Shaheen Statement on House Reauthorization of SBIR/STTR Programs
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed a three-year reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs:
“I’m glad to see the House of Representatives vote for the reauthorization of SBIR and STTR programs. The funding allocated through these programs is instrumental in providing key resources to small businesses in New Hampshire and across the nation, driving contributions to local economies and bolstering innovations important to U.S. national security,” said Shaheen. “As someone who’s long fought for the reauthorization for these programs, I'll continue to advocate on behalf of our small businesses as we work to deliver this bill to the President’s desk as quickly as possible.”
SBIR and STTR programs assist small businesses in engaging in the research and development that helps keep the United States competitive, and many of the partnerships created through these programs involve the Department of Defense, leading to innovations important to U.S. national security.
As a senior member of the Senate Small Business and Armed Services Committees, Shaheen has led action in the U.S. Senate in support of the SBIR and STTR programs. As expiration of the federal programs loomed, Shaheen spearheaded reauthorization legislation reintroduced just last week. Shaheen has led action in the U.S. Senate to extend the SBIR & STTR programs for nearly a decade. She has long called for a permanent reauthorization of the programs, and in 2016 successfully helped secure a five-year extension of the programs in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that was signed into law. In 2019, Shaheen led bipartisan legislation that would make permanent and strengthen the SBIR and STTR programs. Shaheen has supported and announced numerous SBIR and STTR awards for companies throughout New Hampshire.
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