Senators Coons, Curtis Celebrate Legislation Strengthening Small Business Innovation Programs

Helping small businesses turn federally funded research into market-ready products, the reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs aims to boost innovation and economic growth. The House this week passed the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act, following Senate passage in early March. The law includes key provisions from Senator Chris Coons’ RAMP for Innovators Act, which provides technical and business support to awardees. Senator Coons said the legislation will give Delaware’s small businesses greater access to federal research funds, help them develop advanced products, and strengthen communities and the economy, and he urged the president to sign it into law. Republican Senator John Curtis of Utah, a cosponsor of the RAMP provisions, also celebrated the bill’s passage, saying it helps small businesses turn big ideas into real-world solutions. The effort was led in the House by Democrat Representative Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania. Senator Coons, a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, called the measure a win for innovation and local businesses.