Innovators to Entrepreneurs Act of 2019

IIB 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 539 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES FEBRUARY 26, 2019 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions AN ACT To require the Director of the National Science Foundation to develop an I-Corps course to support commercializa- tion-ready innovation companies, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:22 Feb 26, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H539.RFS H539 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 HR 539 RFS SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Innovators to Entre- 2 preneurs Act of 2019’’. 3 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 4 Congress finds the following: 5 (1) The National Science Foundation Innova- 6 tion Corps Program (hereinafter referred to as ‘‘I- 7 Corps’’), created administratively by the Foundation 8 in 2011 and statutorily authorized in the American 9 Innovation and Competitiveness Act, has succeeded 10 in increasing the commercialization of Government- 11 funded research. 12 (2) I-Corps provides valuable entrepreneurial 13 education to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, 14 and other researchers, providing formal training for 15 scientists and engineers to pursue careers in busi- 16 ness, an increasingly common path for advanced de- 17 gree holders. 18 (3) The I-Corps Teams program is successful in 19 part due to its focus on providing the specific types 20 of education and mentoring entrepreneurs need 21 based on the early stage of their companies, however 22 the program does not provide similar support to 23 them at later stages. 24 (4) The success of I-Corps in the very early 25 stages of the innovation continuum should be ex- 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:22 Feb 26, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H539.RFS H539 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 HR 539 RFS panded upon by offering additional entrepreneurship 1 training to small businesses as they advance toward 2 commercialization. 3 (5) The excellent training made available to 4 grantees of participating agencies through the I- 5 Corps Program should be made available to all Fed- 6 eral grantees as well as other businesses willing to 7 pay the cost of attending such training. 8 (6) The success of the I-Corps Program at pro- 9 moting entrepreneurship within research institutions 10 and encouraging research commercialization has 11 been due in part to the National Science Founda- 12 tion’s efforts to date on building a national network 13 of science entrepreneurs, including convening stake- 14 holders, promoting national I-Corps courses, cata- 15 loguing best practices and encourage sharing be- 16 tween sites and institutions, and developing a men- 17 tor network. 18 (7) As the I-Corps Program continues to grow 19 and expand, the National Science Foundation should 20 maintain its focus on networking and information 21 sharing to ensure that innovators across the country 22 can learn from their peers and remain competitive. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:22 Feb 26, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H539.RFS H539 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 4 HR 539 RFS SEC. 3. EXPANDED PARTICIPATION IN I-CORPS. 1 Section 601(c)(2) of the American Innovation and 2 Competitiveness Act (42 U.S.C. 1862s–8(c)(2)) is amend- 3 ed by adding at the end the following: 4 ‘‘(C) ADDITIONAL PARTICIPANTS.— 5 ‘‘(i) ELIGIBILITY.—The Director, in 6 consultation with relevant stakeholders, as 7 determined by the Director, which may in- 8 clude Federal agencies, I-Corps regional 9 nodes, universities, and public and private 10 entities engaged in technology transfer or 11 commercialization of technologies, shall 12 provide an option for participation in an I- 13 Corps Teams course by— 14 ‘‘(I) Small Business Innovation 15 Research Program grantees; and 16 ‘‘(II) other entities, as deter- 17 mined appropriate by the Director. 18 ‘‘(ii) COST OF PARTICIPATION.—The 19 cost of participation by a Small Business 20 Innovation Research Program grantee in 21 such course may be provided— 22 ‘‘(I) through I-Corps Teams 23 grants; 24 ‘‘(II) through funds awarded to 25 grantees under the Small Business In- 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:22 Feb 26, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H539.RFS H539 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 5 HR 539 RFS novation Research Program or the 1 Small Business Technology Transfer 2 Program; 3 ‘‘(III) by the grantor Federal 4 agency of the grantee using funds set 5 aside for the Small Business Innova- 6 tion Research Program under section 7 9(f)(1) of the Small Business Act (15 8 U.S.C. 638(f)(1)); 9 ‘‘(IV) by the grantor Federal 10 agency of the grantee using funds set 11 aside for the Small Business Tech- 12 nology Transfer Program under sec- 13 tion 9(n)(1) of the Small Business 14 Act (15 U.S.C. 638(n)(1)); or 15 ‘‘(V) by the participating 16 teams.’’. 17 SEC. 4. I-CORPS COURSE FOR COMMERCIALIZATION-READY 18 PARTICIPANTS. 19 (a) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the I-Corps pro- 20 gram described in section 601(c) of the American Innova- 21 tion and Competitiveness Act (42 U.S.C. 1862s–8(c)), the 22 Director shall develop an I-Corps course offered by I- 23 Corps regional nodes to support commercialization-ready 24 participants. Such course shall include skills such as at- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:22 Feb 26, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H539.RFS H539 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 6 HR 539 RFS tracting investors, scaling up a company, and building a 1 brand. 2 (b) ENGAGEMENT WITH RELEVANT STAKE- 3 HOLDERS.—In developing the course under subsection (a), 4 the Director may consult with the heads of such Federal 5 agencies, universities, and public and private entities as 6 the Director determines to be appropriate. 7 (c) ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS.—The course developed 8 under subsection (a) shall— 9 (1) support participants that have completed an 10 I-Corps Teams course; 11 (2) support participants that have made the de- 12 cision to take an innovation to market. 13 SEC. 5. REPORT. 14 Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 15 of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 16 shall submit to Congress a report containing an evaluation 17 of the I-Corps program described in section 601(c) of the 18 American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (42 U.S.C. 19 1862s–8(c)). Such evaluation shall include an assessment 20 of the effects of I-Corps on— 21 (1) the commercialization of Federally funded 22 research and development; 23 (2) the higher education system; and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:22 Feb 26, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H539.RFS H539 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 7 HR 539 RFS (3) regional economies and the national econ- 1 omy. 2 SEC. 6. FUNDING. 3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Out of amounts otherwise author- 4 ized for the National Science Foundation, there is author- 5 ized to be appropriated a total of $5,000,000 for fiscal 6 years 2020 and 2021 to carry out the activities described 7 in section 4 and the amendment made by section 3. 8 (b) LIMITATION.—No additional funds are authorized 9 to be appropriated to carry out this Act and the amend- 10 ments made by this Act, and this Act and such amend- 11 ments shall be carried out using amounts otherwise avail- 12 able for such purpose. 13 Passed the House of Representatives February 25, 2019. Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, Clerk. VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:22 Feb 26, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H539.RFS H539 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS