Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Promoting Small Business Innovation through Partnerships with National Labs Act of 2019”.
Promoting Small Business Innovation through Partnerships with National Labs Act of 2019
A BILL
To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require the establishment of a small business voucher program, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Small business advocacy and assistance
Section 1003 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16393) is amended—
in subsection (a)—
in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “, and may require the Director of a single-purpose research facility,” and inserting “(as defined in section 2) and the Director of each single-purpose research facility”;
in paragraph (1)—
by striking “increase” and inserting “encourage”; and
by striking “collaborative research,” and inserting “research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities, including product development,”;
in paragraph (2), by striking “procurement and collaborative research” and inserting “the activities described in paragraph (1)”;
in paragraph (3)—
by inserting “facilities,” before “training”; and
by striking “procurement and collaborative research activities” and inserting “the activities described in paragraph (1)”; and
in paragraph (5), by striking “for the program under subsection (b)” and inserting “and metrics for the programs under subsections (b) and (c)”;
by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (d) and (e), respectively;
by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
“(c) Small business voucher program
“(1) Definitions—In this subsection:
“(A) Director—The term Director means—
“(i) the Director of each National Laboratory; and
“(ii) the Director of each single-purpose research facility.
“(B) National Laboratory—The term National Laboratory has the meaning given the term in section 2.
“(C) Program—The term program means the program established under paragraph (2).
“(2) Establishment—The Secretary, working with the Office of Technology Transitions and the Technology Transfer Coordinator appointed under section 1001(a), and in consultation with the Directors, shall establish a program to provide small business concerns with vouchers under paragraph (3)—
“(A) to achieve the goal described in subsection (a)(1); and
“(B) to improve the products, services, and capabilities of small business concerns in the mission space of the Department.
“(3) Vouchers—Under the program, the Directors are authorized to provide to small business concerns vouchers to be used at National Laboratories and single-purpose research facilities for—
“(A) research, development, demonstration, technology transfer, or commercial application activities; or
“(B) any other activities that the applicable Director determines appropriate.
“(4) Expedited contracting
“(A) In general—The Secretary, working with the Directors, shall establish a streamlined approval process for expedited contracting between—
“(i) small business concerns selected to receive a voucher under the program; and
“(ii) the National Laboratories and single-purpose research facilities.
“(B) Decisionmaking authority—The Secretary shall determine the appropriate decisionmaking authority at the National Laboratories and single-purpose research facilities with respect to the expedited contracting described in subparagraph (A).
“(5) Cost-sharing requirement—In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall require cost-sharing in accordance with section 988.”
in subsection (e) (as so redesignated), by striking “$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2008” and inserting “$25,000,000 for fiscal year 2020 and each fiscal year thereafter”.