I
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. R. 1590
To require Federal agencies with an SBIR or STTR program to enhance
their outreach to rural communities with respect to such programs,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY26, 2025
Mr. A
LFORDintroduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee 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 require Federal agencies with an SBIR or STTR program
to enhance their outreach to rural communities with
respect to such programs, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Innovation and 4
Small Business Support Act’’. 5
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•HR 1590 IH
SEC. 2. SBIR AND STTR PROGRAM RURAL COMMUNITY 1
OUTREACH. 2
Section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638) 3
is amended— 4
(1) in subsection (j), by adding at the end the 5
following new paragraph: 6
‘‘(5) M
ODIFICATION RELATING TO RURAL OUT -7
REACH.—Not later than 90 days after the date of 8
the enactment of this paragraph, the Administrator 9
shall modify the policy directives issued pursuant to 10
this subsection to require each Federal agency par-11
ticipating in the SBIR program to enhance the out-12
reach efforts of such Federal agency to rural com-13
munities to increase the participation of small busi-14
ness concerns located in rural communities in the 15
SBIR program, including by ensuring that such 16
Federal agency conducts outreach efforts with re-17
spect to the SBIR program in rural communities.’’; 18
and 19
(2) in subsection (p), by adding at the end the 20
following new paragraph: 21
‘‘(4) M
ODIFICATION RELATING TO RURAL OUT -22
REACH.—Not later than 90 days after the date of 23
the enactment of this paragraph, the Administrator 24
shall modify the policy directives issued pursuant to 25
this subsection to require each Federal agency par-26
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•HR 1590 IH
ticipating in the STTR program to enhance the out-1
reach efforts of such Federal agency to rural com-2
munities to increase the participation of small busi-3
ness concerns located in rural communities in the 4
STTR program, including by ensuring that such 5
Federal agency conducts outreach efforts with re-6
spect to the STTR program in rural communities.’’. 7
Æ
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