Small Business Export Enhancement Act of 2010 - Amends the Small Business Act to: (1) require the Office of International Trade of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to implement small business export promotion programs that increase the number of small businesses that export as well as the volume of their exports; and (2) establish an Associate Administrator for International Trade as the head of the Office. Grants the SBA Administrator the authority to appoint additional Associate Administrators.
Requires Export Assistance Centers (one-stop shops for U.S. exporters) to aid the Associate Administrator in: (1) maintaining a trade distribution network for trade promotion and trade assistance programs for small businesses; (2) aggressively marketing such programs and disseminate information to small businesses on exporting trends and international prospects for exports; (3) promoting export assistance programs through certain conduits; and (4) giving preference to the hiring of employees fluent in English to the Office. Requires the Associate Administrator to establish annual goals to enhance the export capabilities of small businesses and small manufacturers to compete against foreign entities.
Directs the Associate Administrator, in order to provide small businesses access to certain export financing programs, to appoint at least one trade financial specialist within the SBA to oversee international loan programs and assist SBA employees with trade finance issues.
Directs the SBA Administrator to establish an export and trade counseling certification program for employees of lead small business development centers and lead women's business centers in providing export assistance to small businesses.
Requires the Associate Administrator to develop performance measures to support export growth goals for Office activities to promote exports by small businesses.
Directs the SBA Administrator to carry out a comprehensive program to help small businesses to resolve international trade disputes.
Directs the SBA Administrator, in coordination with the Secretary of Commerce, to ensure that the number of export finance specialists assigned to the Export Assistance Centers is at least the number that were assigned on January 1, 2003. Requires at least three specialists in each SBA region.
Requires the SBA Administrator to: (1) study and report on small business exporters and high- and low-export volume areas in each state; and (2) report to Congress on rural export promotion programs for small businesses.
Requires a small business development center that counsels a small business concern on international trade issues to: (1) consult with state trade agencies and Export Assistance Centers to provide appropriate services to the small business concern; and (2) refer the small business concern to a State trade agency or an Export Assistance Center, as necessary, for further counseling or assistance.
[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5832 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5832
To amend the Small Business Act to improve the Office of International
Trade, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 22, 2010
Mrs. Dahlkemper introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Small Business
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Small Business Act to improve the Office of International
Trade, 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 ``Small Business Export Enhancement
Act of 2010''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
(a) Definitions.--In this Act--
(1) the terms ``Administration'' and ``Administrator'' mean
the Small Business Administration and the Administrator
thereof, respectively;
(2) the term ``Associate Administrator'' means the
Associate Administrator for International Trade appointed under
section 22(a)(2) of the Small Business Act, as amended by this
Act;
(3) the term ``Export Assistance Center'' means a one-stop
shop referred to in section 2301(b)(8) of the Omnibus Trade and
Competitiveness Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4721(b)(8));
(4) the term ``rural small business concern'' means a small
business concern located in a rural area, as that term is
defined in section 1393(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986; and
(5) the term ``small business concern'' has the meaning
given that term under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15
U.S.C. 632).
(b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Definitions.--Section 3 of the Small Business Act (15
U.S.C. 632) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(t) Small Business Development Center.--In this Act, the term
`small business development center' means a small business development
center described in section 21.
``(u) Region of the Administration.--In this Act, the term `region
of the Administration' means the geographic area served by a regional
office of the Administration established under section 4(a).''.
(2) Conforming amendment.--Section 4(b)(3)(B)(x) of the
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 633(b)(3)(B)(x)) is amended by
striking ``Administration district and region'' and inserting
``district and region of the Administration''.
SEC. 3. OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE.
(a) Establishment.--Section 22 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
649) is amended--
(1) by striking ``Sec. 22. (a) There'' and inserting the
following:
``SEC. 22. OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE.
``(a) Establishment.--
``(1) Office.--There''; and
(2) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (1), as so designated, by striking
the period and inserting ``for the primary purposes of
increasing--
``(A) the number of small business concerns that
export; and
``(B) the volume of exports by small business
concerns.''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) Associate administrator.--The head of the Office
shall be the Associate Administrator for International Trade,
who shall be responsible to the Administrator.''.
(b) Authority for Additional Associate Administrator.--Section
4(b)(1) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 633(b)(1)) is amended--
(1) in the fifth sentence, by striking ``five Associate
Administrators'' and inserting ``Associate Administrators'';
and
(2) by adding at the end the following: ``One such
Associate Administrator shall be the Associate Administrator
for International Trade, who shall be the head of the Office of
International Trade established under section 22.''.
(c) Discharge of International Trade Responsibilities of
Administration.--Section 22 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649)
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(h) Discharge of International Trade Responsibilities of
Administration.--The Administrator shall ensure that--
``(1) the responsibilities of the Administration regarding
international trade are carried out by the Associate
Administrator;
``(2) the Associate Administrator has sufficient resources
to carry out such responsibilities; and
``(3) the Associate Administrator has direct supervision
and control over--
``(A) the staff of the Office; and
``(B) any employee of the Administration whose
principal duty station is an Export Assistance Center,
or any successor entity.''.
(d) Role of Associate Administrator in Carrying Out International
Trade Policy.--Section 2(b)(1) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
631(b)(1)) is amended in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)--
(1) by inserting ``the Administrator of'' before ``the
Small Business Administration''; and
(2) by inserting ``through the Associate Administrator for
International Trade, and'' before ``in cooperation with''.
(e) Implementation Date.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Small Business
Administration shall appoint an Associate Administrator for
International Trade under section 22(a) of the Small Business Act (15
U.S.C. 649(a)), as added by this section.
SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE.
(a) Amendments to Section 22.--Section 22 of the Small Business Act
(15 U.S.C. 649) is amended--
(1) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
``(b) Trade Distribution Network.--The Associate Administrator,
working in close cooperation with the Secretary of Commerce, the United
States Trade Representative, the Export-Import Bank of the United
States, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and other relevant
Federal agencies, small business development centers engaged in export
promotion efforts, Export Assistance Centers, regional and district
offices of the Administration, the small business community, and
relevant State and local export promotion programs, shall--
``(1) maintain a distribution network, using regional and
district offices of the Administration, the small business
development center network, networks of women's business
centers, the Service Corps of Retired Executives authorized by
section 8(b)(1), and Export Assistance Centers, for programs
relating to--
``(A) trade promotion;
``(B) trade finance;
``(C) trade adjustment assistance;
``(D) trade remedy assistance; and
``(E) trade data collection;
``(2) aggressively market the programs described in
paragraph (1) and disseminate information, including
computerized marketing data, to small business concerns on
exporting trends, market-specific growth, industry trends, and
international prospects for exports;
``(3) promote export assistance programs through the
district and regional offices of the Administration, the small
business development center network, Export Assistance Centers,
the network of women's business centers, chapters of the
Service Corps of Retired Executives, State and local export
promotion programs, and partners in the private sector; and
``(4) give preference in hiring or approving the transfer
of any employee into the Office or to a position described in
subsection (c)(9) to otherwise qualified applicants who are
fluent in a language in addition to English, to--
``(A) accompany small business concerns on foreign
trade missions; and
``(B) translate documents, interpret conversations,
and facilitate multilingual transactions, including by
providing referral lists for translation services, if
required.'';
(2) in subsection (c)--
(A) by striking ``(c) The Office'' and inserting
the following:
``(c) Promotion of Sales Opportunities.--The Associate
Administrator'';
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (8) as
paragraphs (2) through (9), respectively;
(C) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so
redesignated, the following:
``(1) establish annual goals for the Office relating to--
``(A) enhancing the exporting capability of small
business concerns and small manufacturers;
``(B) facilitating technology transfers;
``(C) enhancing programs and services to assist
small business concerns and small manufacturers to
compete effectively and efficiently against foreign
entities;
``(D) increasing the ability of small business
concerns to access capital;
``(E) disseminating information concerning Federal,
State, and private programs and initiatives; and
``(F) ensuring that the interests of small business
concerns are adequately represented in trade
negotiations;'';
(D) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated, by
striking ``mechanism for'' and all that follows through
``(D) assisting'' and inserting the following:
``mechanism for--
``(A) identifying subsectors of the small business
community with strong export potential;
``(B) identifying areas of demand in foreign
markets;
``(C) prescreening foreign buyers for commercial
and credit purposes; and
``(D) assisting'';
(E) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated, by
striking ``assist small businesses in the formation and
utilization of'' and inserting ``assist small business
concerns in forming and using'';
(F) in paragraph (4), as so redesignated--
(i) by striking ``local'' and inserting
``district'';
(ii) by striking ``existing'';
(iii) by striking ``Small Business
Development Center network'' and inserting
``small business development center network'';
and
(iv) by striking ``Small Business
Development Center Program'' and inserting
``small business development center program'';
(G) in paragraph (5), as so redesignated--
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking
``Gross State Produce'' and inserting ``Gross
State Product'';
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking
``SIC'' each place it appears and inserting
``North American Industry Classification
System''; and
(iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking
``small businesses'' and inserting ``small
business concerns'';
(H) in paragraph (6), as so redesignated, by
striking the period at the end and inserting a
semicolon;
(I) in paragraph (7), as so redesignated--
(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A)--
(I) by inserting ``concerns'' after
``small business''; and
(II) by striking ``current'' and
inserting ``up to date'';
(ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking
``Administration's regional offices'' and
inserting ``regional and district offices of
the Administration'';
(iii) in subparagraph (B) by striking
``current'';
(iv) in subparagraph (C), by striking
``current''; and
(v) by striking ``small businesses'' each
place that term appears and inserting ``small
business concerns'';
(J) in paragraph (8), as so redesignated, by
striking and at the end;
(K) in paragraph (9), as so redesignated--
(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A)--
(I) by striking ``full-time export
development specialists to each
Administration regional office and
assigning''; and
(II) by striking ``person in each
district office. Such specialists'' and
inserting ``individual in each district
office and providing each
Administration regional office with a
full-time export development
specialist, who'';
(ii) in subparagraph (B)--
(I) by striking ``current''; and
(II) by striking ``with'' and
inserting ``in'';
(iii) in subparagraph (D)--
(I) by striking ``Administration
personnel involved in granting'' and
inserting ``personnel of the
Administration involved in making'';
and
(II) by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(iv) in subparagraph (E)--
(I) by striking ``small businesses'
needs'' and inserting ``the needs of
small business concerns''; and
(II) by striking the period at the
end and inserting a semicolon;
(v) by adding at the end the following:
``(F) participate, jointly with employees of the
Office, in an annual training program that focuses on
current small business needs for exporting; and
``(G) develop and conduct training programs for
exporters and lenders, in cooperation with the Export
Assistance Centers, the Department of Commerce, small
business development centers, women's business centers,
the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the
Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and other
relevant Federal agencies;''; and
(vi) by striking ``small businesses'' each
place that term appears and inserting ``small
business concerns''; and
(L) by adding at the end the following:
``(10) make available on the website of the Administration
the name and contact information of each individual described
in paragraph (9);
``(11) carry out a nationwide marketing effort using
technology, online resources, training, and other strategies to
promote exporting as a business development opportunity for
small business concerns;
``(12) disseminate information to the small business
community through regional and district offices of the
Administration, the small business development center network,
Export Assistance Centers, the network of women's business
centers, chapters of the Service Corps of Retired Executives
authorized by section 8(b)(1), State and local export promotion
programs, and partners in the private sector regarding
exporting trends, market-specific growth, industry trends, and
prospects for exporting; and
``(13) establish and carry out training programs for the
staff of the regional and district offices of the
Administration and resource partners of the Administration on
export promotion and providing assistance relating to
exports.'';
(3) in subsection (d)--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as
clauses (i) through (v), respectively, and adjusting
the margins accordingly;
(B) by striking ``(d) The Office'' and inserting
the following:
``(d) Export Financing Programs.--
``(1) In general.--The Associate Administrator''; and
(C) by striking ``To accomplish this goal, the
Office shall work'' and inserting the following:
``(2) Trade finance specialist.--To accomplish the goal
established under paragraph (1), the Associate Administrator
shall--
``(A) designate at least 1 individual within the
Administration as a trade finance specialist to oversee
international loan programs and assist Administration
employees with trade finance issues; and
``(B) work'';
(4) in subsection (e), by striking ``(e) The Office'' and
inserting the following:
``(e) Trade Remedies.--The Associate Administrator'';
(5) by amending subsection (f) to read as follows:
``(f) Reporting Requirement.--The Associate Administrator shall
submit an annual report to the Committee on Small Business and
Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of
the House of Representatives that contains--
``(1) a description of the progress of the Office in
implementing the requirements of this section;
``(2) a detailed account of the results of export growth
activities of the Administration, including the activities of
each district and regional office of the Administration, based
on the performance measures described in subsection (i);
``(3) an estimate of the total number of jobs created or
retained as a result of export assistance provided by the
Administration and resource partners of the Administration;
``(4) for any travel by the staff of the Office, the
destination of such travel and the benefits to the
Administration and to small business concerns resulting from
such travel; and
``(5) a description of the participation by the Office in
trade negotiations.'';
(6) in subsection (g), by striking ``(g) The Office'' and
inserting the following:
``(g) Studies.--The Associate Administrator''; and
(7) by adding after subsection (h), as added by section 3
of this Act, the following:
``(i) Export and Trade Counseling.--
``(1) Definition.--In this subsection--
``(A) the term `lead small business development
center' means a small business development center that
has received a grant from the Administration; and
``(B) the term `lead women's business center' means
a women's business center that has received a grant
from the Administration.
``(2) Certification program.--The Administrator shall
establish an export and trade counseling certification program
to certify employees of lead small business development centers
and lead women's business centers in providing export
assistance to small business concerns.
``(3) Number of certified employees.--The Administrator
shall ensure that the number of employees of each lead small
business development center who are certified in providing
export assistance is not less than the lesser of--
``(A) 5; or
``(B) 10 percent of the total number of employees
of the lead small business development center.
``(4) Reimbursement for certification.--
``(A) In general.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations, the Administrator shall reimburse a
lead small business development center or a lead
women's business center for costs relating to the
certification of an employee of the lead small business
center or lead women's business center in providing
export assistance under the program established under
paragraph (2).
``(B) Limitation.--The total amount reimbursed by
the Administrator under subparagraph (A) may not exceed
$350,000 in any fiscal year.
``(j) Performance Measures.--
``(1) In general.--The Associate Administrator shall
develop performance measures for the Administration to support
export growth goals for the activities of the Office under this
section that include--
``(A) the number of small business concerns that--
``(i) receive assistance from the
Administration;
``(ii) had not exported goods or services
before receiving the assistance described in
clause (i); and
``(iii) export goods or services;
``(B) the number of small business concerns
receiving assistance from the Administration that
export goods or services to a market outside the United
States into which the small business concern did not
export before receiving the assistance;
``(C) export revenues by small business concerns
assisted by programs of the Administration;
``(D) the number of small business concerns
referred to an Export Assistance Center or a small
business development center by the staff of the Office;
``(E) the number of small business concerns
referred to the Administration by an Export Assistance
Center or a small business development center; and
``(F) the number of small business concerns
referred to the Export-Import Bank of the United States
or to the Overseas Private Investment Corporation by
the staff of the Office, an Export Assistance Center,
or a small business development center.
``(2) Consistency of tracking.--The Associate
Administrator, in coordination with the departments and
agencies that are represented on the Trade Promotion
Coordinating Committee established under section 2312 of the
Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4727) and the small
business development center network, shall develop a system to
track exports by small business concerns, including information
relating to the performance measures developed under paragraph
(1), that is consistent with systems used by the departments
and agencies and the network.''.
(b) Trade Disputes.--The Administrator shall carry out a
comprehensive program to provide technical assistance, counseling, and
reference materials to small business concerns relating to resources,
procedures, and requirements for mechanisms to resolve international
trade disputes or address unfair international trade practices under
international trade agreements or Federal law, including--
(1) directing the district offices of the Administration to
provide referrals, information, and other services to small
business concerns relating to the mechanisms;
(2) entering agreements and partnerships with providers of
legal services relating to the mechanisms, to ensure small
business concerns may affordably use the mechanisms; and
(3) in consultation with the Director of the United States
Patent and Trademark Office and the Register of Copyrights,
designing counseling services and materials for small business
concerns regarding intellectual property protection in other
countries.
(c) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Administrator shall submit a report to the Committee on
Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on
Small Business of the House of Representatives on any travel by the
staff of the Office of International Trade of the Administration,
during the period beginning on October 1, 2004, and ending on the date
of enactment of the Act, including the destination of such travel and
the benefits to the Administration and to small business concerns
resulting from such travel.
SEC. 5. EXPORT ASSISTANCE CENTERS.
(a) Export Assistance Centers.--Section 22 of the Small Business
Act (15 U.S.C. 649), as amended by this Act, is amended by adding at
the end the following:
``(k) Export Assistance Centers.--
``(1) Export finance specialists.--
``(A) Minimum number of export finance
specialists.--On and after January 1, 2011, the
Administrator, in coordination with the Secretary of
Commerce, shall ensure that the number of export
finance specialists is not less than the number of such
employees so assigned on January 1, 2003.
``(B) Export finance specialists assigned to each
region of the administration.--On and after the date
that is 2 years after the date of enactment of this
subsection, the Administrator, in coordination with the
Secretary of Commerce, shall ensure that there are not
fewer than 3 export finance specialists in each region
of the Administration.
``(2) Placement of export finance specialists.--
``(A) Priority.--The Administrator shall give
priority, to the maximum extent practicable, to placing
employees of the Administration at any Export
Assistance Center that--
``(i) had an Administration employee
assigned to the Export Assistance Center before
January 2003; and
``(ii) has not had an Administration
employee assigned to the Export Assistance
Center during the period beginning January
2003, and ending on the date of enactment of
this subsection, either through retirement or
reassignment.
``(B) Needs of exporters.--The Administrator shall,
to the maximum extent practicable, strategically assign
Administration employees to Export Assistance Centers,
based on the needs of exporters.
``(C) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this
subsection may be construed to require the
Administrator to reassign or remove an export finance
specialist who is assigned to an Export Assistance
Center on the date of enactment of this subsection.
``(3) Goals.--The Associate Administrator shall work with
the Department of Commerce, the Export-Import Bank of the
United States, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation
to establish shared annual goals for the Export Assistance
Centers.
``(4) Oversight.--The Associate Administrator shall
designate an individual within the Administration to oversee
all activities conducted by Administration employees assigned
to Export Assistance Centers.
``(l) Definitions.--In this section--
``(1) the term `Associate Administrator' means the
Associate Administrator for International Trade described in
subsection (a)(2);
``(2) the term `Export Assistance Center' means a one-stop
shop for United States exporters established by the United
States and Foreign Commercial Service of the Department of
Commerce pursuant to section 2301(b)(8) of the Omnibus Trade
and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4721(b)(8));
``(3) the term `export finance specialist' means a full-
time equivalent employee of the Office assigned to an Export
Assistance Center to carry out the duties described in
subsection (e); and
``(4) the term `Office' means the Office of International
Trade established under subsection (a)(1).''.
(b) Study and Report on Filling Gaps in High-and-Low-Export Volume
Areas.--
(1) Study and report.--Not later than 6 months after the
date of enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter,
the Administrator shall--
(A) conduct a study of--
(i) the volume of exports for each State;
(ii) the availability of export finance
specialists in each State;
(iii) the number of exporters in each State
that are small business concerns;
(iv) the percentage of exporters in each
State that are small business concerns;
(v) the change, if any, in the number of
exporters that are small business concerns in
each State--
(I) for the first study conducted
under this subparagraph, during the 10-
year period ending on the date of
enactment of this Act; and
(II) for each subsequent study,
during the 10-year period ending on the
date the study is commenced;
(vi) the total value of the exports in each
State by small business concerns;
(vii) the percentage of the total volume of
exports in each State that is attributable to
small business concerns; and
(viii) the change, if any, in the
percentage of the total volume of exports in
each State that is attributable to small
business concerns--
(I) for the first study conducted
under this subparagraph, during the 10-
year period ending on the date of
enactment of this Act; and
(II) for each subsequent study,
during the 10-year period ending on the
date the study is commenced; and
(B) submit to the Committee on Small Business and
Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on
Small Business of the House of Representatives a report
containing--
(i) the results of the study under
subparagraph (A);
(ii) to the extent practicable, a
recommendation regarding how to eliminate gaps
between the supply of and demand for export
finance specialists in the 15 States that have
the greatest volume of exports, based upon the
most recent data available from the Department
of Commerce;
(iii) to the extent practicable, a
recommendation regarding how to eliminate gaps
between the supply of and demand for export
finance specialists in the 15 States that have
the lowest volume of exports, based upon the
most recent data available from the Department
of Commerce; and
(iv) such additional information as the
Administrator determines is appropriate.
(2) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``export
finance specialist'' has the meaning given that term in section
22(l) of the Small Business Act, as added by this Act.
SEC. 6. RURAL EXPORT PROMOTION.
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture
and the Secretary of Commerce, shall submit to the Committee on Small
Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small
Business of the House of Representatives a report that contains--
(1) a description of each program of the Administration
that promotes exports by rural small business concerns,
including--
(A) the number of rural small business concerns
served by the program;
(B) the change, if any, in the number of rural
small business concerns as a result of participation in
the program during the 10-year period ending on the
date of enactment of this Act;
(C) the volume of exports by rural small business
concerns that participate in the program; and
(D) the change, if any, in the volume of exports by
rural small businesses that participate in the program
during the 10-year period ending on the date of
enactment of this Act;
(2) a description of the coordination between programs of
the Administration and other Federal programs that promote
exports by rural small business concerns;
(3) recommendations, if any, for improving the coordination
described in paragraph (2);
(4) a description of any plan by the Administration to
market the international trade financing programs of the
Administration through lenders that--
(A) serve rural small business concerns; and
(B) are associated with financing programs of the
Department of Agriculture;
(5) recommendations, if any, for improving coordination
between the counseling programs and export financing programs
of the Administration, in order to increase the volume of
exports by rural small business concerns; and
(6) any additional information the Administrator determines
is necessary.
SEC. 7. INTERNATIONAL TRADE COOPERATION BY SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
CENTERS.
Section 21(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648(a)) is
amended--
(1) by striking ``(2) The Small Business Development
Centers'' and inserting the following:
``(2) Cooperation to provide international trade
services.--
``(A) Information and services.--The small business
development centers''; and
(2) in paragraph (2)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), as so designated, by
inserting ``(including State trade agencies),'' after
``local agencies''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) Cooperation with state trade agencies and
export assistance centers.--A small business
development center that counsels a small business
concern on issues relating to international trade
shall--
``(i) consult with State trade agencies and
Export Assistance Centers to provide
appropriate services to the small business
concern; and
``(ii) as necessary, refer the small
business concern to a State trade agency or an
Export Assistance Center for further counseling
or assistance.
``(C) Definition.--In this paragraph, the term
`Export Assistance Center' has the same meaning as in
section 22.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.
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