White House Conference on Small Business Act

White House Conference on Small Business Act - Calls upon the President to conduct a National White House Conference on Small Business once every four years to: (1) increase public awareness of the contributions of small business; (2) identify small business problems; (3) examine the status of minority and women small business owners; (4) assist small business in carrying out its role as the Nation's job creator; (5) develop specific recommendations for executive and legislative action; and (6) review the status of recommendations adopted at the preceding Conferences.

Directs Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities to provide support and assistance to the planning of such Conferences.

Requires a final report of each Conference, within six months from the date a Conference is convened, to be submitted to the President and the Congress. Requires the Small Business Administration to report annually to the Congress following the submission of the final report of the Conference.

Authorizes appropriations.

 
HR 2283 IH
101st CONGRESS
1st Session
 H. R. 2283
To provide permanent authorization for a National White House Conference on
Small Business, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 9, 1989
Mr. IRELAND (for himself and Mr. CONTE) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Small Business
A BILL
To provide permanent authorization for a National White House Conference on
Small Business, and for other purposes.
  Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
  States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  This Act may be cited as the `White House Conference on Small Business Act'.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF NATIONAL CONFERENCE.
  (a) IN GENERAL- The President shall call and conduct a National White
  House Conference on Small Business (hereinafter in this Act referred to
  as the `National Conference') once during each 4-year period following a
  Presidential election, to carry out the purposes described in section 2. The
  National Conference shall be preceded by State and regional conferences
  with at least 1 such conference held in each State.
  (b) PARTICIPANTS- Participants in the National Conference and other
  interested individuals and organizations--
  (1) may conduct conferences and other activities at the State and regional
  levels before the date of the National Conference, subject to the approval
  of the Administrator of the Small Business Administration; and
  (2) shall direct such conferences and activities toward the consideration
  of the purposes of the National Conference described in section 3 in order
  to prepare for such conference.
SEC. 3. PURPOSE OF NATIONAL CONFERENCE.
  The purposes of the National Conference shall be--
  (1) to increase public awareness of the essential contribution of small
  business;
  (2) to identify the problems of small business;
  (3) to examine the status of minorities and women as small business owners;
  (4) to assist small business in carrying out its role as the Nation's
  job creator;
  (5) to assemble small businesses to develop such specific and comprehensive
  recommendations for such executive and legislative action as may be
  appropriate for maintaining and encouraging the economic viability of
  small business and thereby, the Nation; and
  (6) to review the status of recommendations adopted at the immediately
  preceding White House Conference on Small Business.
SEC. 4. CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS.
  (a) IN GENERAL- In order to carry out the purposes specified in section 3,
  the National Conference shall bring together individuals concerned with
  issues relating to small business. No small business concern representative
  may be denied admission to any State or regional conference, nor may any fee
  or charge be imposed on any small business concern representative except
  an amount to cover the cost of any meal provided to such representative
  plus a registration fee of not to exceed $10.
  (b) SELECTION- Delegates (including alternates to the National Conference)
  shall be elected by participants at the State and regional conferences. In
  addition--
  (1) each Governor and each chief executive official of the political
  subdivisions enumerated in section 4(a) of the Small Business Act (15
  U.S.C. 633(a)) may appoint one delegate and one alternate;
  (2) each Member of the United States House of Representatives (including
  each Delegate) and each Member of the United States Senate may appoint
  one delegate and one alternate; and
  (3) the President may appoint 100 delegates and alternates.
Only individuals from small businesses shall be eligible for appointment
pursuant to this subsection.
SEC. 5. PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION OF CONFERENCE.
  (a) ASSISTANCE BY FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS- Each Federal department, agency, and
  instrumentality shall provide such support and assistance as may be necessary
  to facilitate the planning and administration of the National Conference.
  (b) ASSISTANCE BY THE ADMINISTRATOR OF SBA- In carrying out this Act,
  the Administrator of the Small Business Administration--
  (1) shall provide such assistance as may be necessary for the organization
  and conduct of conferences at the State and regional levels as authorized
  under section 2(b), and
  (2) may enter into contracts with public agencies, private organizations,
  and academic institutions to carry out this section.
  (c) ROLE OF THE CHIEF COUNSEL- The Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the
  Small Business Administration shall assist in carrying out this section
  by preparing and providing background materials for use by participants in
  the National Conference, as well as by participants in State and regional
  conferences.
  (d) EXPENSES- Each participant in the National Conference shall
  be responsible for the participant's expenses related to attending
  the National Conference and shall not be reimbursed either from funds
  appropriated pursuant to this section or the Small Business Act.
  (e) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND STAFF- (1) The President is authorized to
  appoint and compensate an executive director and such other directors and
  personnel for the National Conference as the President may deem advisable,
  without regard to title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in
  the competitive service, and without regard to chapter 51 and subchapter
  III of chapter 53 of such title, relating to classification and General
  schedule pay rates.
  (2) Upon request of the executive director, the heads of the executive and
  military departments are authorized to detail employees to work with the
  executive director in planning and administering the National Conference
  without regard to section 3341 of title 5, United States Code.
SEC. 6. REPORTS REQUIRED.
  (a) FINAL REPORTS- Not more than 6 months after the date on which the
  National Conference is convened, a final report of the conference shall be
  submitted to the President and the Congress. The report shall include the
  findings and recommendations of the National Conference as well as proposals
  for any legislative action necessary to implement the recommendations of
  the National Conference. The final report of the National Conference shall
  be available to the public.
  (b) REPORT BY SBA- The Small Business Administration shall report to the
  Congress annually following the submission of the final report of the
  National Conference on the status and implementation of the findings and
  recommendations of such conference.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.
  (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There are authorized to be appropriated
  for each fiscal year beginning with fiscal year 1990 such sums as may
  be necessary to carry out this Act, and the sums shall remain available
  until expended. New spending authority or authority to enter contracts as
  provided in this Act shall be effective only to such extent and in such
  amounts as are provided in advance in appropriation Acts.
  (b) SPECIFIC EARMARK- No funds appropriated to the Small Business
  Administration shall be made available to carry out this Act other than
  funds appropriated specifically for the purpose of conducting the National
  Conference.