June 11, 2014

Kilmer Bill to Connect Small Businesses with Innovative Federal Research Included in National Jobs Initiative

Today, Representative Derek Kilmer’s (WA-06) bipartisan bill to better connect small businesses and entrepreneurs with innovative federal research was added to a national jobs initiative. 

At a press conference House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer announced Kilmer’s TRANSFER Act and other bills will be added to the Make It In America agenda to produce more goods and create jobs on our shores. The TRANSFER Act would help spur America’s competitiveness and grow new jobs by helping innovators and entrepreneurs to pursue research and establish a pathway to commercialize their ideas.

The Make It In America agenda includes many bills that have the backing of both parties. The plan is supported by business and labor leaders alike and President Obama has signed ten bills from Make It In America into law.

“This plan is our signal that we want to keep America as a hub for quality jobs and products in a global economy,” said Kilmer. “A key part of that is allowing innovative ideas to move from basements into boardrooms. Our TRANSFER Act provides needed tools so entrepreneurs and small businesses can better use research to launch new commercial ventures. With passage of this bipartisan bill we can help small businesses grow by turning proposals into reality and bringing new investments to the table.”

The TRANSFER Act builds on an existing grant program for institutions of higher education, nonprofits, and federal laboratories to help identify commercially-viable federally-funded research and to facilitate and accelerate their transfer into the marketplace for businesses to utilize. In 2012, the federal government funded more than $131 billion in research and development activities.

As a member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee Kilmer worked to secure its unanimous passage out of committee last December. The measure was included in the National Defense Authorization Act that passed the House last month.

The TRANSFER Act is supported by the American Council on Education, the American Energy Innovation Council, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Association of American Universities, the Association of Independent Research Institutes, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the Association of University Technology Managers, Battelle, SRI International, SSTI, the University City Science Center, and Ben Franklin Technology Partners.

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