a nonprofit 
 organization with relevant experience and demonstrated 
 expertise in delivery of services described in 
 subparagraph
        (B) .
 ``
            (D) Funding.--In carrying out this paragraph, a 
 Federal agency may use only the following amounts:
 ``
            (i) With respect to a Federal agency that 
 uses the authority under subsection
            (mm) , the 
 funds authorized under such subsection.
 ``
            (ii) With respect a Federal agency other 
 than a Federal agency described in clause
            (i) , 
 not more than three percent of the funds 
 required to be expended under paragraph

    (1) .''.
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