ANNUAL REPORTS REGARDING THE SBIR PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.

SEC. 279. ANNUAL REPORTS REGARDING THE SBIR PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. (a) Reports Required.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not later than 120 days after the end of each fiscal year through fiscal year 2028, the Secretary of Defense, after consultation with the Secretary of each military department, shall submit to Congress a report that describes the following: (1) The ways in which the Department of Defense is using incentives under section 9(y)(6)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(y)(6)(B)) to increase the number of Phase II SBIR contracts that lead to technology transition into programs of record or fielded systems. (2) The extent to which the Department has developed simplified and standardized procedures and model contracts throughout the agency for Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III SBIR awards, as required under section 9(hh)(2)(A)(i) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(hh)(2)(A)(i)). (3) The extent to which any incentives described in this section and implemented by the Secretary of Defense have resulted in an increased number of Phase II contracts under the SBIR program of the Department of Defense leading to technology transition into programs of record or fielded systems. (4) The extent to which Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III projects under the SBIR program of the Department align with the modernization priorities of the Department. (5) Actions taken to ensure that the SBIR program of the Department aligns with the goals of the program, namely— (A) to stimulate technological innovation; (B) to meet Federal research and development needs; (C) to foster and encourage participation in innovation and entrepreneurship by women and socially or economically disadvantaged individuals; and (D) to increase private-sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development funding. (6) Any other action taken, and proposed to be taken, to increase the number of Department Phase II SBIR contracts leading to technology transition into programs of record or fielded systems. (b) SBIR Defined.—In this section, the term “SBIR” has the meaning given the term in section 9(e) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(e)).