A Democratic bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2025 extends and modifies the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. It increases required agency spending for these programs over the coming years and expands fellowship and internship opportunities. The bill introduces measures to broaden participation for underrepresented groups and minority institutions. It also creates new roles and training to help small businesses move their technologies toward commercialization. Additionally, it establishes oversight reports and extends several pilot programs through 2030.
Yes· 3 of 28
- Scored +9
Would business owners be better off under this?
Directly increases available funding and support for small business owners.
- Scored +9
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
Significantly increases funding, technical assistance, and commercialization support for small businesses.
- Scored +9
Does this put more money into scientific research?
Substantially increases the budget for small business-led scientific and technological research.
The opposite· 3 of 6
- Scored -3
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
Mandates higher spending levels for research programs over the coming years.
- Scored -2
Would people with substantial wealth be better off under this?
Restricts eligibility for businesses owned by certain venture capital and private equity firms.
- Scored -2
Would the very wealthiest people be better off under this?
Restricts eligibility for businesses owned by certain venture capital and private equity firms.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Increased Funding: The bill mandates a gradual increase in agency expenditures for SBIR and STTR programs, reaching 7 percent by fiscal year 2032, which provides more resources for small business research (Sec. 201).
- Educational Opportunities: It allows agencies to provide grants for fellowships and internships at various academic levels, with a requirement for enhanced outreach to women, socially disadvantaged, and economically disadvantaged individuals (Sec. 202).
- Broadened Participation: The act requires enhanced outreach to increase the participation of individuals at minority institutions and Hispanic-serving institutions (Sec. 203).
- Business Support: Award recipients can now select their own technical and business assistance and use funding to hire or train staff, including receiving cybersecurity assistance (Sec. 204).
- Improved Commercialization: The bill creates Technology Commercialization Officials to provide guidance to awardees and advocates for the transition of technologies into Phase III awards (Sec. 303, Sec. 304).
- Faster Funding: A pilot program is established for the National Institutes of Health to simplify procedures and aim for a funding release window as close to 90 days as possible (Sec. 504).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Eligibility Restrictions: Small businesses majority-owned by venture capital operating companies, hedge funds, or private equity firms are ineligible for awards if the Administrator determines they are owned or controlled by a covered foreign entity (Sec. 505).
- Increased Oversight Burdens: Small businesses that have received 50 or more Phase II awards will be subject to a detailed annual commercialization impact assessment, requiring them to provide data on revenues, investments, and employee counts (Sec. 506).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — Directly increases available funding and support for small business owners. Would students be better off under this? — Creates new fellowships and internship opportunities across all academic levels. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — Specifically mandates enhanced outreach to Hispanic-serving institutions. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Creates undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral fellowship and internship opportunities. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — Mandates outreach to minority institutions and socially disadvantaged individuals. Would Asian Americans be better off under this? — Mandates outreach to minority institutions and socially disadvantaged individuals. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — Mandates outreach to minority institutions and Tribal Colleges. Would women be better off under this? — Mandates enhanced outreach to increase the participation of women in fellowships. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — Supports small business owners and researchers in the prime of their careers. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Supports entrepreneurial opportunities for middle-class business owners. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Increases outreach to states with historically low levels of award participation. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Provides fellowship and internship opportunities for economically disadvantaged individuals. Would men be better off under this? — Broadly benefits small business owners. Would white Americans be better off under this? — Broadly benefits small business owners across all demographics. Would billionaires be better off under this? — Restricts eligibility for businesses owned by certain venture capital and private equity firms. Would people with substantial wealth be better off under this? — Restricts eligibility for businesses owned by certain venture capital and private equity firms. Would the very wealthiest people be better off under this? — Restricts eligibility for businesses owned by certain venture capital and private equity firms.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Significantly increases funding, technical assistance, and commercialization support for small businesses. Is this likely to grow the economy? — Promotes technological innovation and commercialization through increased small business funding. Is this likely to create jobs? — Increases funding for small business research and allows funding to be used for hiring and training staff. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — Mandates higher spending levels for research programs over the coming years. Does this reduce what the federal government owes? — Increases mandatory agency spending for SBIR/STTR programs up to 7%.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — Requires enhanced outreach to minority-serving and Hispanic-serving institutions. Does this narrow the gap between how men and women are treated? — Mandates enhanced outreach to women for fellowships and internship opportunities. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Provides opportunities for economically disadvantaged individuals through fellowships.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — Substantially increases the budget for small business-led scientific and technological research. Does this put more into space exploration? — Increases funding for NASA's SBIR/STTR programs.
- Healthcare
- Does this put more money into medical research? — Increases funding for small business-led research and development across federal agencies. Does this make health care easier to get in general? — Accelerates NIH funding and research which can lead to improved health technologies.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — Provides assistance to states with historically low levels of SBIR awards. Does this put more money into wind, solar and other renewable power? — Increased SBIR funding likely impacts DOE energy-related research.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — Requires more detailed reporting and public website updates on award demographics and commercialization.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — Explicitly allows award recipients to utilize funding for cybersecurity assistance. Does this reduce what is spent on the military? — Increases mandatory spending requirements for DOD research programs.
- 7/14/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/1/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
- Introduced in Senate
6 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
- 119-HR-3169: SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2025
- 119-HR-3953: SBIR/STTR Website Improvement Act
- 119-HR-4520: SBIR/STTR Application Assistance Act
- 119-HR-4775: SBIR/STTR Foreign Interference Safeguard Act
- 119-HR-4842: SBIR Commercialization Improvement Act
- 119-HR-5212: SBIR/STTR Innovation Workforce Act
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut