Today, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) introduced the bipartisan Building Opportunity for Student Startups, or “BOSS” Act, to better understand the role that incubators and accelerators at universities play in encouraging entrepreneurship, commercializing federally-funded research, and growing regional economies. The National Academy of Sciences would report to Congress within a year to compare outcomes and identify best practices from leading university incubators around the country. This would provide Congress with the information it needs to better support incubators and student entrepreneurship.

“Students in San Diego and across the country are taking advantage of the resources on college campuses to innovate and create products,” said Rep. Scott Peters. “The growth of student entrepreneurship has tremendous potential to expand economic opportunity for the next generation and create jobs. The BOSS Act will give Congress a better understanding of how successful incubators at universities help these student entrepreneurs create and market their products. This is an important first step towards providing more support for incubators that attract talent and resources to public universities and capitalize on the investment that the federal government is already making.”

The bill’s cosponsors are Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-01), Chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, and Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA-15), who chairs the Future Forum and visited UC San Diego’s Qualcomm Institute with Rep. Peters in 2015.

“There's no better place than America's colleges to prepare the next generation of entrepreneurs. It's how we create more jobs. Incubators and accelerators that spur innovation, foster entrepreneurship, and create new technologies are popping up at colleges and universities across the nation,” said Swalwell. “Unfortunately, students today are less likely than previous generations to start their own business.  This legislation will help us understand the value of incubators and accelerators so that we can better equip them to bring in more bright minds that will create the startups of our future.”