USE OF PARTNERSHIP INTERMEDIARIES

SEC. 827. USE OF PARTNERSHIP INTERMEDIARIES (a) Partnership Intermediaries.— The Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section: “SEC. 21. USE OF PARTNERSHIP INTERMEDIARIES. “(a) Authority.— Subject to the approval of the Secretary or head of the affected department or agency, the Director of a Federal laboratory, or in the case of a federally funded research and development center, the Federal employee who is the contract officer, may— “(1) enter into a contract or memorandum of understanding with a partnership intermediary that provides for the partnership intermediary to perform services for the Federal laboratory that increase the likelihood of success in the conduct of cooperative or joint activities of such Federal laboratory with small business firms; and “(2) pay the Federal costs of such contract or memorandum of understanding out of funds available for the support of the technology transfer function pursuant to section 11(b) of this Act. “(b) Partnership Progress Reports.— The Secretary shall include in each triennial report required under section 6(d) of this Act a discussion and evaluation of the activities carried out pursuant to this section during the period covered by the report. “(c) Definition.— For purposes of this section, the term ‘partnership intermediary’ means an agency of a State or local government, or a nonprofit entity owned in whole or in part by, chartered by, funded in whole or in part by, or operated in whole or in part by or on behalf of a State or local government, that assists, counsels, advises, evaluates, or otherwise cooperates with small business firms that need or can make demonstrably productive use of technology-related assistance from a Federal laboratory, including State programs receiving funds under cooperative agreements entered into104 STAT. 1607 under section 5121(b) of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 2781 note).”. (b) Model Program.— (1) In the administration of applicable provisions of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 or section 5121(b) of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, the Secretary of Commerce shall develop, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Energy, model programs for national defense laboratories. (2) Model programs under this subsection shall involve Federal laboratories, small businesses, and partnership intermediaries. The purpose of the model programs is to demonstrate successful relationships between the Federal Government, State and local governments, and small businesses which encourage economic growth through the commercial application of technology resulting from federally funded research. (3) In this subsection, the term “national defense laboratory” means any laboratory, federally funded research and development center (FFRDC, or other center established under section 6 or 8 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3705, 3707) that is owned by the Federal Government, whether operated by the Federal Government or by a contractor, and— (A) is under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Defense; or (B) is under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Energy, but only if the primary function of the laboratory, FFRDC, or other center under the Secretary’s jurisdiction is to support the national defense activities of the Department of Defense or the Department of Energy.