Small Business Innovation Protection Act of 2017

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2655, the Small Business Innovation Protection Act of 2017.

I want to thank my colleague Congressman Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania for working with me to help American small businesses via this critical piece of legislation.

H.R. 2655 directs the Small Business Administration and the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and the Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to enter into a partnership agreement; one, to develop high quality training for small business concerns related to domestic and international protection of intellectual property and how such protections should be considered in small business concerns' business plans and growth strategies.

Number two, to leverage existing training material already developed to educate inventors as well as small business concerns.

In addition, section 4 of this bill provides that the agencies must use the training material that they already have at their disposal.

I think that Members of the Congress have a special duty to try and ensure that our small businesses have all the tools in the toolbox they need to succeed.

We know that small businesses are critical to the economic strength of our country, especially new and growing tech-based economies.

That is why we should create programs like this to assist entrepreneurs in starting their own businesses, providing structure, and helping them with their progress.

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where there are already 1 million small businesses, which, according to the Pennsylvania SBDC, employ 2.4 million workers that make up 47 percent of the private sector labor force, it is critical that these businesses be able to protect their intellectual properties so that they will feel free to continue growth and innovation and prosper.

This bill is a step in the right direction by expanding intellectual property education and training for small businesses. And frankly, Mr. Speaker, this bill is an example of how we can use the power of government to create narrowly tailored solutions to problems in the current public/private partnerships in Pennsylvania and around the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the support of my colleagues.

In addition to that, Mr. Speaker, there is a letter from the Biotechnology Industry Organization written in support of this particular bill I ask that my colleagues support.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source