SBIR/STTR Oversight Act

SBIR/STTR Oversight Act is a bill that tightens and expands reporting, enhances oversight, and experiments with speeding up NIH SBIR/STTR award timelines. It requires more frequent and public-facing reporting on SBIR and STTR programs to Congress, mandates a Comptroller General (GAO) evaluation of program diversification and commercialization, extends the allowable window for reporting on award timeliness, and creates a National Institutes of Health (NIH) pilot program to accelerate SBIR/STTR evaluations with a target of moving toward a 90-day post-notice funding timeline. The overall aim is to improve transparency, assess whether these programs broaden participation and commercialization, and, for NIH, shorten the time from proposal to award. Potential impact: More data on who participates in SBIR/STTR and how well commercialization is advancing; clearer accountability for agencies; a longer timeframe for reporting on award timeliness (which could delay public visibility of performance data); and a concrete effort within NIH to speed up award decisions, potentially benefiting researchers and small businesses seeking NIH funding.