Veterans Business Center Act of 2009 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish within the SBA a Veterans Business Center program (program), headed by a Director, to provide entrepreneurial training and counseling to veterans. Authorizes the Director to make grants to each entity designated by the Director as a veterans business center (center). Authorizes the Director to make both initial and growth funding grants under the program. Requires each center to use such funds on veteran entrepreneurial development, counseling of veteran-owned small businesses through one-on-one instruction and classes, and providing government procurement assistance to veterans. Requires a 50% non-federal funding match for participating centers, but authorizes the Director to waive such requirement with respect to centers located in certain low-income or high unemployment areas. Requires the Director to give priority to applications that will establish a center in an area in which the population of veterans, or veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom, exceeds the national median. Requires the Director to: (1) develop and implement an annual training program for staff and personnel of such centers; and (2) report annually to the Administrator on whether a sufficient percentage of veterans in rural areas have adequate access to a center. Authorizes appropriations.
Requires the Director to establish a grant program under which the Director is authorized to make grants to centers that will develop specialized programs to assist veteran-owned small businesses in securing capital and repairing damaged credit, counsel on how to improve financial presentations, facilitate access to financing, and assist unemployed veterans become entrepreneurs. Authorizes appropriations.
Requires the Director to establish a grant program under which the Director is authorized to make grants to centers to: (1) assist veteran-owned small businesses to identify contracts that are suitable to such businesses; (2) prepare veteran-owned small businesses to be ready as subcontractors and prime contractors for contracts made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, particularly with respect to the construction trades; and (3) provide veteran-owned small businesses technical assistance with respect to the federal procurement process. Authorizes appropriations.
Requires the Director to establish a grant program which the Director is authorized to make grants to centers to develop outreach programs for service-disabled veterans to promote self-employment opportunities and to train and assist such veterans with respect to developing business plans and securing business opportunities. Authorizes appropriations.
Authorizes the Director to carry out, every two years, a veterans entrepreneurial development summit, which shall include education and training on improving outreach to veterans in areas of high unemployment. Authorizes appropriations.
(Sec. 3) Requires an annual report from the Administrator to Congress on appointments made to, and activities of, the interagency task force on veteran-owned small businesses.
(Sec. 4) Directs the Comptroller General to carry out, and report to Congress on, a study of the effects of this Act on small businesses owned and controlled by veterans.
[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[H.R. 1803 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1803
To amend the Small Business Act to establish a Veterans Business Center
program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 31, 2009
Mr. Nye introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Small Business
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Small Business Act to establish a Veterans Business Center
program, 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 ``Veterans Business Center Act of
2009''.
SEC. 2. VETERANS BUSINESS CENTER PROGRAM.
Section 32 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657b) is amended--
(1) in subsection (f), by inserting ``(other than
subsections (g), (h), and (i))'' after ``this section''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(g) Veterans Business Center Program.--
``(1) In general.--The Administrator shall establish a
Veterans Business Center program within the Administration to
provide entrepreneurial training and counseling to veterans in
accordance with this subsection.
``(2) Director.--The Administrator shall appoint a Director
of the Veterans Business Center program, who shall implement
and oversee such program and who shall report directly to the
Associate Administrator for Veterans Business Development.
``(3) Designation of veterans business centers.--The
Director shall establish by regulation an application, review,
and notification process to designate entities as veterans
business centers for purposes of this section. The Director
shall make publicly known the designation of an entity as a
veterans business center and the award of a grant to such
center under this subsection.
``(4) Funding for veterans business centers.--
``(A) Initial grants.--The Director is authorized
to make a grant (hereinafter in this subsection
referred to as an `initial grant') to each veterans
business center each year for not more than 5 years in
the amount of $150,000.
``(B) Growth funding grants.--After a veterans
business center has received 5 years of initial grants
under subparagraph (A), the Director is authorized to
make a grant (hereinafter in this subsection referred
to as a `growth funding grant') to such center each
year for not more than 3 years in the amount of
$100,000. After such center has received 3 years of
growth funding grants, the Director shall require such
center to meet performance benchmarks established by
the Director to be eligible for growth funding grants
in subsequent years.
``(5) Center responsibilities.--Each veterans business
center receiving a grant under this subsection shall use the
funds primarily on veteran entrepreneurial development,
counseling of veteran-owned small businesses through one-on-one
instruction and classes, and providing government procurement
assistance to veterans.
``(6) Matching funds.--Each veterans business center
receiving a grant under this subsection shall be required to
provide a non-Federal match of 50 percent of the Federal funds
such center receives under this subsection. The Director may
issue to a veterans business center, upon request, a waiver
from all or a portion of such matching requirement upon a
determination of hardship.
``(7) Targeted areas.--The Director shall give priority to
applications for designations and grants under this subsection
that will establish a veterans business center in a geographic
area, as determined by the Director, that is not currently
served by a veterans business center and in which--
``(A) the population of veterans exceeds the
national median of such measure; or
``(B) the population of veterans of Operation Iraqi
Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom exceeds the
national median of such measure.
``(8) Training program.--The Director shall develop and
implement, directly or by contract, an annual training program
for the staff and personnel of designated veterans business
centers to provide education, support, and information on best
practices with respect to the establishment and operation of
such centers. The Director shall develop such training program
in consultation with veterans business centers, the interagency
task force established under subsection (c), and veterans
service organizations.
``(9) Inclusion of other organizations in program.--Upon
the date of the enactment of this subsection, each Veterans
Business Outreach Center established by the Administrator under
the authority of section 8(b)(17) and each center that received
funds during fiscal year 2006 from the National Veterans
Business Development Corporation established under section 33
and that remains in operation shall be treated as designated as
a veterans business center for purposes of this subsection and
shall be eligible for grants under this subsection.
``(10) Authorization of appropriations.--There is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection
$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2010 and $12,000,000 for fiscal
year 2011.
``(h) Additional Grants Available to Veterans Business Centers.--
``(1) Access to capital grant program.--
``(A) In general.--The Director of the Veterans
Business Center program shall establish a grant program
under which the Director is authorized to make, to
veterans business centers designated under subsection
(g), grants for the following:
``(i) Developing specialized programs to
assist veteran-owned small businesses to secure
capital and repair damaged credit.
``(ii) Providing informational seminars on
securing loans to veteran-owned small
businesses.
``(iii) Providing one-on-one counseling to
veteran-owned small businesses to improve the
financial presentations of such businesses to
lenders.
``(iv) Facilitating the access of veteran-
owned small businesses to both traditional and
non-traditional financing sources.
``(B) Award size.--The Director may not award a
veterans business center more than $75,000 in grants
under this paragraph.
``(C) Authorization of appropriations.--There is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
paragraph $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 and
2011.
``(2) Procurement assistance grant program.--
``(A) In general.--The Director shall establish a
grant program under which the Director is authorized to
make, to veterans business centers designated under
subsection (g), grants for the following:
``(i) Assisting veteran-owned small
businesses to identify contracts that are
suitable to such businesses.
``(ii) Preparing veteran-owned small
businesses to be ready as subcontractors and
prime contractors for contracts made available
through the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5) through training
and business advisement, particularly with
respect to the construction trades.
``(iii) Providing veteran-owned small
businesses technical assistance with respect to
the Federal procurement process, including
assisting such businesses to comply with
Federal regulations and bonding requirements.
``(B) Award size.--The Director may not award a
veterans business center more than $75,000 in grants
under this paragraph.
``(C) Authorization of appropriations.--There is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
paragraph $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 and
2011.
``(3) Service-disabled veteran-owned small business grant
program.--
``(A) In general.--The Director shall establish a
grant program under which the Director is authorized to
make, to veterans business centers designated under
subsection (g), grants for the following:
``(i) Developing outreach programs for
service-disabled veterans with respect to the
benefits of self-employment.
``(ii) Providing tailored training to
service-disabled veterans with respect to
business plan development, marketing,
budgeting, accounting, and merchandising.
``(iii) Assisting service-disabled veteran-
owned small businesses to locate and secure
business opportunities.
``(B) Award size.--The Director may not award a
veterans business center more than $75,000 in grants
under this paragraph.
``(C) Authorization of appropriations.--There is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
paragraph $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 and
2011.
``(i) Veterans Entrepreneurial Development Summit.--
``(1) In general.--The Director of the Veterans Business
Center program is authorized to carry out an event, once every
two years, for the purpose of providing networking
opportunities, outreach, education, training, and support to
veterans business centers funded under this section, veteran-
owned small businesses, veterans service organizations, and
other entities as determined appropriate for inclusion by the
Director.
``(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $450,000 for
fiscal years 2010 and 2011.''.
SEC. 3. REPORTING REQUIREMENT FOR INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE.
Section 32(c) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657b(c)) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(4) Report.--The Administrator shall submit to Congress
biannually a report on the appointments made to and activities
of the task force.''.
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Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Subcommittee on Rural Development, Entrepreneurship and Trade.
Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .
Provisions of measure incorporated into H.R. 2352.
Ms. Velazquez moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H8912-8915)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1803.
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H8912-8913)
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H8912-8913)
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Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.