Smith, Hultgren praise House passage of bill to spur small business R&D efforts

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs would be modernized and enhanced under a bill that passed the House unanimously last week, drawing praise from U.S. Reps. Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Randy Hultgren (R-IL).

The Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Improvements Act of 2017, H.R. 2763, contains a key provision authored by Hultgren. It was advanced from the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, which is led by Smith, in June.

Operated by the Small Business Administration (SBA), the SBIR program provides grants that help small businesses undertake research and development, and the STTR program supports public-private research and development partnerships between small businesses and nonprofit research institutions.

“Innovation is a critical component of small business success,” Smith said. “The SBIR and STTR programs, through their $3 billion in annual awards to small businesses, spur many innovations and create thousands of jobs. This legislation updates these crucial programs. I thank Congressman Knight for taking the initiative on this issue.”

Hultgren successfully led an amendment to the bill that would require federal agencies to give higher priority in the SBIR and STTR programs to small businesses that manufacture products in the United States.

“A thriving manufacturing sector is vital to our economy, putting people to work and driving growth,” Hultgren said. “Manufacturing facilities employ more than 27,000 workers across the 14th congressional district of Illinois, which I represent, and stands as the largest share of Illinois’ GDP at 12.4 percent. The United States must continue to innovate manufacturing operations, techniques and specialized products to remain globally competitive. Making manufacturing innovation a high priority in the SBIR and STTR programs is just one way that Congress can take action to spur the manufacturing sector.”

The bill was sponsored by U.S. Rep. Steve Knight (R-CA), who serves as vice chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy for the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Energy Subcommittee and chairman of the House Committee on Small Business Contracting and Workforce Subcommittee.