Starting down the path to SBIR reauthorization: the minority bills

The next advance along the path to SBIR/STTR reauthorization has been made with the introduction of identical bills in the House and the Senate by the ranking minority members of the small business committees of their respective chambers of Congress. To help the regional innovation community understand the bill(s), SSTI held a webinar on Wednesday, May 28, at 1:00 pm EDT to walk through the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2025 as introduced by Senator Edward Markey and Representative Nydia Velázquez. SSTI held a similar session on March 24 on Senate Small Business Committee chair Senator Joni Ernst's INNOVATE Act and, on May 28, we discussed where the bills agree and disagree, setting up an opportunity for considerable future discussion and negotiation. Both aim to reauthorize and reform the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. While they share common goals of supporting small business innovation, they differ significantly in their approaches, priorities, and policy mechanisms.

Access the slides here.

Also included below is a summary of the RAMP Act of 2025 which complements the Reauthorization Act.