§ 655. — Pilot Technology Access Program.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 15USC655]
TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND TRADE
CHAPTER 14A--AID TO SMALL BUSINESS
Sec. 655. Pilot Technology Access Program
(a) Establishment
The Administration, in consultation with the National Institute of
Standards and Technology and the National Technical Information Service,
shall establish a Pilot Technology Access Program, for making awards
under this section to Small Business Development Centers (hereinafter in
this section referred to as ``Centers'').
(b) Criteria for selection of Centers
The Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall
establish competitive, merit-based criteria for the selection of Centers
to receive awards on the basis of--
(1) the ability of the applicant to carry out the purposes
described in subsection (d) of this section in a manner relevant to
the needs of industries in the area served by the Center;
(2) the ability of the applicant to integrate the implementation
of this program with existing Federal and State technical and
business assistance resources; and
(3) the ability of the applicant to continue providing
technology access after the termination of this pilot program.
(c) Matching requirement
To be eligible to receive an award under this section, an applicant
shall provide a matching contribution at least equal to that received
under such award, not more than 50 percent of which may be waived
overhead or in-kind contributions.
(d) Purpose of awards
Awards made under this section shall be for the purpose of
increasing access by small businesses to on-line data base services that
provide technical and business information, and access to technical
experts, in a wide range of technologies, through such activities as--
(1) defraying the cost of access by small businesses to the data
base services;
(2) training small businesses in the use of the data base
services; and
(3) establishing a public point of access to the data base
services.
Activities described in paragraphs (1) through (3) may be carried out
through contract with a private entity.
(e) Renewal of awards
Awards previously made under section 648a \1\ of this title may be
renewed under this section.
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\1\ See References in Text note below.
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(f) Interim report
Two years after the date on which the first award was issued under
section 648a \1\ of this title, the General Accounting Office shall
submit to the Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and to the
Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate, an interim report on the implementation of
the program under such section and this section, including the judgments
of the participating Centers as to its effect on small business
productivity and innovation.
(g) Final report
Three years after such date, the General Accounting Office shall
submit to the Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and to the
Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Commerce, Science and
Transportation of the Senate, a final report evaluating the
effectiveness of the Program under section 648a \1\ of this title and
this section in improving small business productivity and innovation.
(h) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Small Business
Administration $5 million for each of fiscal years 1992 through 1995 to
carry out this section, and such amounts may remain available until
expended.
(i) Funding from other sources; employment of Centers by Federal
agencies
Centers are encouraged to seek funding from Federal and non-Federal
sources other than those provided for in this section to assist small
businesses in the identification of appropriate technologies to fill
their needs, the transfer of technologies from Federal laboratories,
public and private universities, and other public and private
institutions, the analysis of commercial opportunities represented by
such technologies, and such other functions as the development, business
planning, market research, and financial packaging required for
commercialization. Insofar as such Centers pursue these activities,
Federal agencies are encouraged to employ these Centers to interface
with small businesses for such purposes as facilitating small business
participation in Federal procurement and fostering commercialization of
Federally-funded research and development.
(Pub. L. 85-536, Sec. 2[28], as added Pub. L. 102-140, title VI,
Sec. 609(d), Oct. 28, 1991, 105 Stat. 825.)
References in Text
Section 648a of this title, referred to in subsecs. (e) to (g), was
repealed by Pub. L. 102-140, title VI, Sec. 609(e), Oct. 28, 1991, 105
Stat. 826, effective Oct. 1, 1992.
Change of Name
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of House of
Representatives treated as referring to Committee on Science of House of
Representatives by section 1(a) of Pub. L. 104-14, set out as a note
preceding section 21 of Title 2, The Congress.
