Small Business Enhancement Act of 1995

Summary: Small Business Enhancement Act of 1995 - Authorizes the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to make grants to eligible institutions to design and implement programs to assist businesses, especially those in lower income urban communities, to become more productive and able to compete in the global marketplace.  Directs the SBA Administrator to establish a peer review panel to review grant applications and make recommendations to the Administrator concerning the selection of grant recipients.  Limits to $400,000 the assistance provided to any single recipient during any one-year period.  Requires the SBA Administrator to achieve equitable geographic distribution in the awarding of such grants.  Defines an eligible institution as a nonprofit institution of higher education that is located in an urban area, has an accredited school of business, draws a substantial amount of its enrollment from urban areas, and carries out programs to make postsecondary educational opportunities more accessible to residents of such urban or contiguous areas.  Authorizes appropriations for the grant program for FY 1996 through 2000.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Small Business Enhancement Act of 
1995''.

SEC. 2. URBAN UNIVERSITY BUSINESS INITIATIVE GRANTS.

    (a) Urban University Business Initiative Grants.--
            (1) Authorization.--The Administrator of the Small Business 
        Administration (hereafter in this section referred to as the 
        ``Administrator'') may make grants to eligible institutions in 
        accordance with this section.
            (2) Application.--
                    (A) In general.--An eligible institution seeking 
                assistance under this section shall submit to the 
                Administrator an application at such time, in such 
                form, and containing or accompanied by such information 
                and assurances as the Administrator may require by 
                regulation.
                    (B) Contents.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
                (C), each application submitted pursuant to 
                subparagraph (A) shall include--
                            (i) a description of the activities and 
                        services for which assistance is sought;
                            (ii) evidence of coordination with any 
                        small business development center in existence 
                        in the community; and
                            (iii) documentation of the formation of a 
                        consortium that includes, in addition to 
                        eligible institutions, one or more of the 
                        following entities:
                                    (I) A nonprofit organization.
                                    (II) A business or other employer.
                    (C) Waiver.--The Administrator may waive the 
                requirements of subparagraph (B)(iii) for any applicant 
                who can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the 
                Administrator that the applicant has devised an 
                integrated and coordinated plan that otherwise meets 
                the requirements of this section.
            (3) Selection procedures.--Not later than 120 days after 
        the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall by 
        regulation develop a formal procedure for the submission of 
        applications under this section and shall publish in the 
        Federal Register an announcement of that procedure and the 
        availability of funds under this section.
    (b) Authorized Activities.--
            (1) In general.--Funds provided under this section shall be 
        used to design and implement programs to assist businesses, 
        especially those in lower income urban communities, to become 
        more productive and able to compete in the global marketplace.
            (2) Specific authorized activities.--Activities conducted 
        with funds made available under this section may include 
        research on, or planning and implementation of technology 
        transfer, technical training, the delivery of services, or 
        technical assistance in--
                    (A) business development;
                    (B) business creation;
                    (C) business expansion; and
                    (D) human resource management.
    (c) Peer Review Panel.--
            (1) Establishment.--Not later than 90 days after the date 
        on which the Administrator publishes the announcement in the 
        Federal Register in accordance with subsection (a)(3), the 
        Administrator shall appoint a peer review panel (hereafter in 
        this section referred to as the ``panel'').
            (2) Membership.--In appointing the panel under paragraph 
        (1), the Administrator shall consult with officials of other 
        Federal agencies and with non-Federal organizations in order to 
        ensure that--
                    (A) the panel membership is geographically 
                balanced; and
                    (B) the panel is composed of representatives from 
                public and private institutions of higher education, 
                labor, business, and nonprofit organizations having 
                expertise in business development in lower income urban 
                communities.
            (3) Duties.--The panel shall--
                    (A) review applications submitted under this 
                section; and
                    (B) make recommendations to the Administrator 
                concerning the selection of grant recipients.
    (d) Disbursement of Funds.--
            (1) Limitation on amount.--The Administrator shall not 
        provide assistance under this section to any recipient in an 
        amount that exceeds $400,000 during any 1-year period.
            (2) Equitable geographic distribution.--The Administrator 
        shall award grants under this section in a manner that achieves 
        equitable geographic distribution of such grants.
    (e) Definitions.--For purposes of this section, the following 
definitions shall apply:
            (1) Lower income urban community.--The term ``lower income 
        urban community'' means an urban area in which the percent of 
        residents living below the Federal poverty level is not less 
        than 115 percent of the statewide average.
            (2) Urban area.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
                (B), the term ``urban area'' means a primary 
                metropolitan statistical area of the Bureau of the 
                Census, Department of Commerce.
                    (B) Exception.--With respect to a State that does 
                not contain an urban area, as defined in subparagraph 
                (A), the Administrator shall designate 1 area in the 
                State as an urban area for purposes of this section.
            (3) Eligible institution.--
                    (A) Institution or consortium.--The term ``eligible 
                institution'' means a nonprofit institution of higher 
                education that meets the requirements of subparagraph 
                (b), or a consortium of such institutions, any 1 of 
                which meets the requirements of subparagraph (B).
                    (B) Requirements.--An institution meets the 
                requirements of this subparagraph if the institution--
                            (i) is located in an urban area;
                            (ii) draws a substantial portion of its 
                        undergraduate students from the urban area in 
                        which such institution is located, or from 
                        contiguous areas;
                            (iii) carries out programs to make 
                        postsecondary educational opportunities more 
                        accessible to residents of such urban area, or 
                        contiguous areas;
                            (iv) has the present capacity to provide 
                        resources responsive to the needs and 
                        priorities of such urban area and contiguous 
                        areas;
                            (v) offers a range of professional, 
                        technical, or graduate programs sufficient to 
                        sustain the capacity of such institution to 
                        provided such resources;
                            (vi) has demonstrated and sustained a sense 
                        of responsibility to such urban area and 
                        contiguous areas and the people of such areas; 
                        and
                            (vii) has a school of business accredited 
                        by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools 
                        of Business (or similar organization) with 
                        faculty experienced in conducting research on 
                        issues of immediate concern to small and 
                        emerging businesses.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section--
            (1) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1996; and
            (2) such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 1997, 
        1998, 1999, and 2000.