Rep. Latimer introduces bill in U.S. House to extend and enhance small business innovation funding assistance

The new bill authored by U.S. Rep. George Latimer in the U.S. House aims to strengthen federal support for small business innovation and increase inclusivity in these programs, according to the U.S. Congress.

H.R.7217 was introduced on Jan. 22, 2026 during the 2026 regular session of the 119th Congress. The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends the Small Business Act to extend and enhance funding assistance for administrative, oversight, and contract processing costs associated with the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs through September 30, 2030. The bill increases the funding percentage from 3% to 3.3% and mandates that participating federal agencies transfer at least 10% of the appropriated funds to the Small Business Administration to bolster resources for these programs. Additionally, it encourages federal agencies to use a portion of their funds to improve outreach and technical assistance aimed at enhancing participation from states that have historically received fewer SBIR awards, therefore aiming to increase inclusivity in these initiatives.

The bill was introduced only by Rep. George Latimer (Democrat-NY-16th District).

Since the beginning of the current session, Rep. Latimer has introduced another three bills.

A related bill, H.R.3169, was also introduced in the House on May 1, 2025. Congressional records list it as a related bill to H.R.7217.

Congressional bills can originate in either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate, except for revenue-related measures, which must begin in the House. After introduction, bills are assigned to committees for review, hearings, amendments and debate before they can advance to a vote in each chamber. If both chambers approve identical versions, the legislation is sent to the president, who may sign it into law or veto it. Congress operates in two-year terms, with each term numbered sequentially and divided into two annual sessions. The legislative process and official bill records are maintained by the U.S. Congress and published through Congress.gov.

George Latimer is a Representative from New York who has held several political offices, including member of the Rye city council from 1988 to 1991, member of the Westchester County board of legislators from 1992 to 2004, member of the New York state assembly from 2005 to 2012, and member of the New York state senate from 2013 to 2017. He has served as executive of Westchester County from 2018 to 2025 and was elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Nineteenth Congress, beginning January 3, 2025.

Latimer graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1970 and earned a B.A. from Fordham University in 1974, followed by an M.P.A. from New York University in 1976.

Information in this article was obtained from the U.S. Congress. The source data can be found here.