Amends the Small Business Act relating to the women's business centers program to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to: (1) disburse funds to a women's business center (center) no later than one month after its application is approved; (2) annually publish on the SBA website information on the financing of each center; (3) establish a standardized process to communicate with centers regarding program administration matters; and (4) notify each center of the opportunity for notice and comment on proposed program rules.
Replaces the five-year projects for the benefit of small businesses owned and controlled by women with a three-tiered program of five-year (first tier), three-year (second tier), and three-year (third tier) projects, with each tier commencing after the previous tier is being completed. Allows the maximum award of assistance ($150,000) for first-tier projects that possess the capacity to train existing or potential business owners in the fields of green technology, clean technology, or energy efficiency. Revises matching funds requirements for all projects. Authorizes appropriations.
Directs the SBA to: (1) establish center performance measures; and (2) require each center to submit an annual funding and strategies plan.
Amends the Women's Business Ownership Act of 1988 to require the National Women's Business Council to perform studies of: (1) the impact of the 2008-2009 financial markets crisis on women-owned businesses; and (2) the use of SBA programs by women-owned businesses. Authorizes appropriations for the Council for FY2010-FY2011.
Includes under criteria for the selection of project participants whether the applicant has the capacity to train existing or potential business owners in the fields of green technology, clean technology, or energy efficiency.
[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1838 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1838
To amend the Small Business Act to modify certain provisions relating
to women's business centers, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 1, 2009
Ms. Fallin (for herself, Ms. Clarke, and Mrs. McMorris Rodgers)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Small Business
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Small Business Act to modify certain provisions relating
to women's business centers, 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. NOTIFICATION OF GRANTS; PUBLICATION OF GRANT AMOUNTS.
Section 29 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656) is amended by
adding the following new subsection at the end thereof:
``(o) Notification of Grants; Publication of Grant Amounts.--The
Administrator shall disburse funds to a women's business center not
later than one month after the center's application is approved under
this section. At the end of each fiscal year the Administrator (acting
through the Office of Women's Business ownership) shall publish on the
Administration's website a report setting forth the total amount of the
grants made under this Act to each women's business center in the
fiscal year for which the report is issued, the total amount of such
grants made in each prior fiscal year to each such center, and the
total amount of private matching funds provided by each such center
over the lifetime of the center.''.
SEC. 2. COMMUNICATIONS.
Section 29 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656), as amended,
is further amended by adding the following new subsection at the end
thereof:
``(p) Communications.--The Administrator shall establish, by rule,
a standardized process to communicate with women's business centers
regarding program administration matters, including reimbursement,
regulatory matters, and programmatic changes. The Administrator shall
notify each women's business center of the opportunity for notice and
comment on the proposed rule.''.
SEC. 3. FUNDING.
(a) Formula.--Section 29(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
656(b)) is amended to read as follows:
``(b) Authority.--
``(1) In general.--The Administrator may provide financial
assistance to private nonprofit organizations to conduct
projects for the benefit of small business concerns owned and
controlled by women. The projects shall provide--
``(A) financial assistance, including training and
counseling in how to apply for and secure business
credit and investment capital, preparing and presenting
financial statements, and managing cash flow and other
financial operations of a business concern;
``(B) management assistance, including training and
counseling in how to plan, organize, staff, direct, and
control each major activity and function of a small
business concern; and
``(C) marketing assistance, including training and
counseling in identifying and segmenting domestic and
international market opportunities, preparing and
executing marketing plans, developing pricing
strategies, locating contract opportunities,
negotiating contracts, and utilizing varying public
relations and advertising techniques.
``(2) Tiers.--The Administrator shall provide assistance
under paragraph (1) in 3 tiers of assistance as follows:
``(A) The first tier shall be to conduct a 5-year
project in a situation where a project has not
previously been conducted. Such a project shall be in a
total amount of not more than $150,000 per year.
``(B) The second tier shall be to conduct a 3-year
project in a situation where a first-tier project is
being completed. Such a project shall be in a total
amount of not more than $100,000 per year.
``(C) The third tier shall be to conduct a 3-year
project in a situation where a second-tier project is
being completed. Such a project shall be in a total
amount of not more than $100,000 per year. Third-tier
grants shall be renewable subject to established
eligibility criteria as well as criteria in subsection
(b)(4).
``(3) Allocation of funds.--Of the amounts made available
for assistance under this subsection, the Administrator shall
allocate--
``(A) at least 40 percent for first-tier projects
under paragraph (2)(A);
``(B) 20 percent for second-tier projects under
paragraph (2)(B); and
``(C) the remainder for third-tier projects under
paragraph (2)(C).
``(4) Benchmarks for third-tier projects.--In awarding
third-tier projects under paragraph (2)(C), the Administrator
shall use benchmarks based on socio-economic factors in the
community and on the performance of the applicant. The
benchmarks shall include--
``(A) the total number of women served by the
project;
``(B) the proportion of low income women and socio-
economic distribution of clients served by the project;
``(C) the proportion of individuals in the
community that are socially or economically
disadvantaged (based on median income);
``(D) the future fund-raising and service
coordination plans;
``(E) the diversity of services provided; and
``(F) geographic distribution within and across the
10 regions of the Small Business Administration.''.
(b) Matching.--Subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 29(c)(1) of the
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656(c)(1)) are amended to read as
follows:
``(A) For the first and second years of the
project, 1 non-Federal dollar for each 2 Federal
dollars.
``(B) Each year after the second year of the
project--
``(i) 1 non-Federal dollar for each Federal
dollar; or
``(ii) if the center is in a community at
least 50 percent of the population of which is
below the median income for the State or United
States territory in which the center is
located, 1 non-Federal dollar for each 2
Federal dollars.''.
(c) Authorization.--Section 20 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
631 note) is amended by inserting the following new subsection after
subsection (e):
``(f) Women's Business Centers.--There is authorized to be
appropriated for purposes of grants under section 29 to women's
business centers not more than $20,000,000 in fiscal year 2010 and not
more than $22,000,000 in fiscal year 2011.''.
SEC. 4. PERFORMANCE AND PLANNING.
(a) In General.--Section 29(h)(1) of the Small Business Act (15
U.S.C. 656(h)(1)) is amended by striking the ``and'' at the end of
subparagraph (A), redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (D),
and inserting the following new subparagraphs after subparagraph (A):
``(B) establish performance measures, taking into
account the demographic differences of populations
served by women's business centers, which measures
shall include--
``(i) outcome-based measures of the amount
of job creation or economic activity generated
in the local community as a result of efforts
made and services provided by each women's
business center, and
``(ii) service-based measures of the amount
of services provided to individuals and small
business concerns served by each women's
business center;
``(C) require each women's business center to
submit an annual plan for the next year that includes
the center's funding sources and amounts, strategies
for increasing outreach to women-owned businesses,
strategies for increasing job growth in the community,
and other content as determined by the Administrator;
and''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 29(h)(1) of the Small Business
Act (15 U.S.C. 656(h)(1)), as amended, is further amended by adding the
following at the end thereof:
``The Administrator's evaluation of each women's business
center as required by this subsection shall be in part based on
the performance measures under subparagraphs (B) and (C). These
measures and the Administrator's evaluations thereof shall be
made publicly available.''.
SEC. 5. NATIONAL WOMEN'S BUSINESS COUNCIL.
The Women's Business Ownership Act of 1988 is amended as follows:
(1) In section 409(a) (15 U.S.C. 7109(a)), add the
following at the end thereof: ``Such studies shall include a
study on the impact of the 2008-2009 financial markets crisis
on women-owned businesses, and a study of the use of the Small
Business Administration's programs by women-owned
businesses.''.
(2) In section 410(a) (15 U.S.C. 7110(a)), strike out
``2001 through 2003'' and insert ``2010 and 2011''.
<all>
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 H12469-12471)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1838.
At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Ms. Velazquez objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was withdrawn.
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H12595-12596)
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by recorded vote (2/3 required): 428 - 4 (Roll no. 877).(text: CR 11/6/2009 H12469-12470)
Roll Call #877 (House)On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by recorded vote (2/3 required): 428 - 4 (Roll no. 877). (text: CR 11/6/2009 H12469-12470)
Roll Call #877 (House)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.