Reps. Derek Tran, D-Calif., and Don Bacon, R-Neb., have introduced a bipartisan bill that would reauthorize the due diligence program for the Small Business Innovation Research, or SBIR, and Small Business Technology Transfer, or STTR, initiatives through fiscal year 2030.
Tran’s office said Friday extending the due diligence program under the proposed SBIR Foreign Interference Safeguard Act seeks to detect and mitigate the risk of intellectual property theft by China and other foreign entities.
The SBIR program promotes innovation by offering funding to help small businesses accelerate the delivery of novel technologies to consumers.
“I’m proud to lead this bipartisan effort with Representative Bacon to extend the SBIR Due Diligence Program, giving federal agencies the tools and time they need to safeguard critical technologies from malign actors like the Chinese Communist Party,” Tran said.
“This legislation will strengthen our national security and ensure small businesses can continue to safely and securely drive innovation,” he added.
What Is the SBIR, STTR Due Diligence Program?
Established under the SBIR/STTR Extension Act of 2022, the due diligence program requires agencies to evaluate risks from foreign threats regarding cybersecurity practices, employee relationships, patents and foreign ownership of small enterprises seeking awards through the SBIR program.
The reauthorization would give agencies more time to strengthen their due diligence programs, evaluate their security risks and gather more data for Congress to determine small business security strategies.
