S. 2846 would require the Small Business Administration (SBA) and United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) to develop partnership agreements to provide training materials and opportunities to small businesses on domestic and international protection of intellectual property. It also would require Small Business Development Centers, in conjunction with PTO, to provide training to small businesses on domestic and international protection of intellectual property. The SBA funds a portion of the operations of Small Business Development Centers, which provide counseling, training, and technical assistance to small businesses.
On the basis of information from the SBA and PTO about the resources needed to conduct such training, CBO estimates that the costs to implement S. 2846 would not be significant. Enacting S. 2846 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting S. 2846 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027.
S. 2846 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. The SBA provides grants to Small Business Development Centers that are hosted by universities, colleges, and state agencies for economic development. Any costs those entities incur would result from complying with conditions of assistance.
