Small Business Health Education and Awareness Act of 2006 - Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a four-year pilot program to make grants to small business development centers to provide information and educational materials regarding health insurance options to small businesses. Allows the Administrator to select up to 20 centers to receive such grants. Sets the maximum individual grant limit at $300,000 per fiscal year.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2607 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2607
To establish a 4-year small business health insurance information pilot
program.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 7, 2006
Ms. Snowe (for herself and Mr. Bennett) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business
and Entrepreneurship
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a 4-year small business health insurance information pilot
program.
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 ``Small Business Health Education and
Awareness Act of 2006''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to establish a 4-year pilot program to
provide information and educational materials to small business
concerns regarding health insurance options, including coverage options
within the small group market.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administration.--The term ``Administration'' means the
Small Business Administration.
(2) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Small Business Administration, acting
through the Associate Administrator for Small Business
Development Centers.
(3) Association.--The term ``association'' means an
association established under section 21(a)(3)(A) of the Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648(a)(3)(A)) representing a majority
of small business development centers.
(4) Participating small business development center.--The
term ``participating small business development center'' means
a small business development center described in section 21 of
the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648) that--
(A) is certified under section 21(k)(2) of the
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648(k)(2)); and
(B) receives a grant under the pilot program.
(5) Pilot program.--The term ``pilot program'' means the
small business health insurance information pilot program
established under this Act.
(6) Small business concern.--The term ``small business
concern'' has the same meaning as in section 3 of the Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).
(7) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam.
SEC. 4. SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH INSURANCE INFORMATION PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) Authority.--The Administrator shall establish a pilot program
to make grants to small business development centers to provide
information and educational materials regarding health insurance
options, including coverage options within the small group market, to
small business concerns.
(b) Applications.--
(1) Posting of information.--Not later than 90 days after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall post
on the website of the Administration and publish in the Federal
Register a guidance document describing--
(A) the requirements of an application for a grant
under the pilot program; and
(B) the types of informational and educational
materials regarding health insurance options to be
created under the pilot program, including by
referencing such materials developed by the Healthcare
Leadership Council.
(2) Submission.--A small business development center
desiring a grant under the pilot program shall submit an
application at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by
such information as the Administrator may reasonably require.
(c) Selection of Participating SBDCs.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator shall select not more
than 20 small business development centers to receive a grant
under the pilot program.
(2) Selection of programs.--In selecting small business
development centers under paragraph (1), the Administrator may
not select--
(A) more than 2 programs from each of the groups of
States described in paragraph (3); and
(B) more than 1 program in any State.
(3) Groupings.--The groups of States described in this
paragraph are the following:
(A) Group 1.--Group 1 shall consist of Maine,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont, and
Rhode Island.
(B) Group 2.--Group 2 shall consist of New York,
New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
(C) Group 3.--Group 3 shall consist of
Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, the
District of Columbia, and Delaware.
(D) Group 4.--Group 4 shall consist of Georgia,
Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi,
Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
(E) Group 5.--Group 5 shall consist of Illinois,
Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
(F) Group 6.--Group 6 shall consist of Texas, New
Mexico, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.
(G) Group 7.--Group 7 shall consist of Missouri,
Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas.
(H) Group 8.--Group 8 shall consist of Colorado,
Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Utah.
(I) Group 9.--Group 9 shall consist of California,
Guam, American Samoa, Hawaii, Nevada, and Arizona.
(J) Group 10.--Group 10 shall consist of
Washington, Alaska, Idaho, and Oregon.
(4) Deadline for selection.--The Administrator shall make
selections under this subsection not later than 6 months after
the later of the date on which the information described in
subsection (b)(1) is posted on the website of the
Administration and the date on which the information described
in subsection (b)(1) is published in the Federal Register.
(d) Use of Funds.--
(1) In general.--A participating small business development
center shall use funds provided under the pilot program to--
(A) create and distribute informational materials;
and
(B) conduct training and educational activities.
(2) Content of materials.--In creating materials under the
pilot program, a participating small business development
center shall evaluate and incorporate relevant portions of
existing informational materials regarding health insurance
options, such as the materials created by the Healthcare
Leadership Council.
(e) Grant Amounts.--Each participating small business development
center program shall receive a grant in an amount equal to--
(1) not less than $150,000 per fiscal year; and
(2) not more than $300,000 per fiscal year.
(f) Matching Requirement.--Subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section
21(a)(4) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648(a)(4)) shall apply to
assistance made available under the pilot program.
SEC. 5. REPORTS.
Each participating small business development center shall transmit
to the Administrator and the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the
Administration, as the Administrator may direct, a quarterly report
that includes--
(1) a summary of the information and educational materials
regarding health insurance options provided by the
participating small business development center under the pilot
program; and
(2) the number of small business concerns assisted under
the pilot program.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this Act--
(1) $5,000,000 for the first fiscal year beginning after
the date of enactment of this Act; and
(2) $5,000,000 for each of the 3 fiscal years following the
fiscal year described in paragraph (1).
(b) Limitation on Use of Other Funds.--The Administrator may carry
out the pilot program only with amounts appropriated in advance
specifically to carry out this Act.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3383-3884)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3384-3385)
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