S. 3971Senate bill · 119th CongressSigned into lawCommerce

Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act

Sponsored byJoni ErnstR-IAIntroduced Mar 3, 2026Full text on congress.gov ↗

Latest action (Apr 13, 2026) No: 119-83.

What it does

Congressional Research Service, Apr 13, 2026

This act reauthorizes through FY2031 and modifies the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, and related pilot programs. (The SBIR and STTR programs are administered by various federal agencies and provide competitive awards for domestic small businesses to conduct research and development projects that have the potential for commercialization.)

Specifically, the act expands the requirements for federal agencies administering these programs to evaluate the security risks of the small businesses that apply for awards under the programs. If an agency denies an application for security reasons, the agency must provide the small business with the basis for such determination.

Further, each agency must set a maximum number of proposals per fiscal year that a small business concern may submit in response to Phase I and Phase II solicitations.

The act expands the training requirements for agencies' contracting officers and acquisition workforce with respect to Phase III (commercialization of technologies) awards under the SBIR and STTR programs.

The act also establishes strategic breakthrough allocations for critical technology areas. These are additional Phase II SBIR and STTR awards to small businesses that demonstrate an effective technology and receive matching funds.

Face Value

as enrolled
92Narrow

How much of this bill its name accounts for.

  • Every bill starts at100
  • Areas of law−8

    Amends 2 titles of the US Code (10 and 41) rather than one.

Face Value measures reach, not honesty. A big bill can be accurately named, and a low score is not an accusation — it means the contents reach further than any short title could describe. Count it yourself ↗ How this is worked out

What Congress did

1 recorded
  • On decisive vote

    House · Mar 17, 2026

    A fast-track vote: no amendments, short debate, and two thirds needed to pass. Used for bills expected to be uncontroversial.

    34541

    Passed

    Every vote →

Who lobbied on this

1 organization

These organizations told Congress, in their own quarterly disclosures, that they were lobbying on this bill.

Most filings say only that an organization lobbied on a bill, not which side it took — where that's the case we say so rather than guessing. Quotes are verbatim from the filing. How this is built.

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