Home > 106th Congressional Bills > H.R. 1497 (rh) To amend the Small Business Act with respect to the women's business center program. [Reported in House] ...H.R. 1497 (rh) To amend the Small Business Act with respect to the women's business center program. [Reported in House] ...
106th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1497
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 20, 1999
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To amend the Small Business Act with respect to the women's business
center 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 ``Women's Business Centers
Sustainability Act of 1999''.
SEC. 2. PRIVATE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
Section 29 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as
paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively; and
(B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
``(2) the term `private nonprofit organization' means an
entity described in section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986 that is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of
such Code;''; and
(2) in subsection (b), by inserting ``nonprofit'' after
``private''.
SEC. 3. INCREASED MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT AND REVIEW OF WOMEN'S BUSINESS
CENTERS.
Section 29 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656) is amended--
(1) by striking subsection (h) and inserting the following:
``(h) Program Examination.--
``(1) In general.--The Administration shall--
``(A) develop and implement procedures to annually
examine the programs and finances of each women's
business center established pursuant to this section,
pursuant to which each such center shall provide to the
Administration--
``(i) an itemized cost breakdown of actual
expenditures for costs incurred during the
preceding year; and
``(ii) documentation regarding the amount
of matching assistance from non-Federal sources
obtained and expended by the center during the
preceding year in order to meet the
requirements of subsection (c) and, with
respect to any in-kind contributions described
in subsection (c)(2) that were used to satisfy
the requirements of subsection (c),
verification of the existence and valuation of
those contributions; and
``(B) analyze the results of each such examination
and, based on that analysis, make a determination
regarding the viability of the programs and finances of
each women's business center.
``(2) Extension of contracts.--In determining whether to
extend or renew a contract with a women's business center, the
Administration--
``(A) shall consider the results of the most recent
examination of the center under paragraph (1); and
``(B) may withhold such extension or renewal, if
the Administration determines that--
``(i) the center has failed to provide any
information required to be provided under
clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph (1)(A), or the
information provided by the center is
inadequate; or
``(ii) the center has failed to provide any
information required to be provided by the
center for purposes of the report of the
Administration under subsection (j), or the
information provided by the center is
inadequate.''; and
(2) by striking subsection (j) and inserting the following:
``(j) Management Report.--
``(1) In general.--The Administration shall prepare and
submit to the Committees on Small Business of the House of
Representatives and the Senate a report on the effectiveness of
all projects conducted under this section.
``(2) Contents.--Each report submitted under paragraph (1)
shall include information concerning, with respect to each
women's business center established pursuant to this section--
``(A) the number of individuals receiving
assistance;
``(B) the number of startup business concerns
formed;
``(C) the gross receipts of assisted concerns;
``(D) the employment increases or decreases of
assisted concerns;
``(E) to the maximum extent practicable, increases
or decreases in profits of assisted concerns;
``(F) documentation detailing the most recent
analysis undertaken under subsection (h)(1)(B) and the
determinations made by the Administration with respect
to that analysis; and
``(G) demographic data regarding the staff of the
center.''.
SEC. 4. WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTER SUSTAINABILITY PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Section 29 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
656) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(l) Sustainability Pilot Program.--
``(1) In general.--There is established a 4-year pilot
program under which the Administration is authorized to make
grants (referred to in this section as `sustainability grants')
on a competitive basis for an additional 5-year project under
this section to any private nonprofit organization (or a
division thereof)--
``(A) that has received financial assistance under
this section pursuant to a grant, contract, or
cooperative agreement; and
``(B) that--
``(i) is in the final year of a 5-year
project; or
``(ii) to the extent that amounts are
available for such purpose under subsection
(k)(4)(B), has completed a project financed
under this section (or any predecessor to this
section) and continues to provide assistance to
women entrepreneurs.
``(2) Conditions for participation.--In order to receive a
sustainability grant, an organization described in paragraph
(1) shall submit to the Administration an application, which
shall include--
``(A) a certification that the applicant--
``(i) is a private nonprofit organization;
``(ii) employs a full-time executive
director or program manager to manage the
women's business center for which a grant is
sought; and
``(iii) as a condition of receiving a
sustainability grant, agrees--
``(I) to an annual examination by
the Administration of the center's
programs and finances; and
``(II) to the maximum extent
practicable, to remedy any problems
identified pursuant to that
examination;
``(B) information demonstrating that the applicant
has the ability and resources to meet the needs of the
market to be served by the women's business center site
for which a sustainability grant is sought, including
the ability to raise financial resources;
``(C) information relating to assistance provided
by the women's business center site for which a
sustainability grant is sought in the area in which the
site is located, including--
``(i) the number of individuals assisted;
``(ii) the number of hours of counseling,
training, and workshops provided; and
``(iii) the number of startup business
concerns formed;
``(D) information demonstrating the effective
experience of the applicant in--
``(i) conducting financial, management, and
marketing assistance programs, as described in
paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (b),
designed to impart or upgrade the business
skills of women business owners or potential
owners;
``(ii) providing training and services to a
representative number of women who are both
socially and economically disadvantaged;
``(iii) using resource partners of the
Administration and other entities, such as
universities;
``(iv) complying with the cooperative
agreement of the applicant; and
``(v) prudently managing finances and
staffing, including the manner in which the
performance of the applicant compared to the
business plan of the applicant and the manner
in which grants made under subsection (b) were
used by the applicant; and
``(E) a 5-year plan that demonstrates the ability
of the women's business center site for which a
sustainability grant is sought--
``(i) to serve women business owners or
potential owners in the future by improving
fundraising and training activities; and
``(ii) to provide training and services to
a representative number of women who are both
socially and economically disadvantaged.
``(3) Review of applications.--
``(A) In general.--The Administration shall--
``(i) review each application submitted
under paragraph (2) based on the information
provided under subparagraphs (D) and (E) of
that paragraph, and the criteria set forth in
subsection (f); and
``(ii) approve or disapprove applications
for sustainability grants simultaneously with
applications for grants under subsection (b).
``(B) Data collection.--Consistent with the annual
report to Congress under subsection (j), each women's
business center site that receives a sustainability
grant shall, to the maximum extent practicable, collect
the information relating to--
``(i) the number of individuals assisted;
``(ii) the number of hours of counseling
and training provided and workshops conducted;
``(iii) the number of startup business
concerns formed;
``(iv) any available gross receipts of
assisted concerns; and
``(v) the number of jobs created,
maintained, or lost at assisted concerns.
``(C) Record retention.--The Administration shall
maintain a copy of each application submitted under
this subsection for not less than 10 years.
``(4) Non-federal contribution.--
``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of this section, as a condition of receiving
a sustainability grant, an organization described in
paragraph (1) shall agree to obtain, after its
application has been approved under paragraph (3) and
notice of award has been issued, cash and in-kind
contributions from non-Federal sources for each year of
additional program participation in an amount equal to
1 non-Federal dollar for each Federal dollar.
``(B) In-kind contributions.--Not more than 50
percent of the non-Federal assistance obtained for
purposes of subparagraph (A) may be in the form of in-
kind contributions that exist only as budget line
items, including such contributions of office equipment
and office space.
``(5) Timing of requests for proposals.--In carrying out
this subsection, the Administration shall issue requests for
proposals for women's business centers applying for the pilot
program under this subsection simultaneously with requests for
proposals for grants under subsection (b).''.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 29(k) of the Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656(k)) is amended--
(1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
``(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated,
to remain available until the expiration of the pilot program
under subsection (l)--
``(A) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2000;
``(B) $12,800,000 for fiscal year 2001;
``(C) $13,700,000 for fiscal year 2002; and
``(D) $14,500,000 for fiscal year 2003.'';
(2) in paragraph (2)--
(A) by striking ``Amounts made'' and inserting the
following:
``(A) In general.--Except as provided in
subparagraph (B), amounts made''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) Exception.--Of the total amount made
available under this subsection for a fiscal year, the
following amounts shall be available for costs incurred
in connection with the selection of applicants for
assistance under this subsection and with monitoring
and oversight of the program authorized under this
subsection:
``(i) For fiscal year 2000, 2 percent of
such total amount.
``(ii) For fiscal year 2001, 1.9 percent of
such total amount.
``(iii) For fiscal year 2002, 1.9 percent
of such total amount.
``(iv) For fiscal year 2003, 1.6 percent of
such total amount.''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) Reservation of funds for sustainability pilot
program.--
``(A) In general.--Of the total amount made
available under this subsection for a fiscal year, the
following amounts shall be reserved for sustainability
grants under subsection (l):
``(i) For fiscal year 2000, 17 percent of
such total amount.
``(ii) For fiscal year 2001, 18.8 percent
of such total amount.
``(iii) For fiscal year 2002, 30.2 percent
of such total amount.
``(iv) For fiscal year 2003, 30.2 percent
of such total amount.
``(B) Use of unawarded reserve funds.--
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