U.S. Senate Now Considering SBIR Legislation…Call Your Senators Today!!

On April 23, 2008, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5819, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Reauthorization Act, by a strongly bipartisan vote of 368 to 43. This legislation would provide a fix for the SBIR concerns that many start-up tech and life science companies in our region face when it comes to funding qualifications. The bill has now been referred to the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship for consideration.

Please call your Senators today and express support for H.R. 5819 using the talking points below:

• I am calling in support of H.R. 5819, the SBIR Program Reauthorization Act. This bill was passed by the House on April 23rd and has now been referred to the Senate.
• Many small, start-up life science and technology companies rely on venture capital funding to support their research and development activities. Since 2003, an SBA regulation has disqualified many start-up technology companies from receiving these grants because they are more than 50 percent owned by venture capitalists.
• This bill would re-define “independently owned and operated” technology companies to include companies that are majority-owned by multiple venture capital companies.
• This issue is vital to supporting innovation and competitiveness in the grant pool for SBIR grants.
• I urge you to vote in favor of H.R. 5819.

Please continue to check our web site for updated information about H.R. 5819 and advocacy efforts.

Click here to view a Biotechnology Industry Organization letter of support for this bill.

Click here for a Library of Congress report on H.R. 5819.

Current Positions:

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grant Rule Change
Recent changes in the Small Business Administration's (SBA) interpretation of eligibility standards for SBIR grants now disqualify many start-up tech and biotech companies. Specifically, SBA regulations require that, to be eligible for a grant, a small company must be at least 51 percent owned by one or more "individuals." The SBA recently re-interpreted "individuals" to exclude venture capital, thereby disqualifying many bioscience and technology companies from receiving these important grants.

The Greater Dallas Chamber's Technology Business Council urges Congress to restore eligibility for SBIR grants to venture capital backed start-up companies.

US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Fee Modernization Act
The USPTO is funded solely by fees for patent and trademark applications and has been since 1990. Such fee collections have exceeded appropriations back to the Office by nearly $750 million. Since 1999, the fee diversion has been running at a rate in excess of $100 million per year. This fee diversion has caused a serious decline in the services provided by the Office. Most notably, rather than making progress toward the USPTO's patent application pendency goal of 18 months to review and act upon a patent request, the goal is getting farther and farther away. Some estimate that if the funding of the USPTO is not addressed, the average patent application pendency will approach 46 months.

The Greater Dallas Chamber's Technology Business Council supports legislation that would put an end to fee diversion from the USPTO.

Globalization
The Greater Dallas Chamber understands the economic importance of open markets, global access to talent and cost competitiveness. To continue the creation of foreign investment and jobs, the Chamber supports legislation that promotes free trade and global competitiveness and reduces the cost of doing business in the U.S. The Chamber opposes any legislation that closes markets, promotes protectionist measures or diminishes the ability of DFW businesses to be globally competitive.

Digital Content
The Greater Dallas Chamber urges the Texas legislature to be diligent in assuring no bills are passed that will penalize people who use the technology for inadvertent use. The Chamber believes it is critical for companies to maintain firewall and privacy protections, continue to conduct tests of websites and limit consumers exposure to litigation and manufacturers, distributors to liability. We also want to assure that a continuous positive environment that promotes innovation is maintained, not stifled or even eliminated. The Chamber further urges the Legislature to focus on the crime of theft itself rather than ownership/possession of certain technology devices used to gain this information.

State Telecommunications
The telecommunications industry, once a giant in Texas and particularly in the Dallas Fort Worth region, has seen a tremendous decline in the past few years. Partially due to the economy, but largely due to the uncertainty of a telecommunications policy at the Federal level. While these issues are complex and pit players against each other, the results are hurting the Texas economy.

The Greater Dallas Chamber supports legislative efforts to adopt a state policy that encourages telecom investment in advanced telecommunications research, manufacturing, and facilities deployment benefiting in and Texas. We support policies based on a free market. Any regulations imposed on the telecommunications industry should be technology neutral and should not exceed federal regulations.

Emerging Technology Fund
In June 2005 Governor Rick Perry signed House Bill 1765 creating the $200 million Texas Emerging Technology Fund. The fund provides capital targeted to encourage the development of start-up and growth stage technology companies in the state of Texas. We support the continued funding of the Emerging Technology Fund and associated Regional Centers for Innovation and Commercialization and we commend the governor and his office for proposing this fund.

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