42 U.S.C. § 16393 — Small business advocacy and assistance

(a) Small business advocate: The Secretary^* must require the director of each National Laboratory (as defined in section 15801) and each single-purpose research facility to designate a small business advocate. That advocate must: encourage small business concerns — including socially and economically disadvantaged ones, as defined in 15 U.S.C. § 637(a)(4) — to participate in procurement, research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities, including product development, technology licensing, and technology transfer; report to the director on how small businesses are actually participating, with improvement recommendations where appropriate; make facilities, training, mentoring, and participation information available to small businesses; raise awareness inside the lab of what small businesses can offer; and establish guidelines and metrics for the programs in subsections (b) and (c), and report on their effectiveness to the director.

(b) Establishment of small business assistance program: The Secretary must require each National Laboratory director (and may require single-purpose research facility directors) to establish a program giving small business concerns either assistance to become more effective and efficient subcontractors or suppliers to the lab, or general technical assistance — capped at $10,000 per instance — to improve their products or services.

(c) Small business voucher program: Definitions here: "Director" means the director of each National Laboratory or single-purpose research facility; "National Laboratory" has the meaning given in section 15801; "program" means the voucher program established under paragraph (2); and "small business concern" has the meaning given in 15 U.S.C. § 632. Establishment: The Secretary — acting through the Chief Commercialization Officer appointed under section 16391(a), consulting with the Directors — must establish a program providing vouchers to small business concerns, to achieve the goal in subsection (a)(1) and to improve small businesses' products, services, and capabilities in the Department's mission space. Vouchers: Under the program, Directors may give small business concerns vouchers usable at National Laboratories and single-purpose research facilities for research, development, demonstration, technology transfer, skills training and workforce development, or commercial application activities, or any other activities the applicable Director determines appropriate. Expedited approval: The Secretary, working with the Directors, must establish a streamlined approval process for financial assistance agreements between selected small businesses and the labs or facilities. Cost-sharing^* requirement: The program must follow the cost-sharing requirements of section 16352. Report: In accordance with section 16391a, the Secretary must report annually on the voucher program's progress and implementation, including the number and locations of small businesses that received grants.

(d) Use of funds: None of the funds spent under subsection (b) may be used for direct grants to small business concerns.

(e) Authorization of appropriations: Congress may provide $5,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2006 through 2008 for subsection (b) activities, and $25,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2023 through 2027 for subsection (c) activities.