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S. 1965 112th Congress Senate

Startup Act of 2011

Official title: A bill to jump-start economic recovery through the formation and growth of new businesses, and for other purposes.

Introduced: December 8, 2011 Introduced by: Jerry Moran Republican · Kansas See on congress.gov
Commerce Accounting and auditingAdministrative law and regulatory proceduresAdvisory bodiesBusiness investment and capital
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Capital gains taxCensus and government statisticsCongressional oversightCorporate finance and managementEconomic performance and conditionsEducation programs fundingFinancial services and investmentsForeign laborGovernment information and archivesHigher educationImmigration status and proceduresIncome tax creditsIncome tax exclusionIncome tax ratesResearch administration and fundingResearch and developmentScience and engineering educationSecuritiesSmall businessState and local government operationsTeaching, teachers, curriculaTechnology transfer and commercializationVisas and passports
This bill died when the 112th Congress ended
It never became law before the 112th Congress (2011–2012) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 6, 2012
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-482.
Dec 8, 2011
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Dec 8, 2011
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action March 6, 2012

Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-482.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Startup Act of 2011 - Requires the head of any federal or independent regulatory agency, before issuing a notice of rulemaking in connection with the issuance of a proposed major rule, to complete a review that, among other things, analyzes the problem that the rule intends to address, and identifies and analyzes the rule's expected impact on state, local, and tribal governments, as well as on the ability of new businesses to form and expand. Requires a rule cost-benefit analysis.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) provide a permanent full tax exclusion on gain from the sale or exchange of qualified small business stock held for more than five years, (2) repeal the minimum tax preference and the 28% capital gains rate on such stock, and (3) provide a limited tax credit for certain startup small businesses.

Directs the Comptroller General to assess the costs and benefits to prospective investors, shareholders, and securities markets of allowing smaller stock issuers to opt out of company regulatory requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Directs the Secretary of Commerce to use certain federal agency extramural budget funds to award grants to institutions of higher education for initiatives to improve the commercialization and expedited transfer of university-based research and resultant technology. Establishes the Committee on Research Commercialization Improvement.

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) adjust to conditional permanent resident the status of up to 50,000 aliens who have earned a master's or doctorate degree in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field (STEM); and (2) issue a conditional immigrant visa to up to 75,000 qualified alien entrepreneurs.

Directs the Secretary of Commerce to regularly compile: (1) information from each of the states and the District of Columbia on laws that affect the formation and growth of new businesses, and (2) quantitative and qualitative information on U.S. businesses that are not more than one year old. Requires related reports.

 Related & companion bills 2
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1965: Startup Act of 2011. 112th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1965/
MLA
"S. 1965: Startup Act of 2011." 112th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1965/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1965, 112th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1965/.
Markdown link
[S. 1965: Startup Act of 2011](https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1965/)
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