II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4701 

To provide cybersecurity support for small business concerns through the 

small business development center program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 2, 2022 

Ms. HASSAN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship 

A BILL 

To provide cybersecurity support for small business concerns 

through the small business development center program, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Small Businesses Cy5 bersecurity Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SMALL BUSINESS CYBERSECURITY GRANTS. 

7 Section 21 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648) 

8 is amended by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(o) CYBERSECURITY GRANTS.— 

10 ‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 ‘‘(A) RURAL AREA.—The term ‘rural area’ 

2 has the meaning given the term in section 

3 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

4 Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)). 

5 ‘‘(B) SMALL STATE.—The term ‘small 

6 State’ means any State that is minimally fund7 ed by the funding formula of the Small Busi8 ness Development Center Program under sub9 section (a)(4)(C). 

10 ‘‘(C) STATE.—The term ‘State’ means 

11 each of the several States, the District of Co12 lumbia, and any territory or possession of the 

13 United States. 

14 ‘‘(2) GRANTS.— 

15 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator 

16 shall establish a grant program under which the 

17 Administrator may award grants on a non18 competitive basis to small business development 

19 centers to support the cybersecurity needs of 

20 the small business concerns served by the small 

21 business development centers. 

22 ‘‘(B) GRANT CRITERIA.—In awarding 

23 grants under this subsection, the Administrator 

24 may consider the following criteria: 


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1 ‘‘(i) The plan of the small business 

2 development center for the use of the grant 

3 funds, including how funds would benefit 

4 small business concerns in rural areas. 

5 ‘‘(ii) Evidence submitted by the small 

6 business development center that the grant 

7 would increase the cybersecurity of the 

8 small business concerns that the small 

9 business development center serves, includ10 ing evidence of past success in offering cy11 bersecurity support to small business con12 cerns. 

13 ‘‘(C) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible for a 

14 grant under this subsection, a small business 

15 development center shall submit to the Admin16 istrator an application in such form, at such 

17 time, and containing such information as the 

18 Administrator determines is appropriate. 

19 ‘‘(D) USE OF FUNDS.—A small business 

20 development center may use amounts received 

21 under a grant under this subsection to support 

22 the cybersecurity of the small business concerns 

23 served by the small business development cen24 ter, including— 


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1 ‘‘(i) cybersecurity training for employ2 ees of the small business concerns; 

3 ‘‘(ii) reviews of the cybersecurity poli4 cies, plans, and procedures used by the 

5 small business concerns, including tabletop 

6 exercises to test the policies, plans, and 

7 procedures; 

8 ‘‘(iii) testing of the cybersecurity 

9 standing of the small business concerns, 

10 including via penetration testing; and 

11 ‘‘(iv) hiring consultants to support the 

12 cybersecurity needs of the small business 

13 concerns. 

14 ‘‘(E) GRANT AMOUNT.— 

15 ‘‘(i) FORMULA.—The Administrator 

16 shall establish a 3-tier formula for grant 

17 funding distribution based on the locations 

18 of small business development centers in 

19 one of the following categories: 

20 ‘‘(I) Small States. 

21 ‘‘(II) Medium-sized States, as de22 fined by the Administrator. 

23 ‘‘(III) Large States, as defined 

24 by the Administrator. 


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1 ‘‘(ii) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—The max2 imum amount of a grant under this sub3 section shall be, for a small business devel4 opment center located in— 

5 ‘‘(I) a small State, $200,000; 

6 ‘‘(II) a medium-sized State, 

7 $300,000; or 

8 ‘‘(III) a large State, $400,000. 

9 ‘‘(F) DURATION OF GRANT.—The period 

10 of a grant under this subsection shall be 1 fis11 cal year. 

12 ‘‘(G) ANNOUNCEMENT OF GRANT PRO13 GRAM.—The Administrator shall make widely 

14 available to the public information on the grant 

15 program under this subsection. 

16 ‘‘(3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

17 There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

18 this subsection $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2023 and 

19 each fiscal year thereafter, to remain available until 

20 expended.’’. 

Æ 


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