Bill · H.R. 5001· House(119-HR-5001)
SBIR/STTR Oversight Act
- Introduced
- 8/19/2025
- Last activity
- 8/19/2025 — Referred to the Committee 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.
- Sponsored by
- Morgan McGarvey
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The SBIR/STTR Oversight Act aims to amend reporting requirements for the SBIR and STTR programs. It increases the level of transparency by requiring reports be sent to specific House and Senate committees and published on agency websites. The bill mandates a Comptroller General report to assess program effectiveness regarding diversification and commercialization. It also changes the timeframe for reports on award timeliness and requires agencies to provide data on decision times. Additionally, it establishes a pilot program at the National Institutes of Health to accelerate the award process through simplified procedures.
Yes· 3 of 12
Would business owners be better off under this?+4
The bill aims to reduce award timelines and increase transparency for small business owners participating in federal programs.
Does this make it easier to run a small business?+4
The bill increases transparency, assesses diversification efforts, and establishes a pilot program to reduce award timelines for small businesses.
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+4
The bill requires annual reports to be published on agency websites and sent to specific congressional committees.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Increased Transparency: By requiring reports to be published on Federal agency websites, the public can access more information regarding the SBIR and STTR programs (Section 2).
-
Improved Oversight of Diversity: The Comptroller General will assess the demographics of award recipients, including underrepresented groups such as women and socially/economically disadvantaged individuals, to see how agencies are broadening participation (Section 3, subsection b).
-
Greater Accountability for Decision Times: The bill requires agencies to report the average and median amount of time taken to review and decide on proposals, which provides insight into how long people are waiting (Section 4).
-
Faster Funding at the NIH: A new pilot program at the National Institutes of Health will aim to reduce award times by using simplified and standardized procedures, targeting a window where the time between notice and funding is as close to 90 days as possible (Section 5, subsection a).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly stated in the text of the bill.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners+4Good For Women+3Good For Hispanic Americans+1Good For Low Income Households+1
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Small Business Support+4Improves Economic Growth+2Increases Job Creation+2
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+4
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Gender Equality+2Improves Racial Equity+2
- Education And Technology
- Increases Scientific Research Funding+2
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+1
- 8/19/2025
- Referred to the Committee 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.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.