United States 119th Congress Status: In Committee 1 R cosponsors

S 853 — INNOVATE Act

Last action — Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced March 05, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 16% · moderate confidence

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 R).

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

11 changes Share ↗

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill introduces several amendments to the SBIR and STTR programs to enhance funding, support, and definitions related to small businesses involved in innovation.

  • 15 U.S.C. 638(e)

    subparagraphs (B) and (C) → "(B) opportunities for follow-on funding in Phases II and III of the SBIR program;"

    Adds a new follow-on funding opportunity for small businesses in Phases II and III of the SBIR program.

  • 15 U.S.C. 638(f)(1)

    "40" → "50"

    Increases the percentage from 40 to 50 for specific budget allocations.

  • 15 U.S.C. 638(f)(1)

    "30" → "20"

    Modifies the percentage requirement from 30 to 20 for a certain allocation.

  • 15 U.S.C. 638(f)(1)(H)

    "and" at the end → "; and"

    Changes the grammatical structure to accommodate an additional requirement.

  • 15 U.S.C. 638(f)(1)

    "and each fiscal year thereafter," → "; and"

    Alters the phrasing to improve clarity regarding ongoing fiscal requirements.

  • 15 U.S.C. 638(f)(1)

    not less than 3.45 percent of such budget in fiscal year 2026 and every year thereafter, → not less than 3.45 percent of such budget in fiscal year 2026 and every year thereafter,

    Establishes a minimum budget allocation percentage for a specific fiscal year.

  • 15 U.S.C. 638(n)(1)(B)

    "and" at the end → "; and"

    Changes the grammatical structure for consistency in the subsection.

  • 15 U.S.C. 638(n)(1)(B)

    "and each fiscal year thereafter." → "; and"

    Alters the phrasing to align with the new structure of ongoing fiscal requirements.

  • 15 U.S.C. 638(n)(1)(B)

    not less than 0.20 percent for fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter. → not less than 0.20 percent for fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter.

    Sets a baseline allocation percentage for the stated fiscal years.

  • 15 U.S.C. 638(n)

    Each Federal agency shall use its STTR budget to fund small business concerns conducting fundamental, basic, or other scientific research that stands to benefit most from partnerships with eligible research institutions. → Each Federal agency shall use its STTR budget to fund small business concerns conducting fundamental, basic, or other scientific research that stands to benefit most from partnerships with eligible research institutions.

    Clarifies the purpose of the STTR program, emphasizing partnerships with research institutions.

  • 15 U.S.C. 638(n)(2)

    The Department of Defense and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall use their STTR budget to solely fund research at technology readiness levels 1, 2, and 3. → The Department of Defense and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall use their STTR budget to solely fund research at technology readiness levels 1, 2, and 3.

    Specifies that these agencies will focus their STTR budget on specific readiness levels in their funding.

Action History

  1. Introduced in Senate

  2. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

  3. Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held.

  4. Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 546 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (546)

546 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 546 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

technology
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors S 853?
S 853 is sponsored by Ernst, Joni (Republican).
What is the current status of S 853?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced March 05, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track S 853?
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