S. 2677 Small Business Technology Enhancement Act

Summary

Designates a senior employee of the Office of Investment and Innovation as the broadband and emerging information technology coordinator to assist small businesses in adopting broadband and emerging technologies.

Requires the coordinator to work with the SBA's chief information officer, chief technology officer, and other relevant federal agencies.

Mandates the coordinator to identify best practices and catalog tools and training for small businesses on broadband and emerging technologies.

Obligates the coordinator to provide training to SBA employees on these technologies and relevant federal programs.

Requires biennial reports on the SBA's activities related to broadband and emerging technologies.

Instructs the Chief Counsel for Advocacy to study and report on the impact of broadband availability, speed, and price, and the deployment of emerging technologies on small businesses.

Amends the Small Business Act to include provisions for increasing small business access to broadband and emerging technologies.

Improves SBA programs to assist small businesses in accessing broadband technology.

S. 2677

To improve certain programs of the Small Business Administration to better assist small business customers in accessing broadband technology, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

July 27, 2023

Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Markey, Mr. Risch, and Ms. Hirono) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

A BILL To improve certain programs of the Small Business Administration to better assist small business customers in accessing broadband technology, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

Cites this Act as the “Small Business Broadband and Emerging Information Technology Enhancement Act of 2023”.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Small Business Broadband and Emerging Information Technology Enhancement Act of 2023”.

Amends the Small Business Act to establish a broadband and emerging information technology coordinator position.

SEC. 2. BROADBAND AND EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR.

The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended—

(1) by redesignating section 49 (15 U.S.C. 631 note) as section 50; and

(2) by inserting after section 48 (15 U.S.C. 657u) the following:

“SEC. 49. BROADBAND AND EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.

“(a) Definitions.—In this section—

“(1) the term ‘Associate Administrator’ means the Associate Administrator for the Office of Investment and Innovation;

“(2) the term ‘broadband’ means—

“(A) high-speed wired broadband internet; and

“(B) high-speed wireless internet;

“(3) the term ‘broadband and emerging information technology coordinator’ means the employee designated to carry out the broadband and emerging information technology coordination responsibilities of the Administration under subsection (b)(1); and

“(4) the term ‘emerging information technology’ includes—

“(A) data science technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning;

“(B) Internet of Things;

“(C) distributed ledger technologies such as blockchain;

“(D) cloud computing and software as a system technologies;

“(E) computer numerical control technologies such as 3D printing; and

“(F) robotics and automation.

Designates a senior employee as broadband coordinator with specific responsibilities that develop the use of emerging technologies for small businesses, as well as limited international travel.

“(b) Assignment Of Coordinator.—

“(1) ASSIGNMENT OF COORDINATOR.—The Associate Administrator shall designate a senior employee of the Office of Investment and Innovation to serve as the broadband and emerging information technology coordinator, who—

“(A) shall report to the Associate Administrator;

“(B) shall work in coordination with—

“(i) the chief information officer, the chief technology officer, and the head of the Office of Technology of the Administration; and

“(ii) any other Associate Administrator of the Administration determined appropriate by the Associate Administrator;

“(C) has experience developing and implementing telecommunications policy in the private sector or government; and

“(D) has demonstrated significant experience in the area of broadband or emerging information technology.

“(2) RESPONSIBILITIES OF COORDINATOR.—The broadband and emerging information technology coordinator shall—

“(A) coordinate programs of the Administration that assist small business concerns in adopting, making innovations in, and using broadband and other emerging information technologies;

“(B) serve as the primary liaison of the Administration to other Federal agencies involved in broadband and emerging information technology policy, including the Department of Commerce, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Treasury, and the Federal Communications Commission;

“(C) identify best practices relating to broadband and emerging information technology that may benefit small business concerns; and

“(D) identify and catalog tools and training available through the resource partners of the Administration that assist small business concerns in adopting, making innovations in, and using broadband and emerging information technologies.

“(3) TRAVEL.—Not more than 20 percent of the hours of service by the broadband and emerging information technology coordinator during any fiscal year shall consist of travel outside the United States to perform official duties.

Provides training to Administration employees on broadband and emerging information technologies and related federal assistance programs.

“(c) Broadband And Emerging Information Technology Training.—The broadband and emerging information technology coordinator shall provide to employees of the Administration training that—

“(1) familiarizes employees of the Administration with broadband and other emerging information technologies;

“(2) includes—

“(A) instruction on counseling small business concerns regarding adopting, making innovations in, and using broadband and other emerging information technologies; and

“(B) information on programs of the Federal Government that provide assistance to small business concerns relating to broadband and emerging information technologies; and

“(3) to maximum extent practicable, uses the tools and training cataloged and identified under subsection (b)(2)(D).

Requires biennial reports on broadband activities and a study on broadband's impact on small businesses.

“(d) Reports.—

“(1) BIENNIAL REPORT ON ACTIVITIES.—Not later than 2 years after the date on which the Associate Administrator makes the first designation of an employee under subsection (b), and every 2 years thereafter, the broadband and emerging information technology coordinator shall submit to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives a report regarding the programs and activities of the Administration relating to broadband and other emerging information technologies.

“(2) IMPACT OF BROADBAND AVAILABILITY, SPEED, AND PRICE AND EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT ON SMALL BUSINESSES.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to appropriations, the Chief Counsel for Advocacy shall conduct a study evaluating the impact of—

“(i) broadband availability, speed, and price on small business concerns; and

“(ii) emerging information technology deployment on small business concerns.

“(B) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of the Small Business Broadband and Emerging Information Technology Enhancement Act of 2023, the Chief Counsel for Advocacy shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives a report on the results of the study under subparagraph (A), including—

“(i) a survey of broadband speeds available to small business concerns;

“(ii) a survey of the cost of broadband speeds available to small business concerns;

“(iii) a survey of the type of broadband technology used by small business concerns;

“(iv) a survey of the types of emerging information technologies used by small business concerns; and

“(v) any policy recommendations that may improve the access of small business concerns to broadband services or emerging information technologies.”.

Amends the Small Business Act to enhance entrepreneurial access to broadband and emerging information technologies.

SEC. 3. ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT.

Section 21(c)(3)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648(c)(3)(B)) is amended—

(1) in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting “accessing broadband and other emerging information technology,” after “technology transfer,”;

(2) in clause (ii), by striking “and” at the end;

(3) in clause (iii), by adding “and” at the end; and

(4) by adding at the end the following:

“(iv) increasing the competitiveness and productivity of small business concerns by assisting entrepreneurs in accessing broadband and other emerging information technology;”.