I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2397 

To reauthorize the women’s entrepreneurial development programs of the 

Small Business Administration, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 21, 2007 

Ms. FALLIN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Small Business 

A BILL 

To reauthorize the women’s entrepreneurial development programs of the Small Business Administration, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘SBA Women’s Business Programs Act of 2007’’. 

6 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

7 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

TITLE I—NATIONAL WOMEN’S BUSINESS COUNCIL 

Sec. 101. Annual studies on problems hindering the success of women entrepreneurs. 

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Sec. 102. Additional progress reports. 

TITLE II—WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTERS 

Sec. 201. Revised funding formula. 

Sec. 202. Matchmaking formula change. 

Sec. 203. Termination of funding. 

Sec. 204. Women’s business center awards to be made public. 

1 TITLE I—NATIONAL WOMEN’S 

2 BUSINESS COUNCIL 

3 SEC. 101. ANNUAL STUDIES ON PROBLEMS HINDERING THE 

4 SUCCESS OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS. 

5 Section 409 of the Women’s Business Ownership Act 

6 of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 7109) is amended— 

7 (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as sub8 section (c); and 

9 (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol10 lowing: 

11 ‘‘(b) PROBLEMS HINDERING THE SUCCESS OF

12 WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS.—The Council shall conduct at 

13 least one study per year that evaluates the problems hin14 dering the success of women entrepreneurs. The Council 

15 shall select the topic for the study in consultation with 

16 the Committee on Small Business of the House of Rep17 resentatives and the Committee on Small Business and 

18 Entrepreneurship of the Senate.’’. 

19 SEC. 102. ADDITIONAL PROGRESS REPORTS. 

20 Section 406(d)(4) of the Women’s Business Owner21 ship Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 7106(d)(4)) is amended by 

22 inserting before the semicolon at the end the following: 

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1 ‘‘, and on a biannual basis (notwithstanding paragraph 

2 (6)) submit to the President and to the Committee on 

3 Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and 

4 the Committee on Small Business of the House of Rep5 resentatives a report containing a description of, and the 

6 status of, such initiatives, policies, programs, and plans’’. 

7 TITLE II—WOMEN’S BUSINESS 

8 CENTERS 

9 SEC. 201. REVISED FUNDING FORMULA. 

10 Section 29(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 

11 656(b)) is amended to read as follows: 

12 ‘‘(b) AUTHORITY.— 

13 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may 

14 provide financial assistance to private nonprofit or15 ganizations to conduct projects for the benefit of 

16 small business concerns owned and controlled by 

17 women. The projects shall provide— 

18 ‘‘(A) financial assistance, including train19 ing and counseling in how to apply for and se20 cure business credit and investment capital, 

21 preparing and presenting financial statements, 

22 and managing cash flow and other financial op23 erations of a business concern; 

24 ‘‘(B) management assistance, including 

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1 nize, staff, direct, and control each major activ2 ity and function of a small business concern; 

3 and 

4 ‘‘(C) marketing assistance, including train5 ing and counseling in identifying and seg6 menting domestic and international market op7 portunities, preparing and executing marketing 

8 plans, developing pricing strategies, locating 

9 contract opportunities, negotiating contracts, 

10 and utilizing varying public relations and adver11 tising techniques. 

12 ‘‘(2) TIERS.—The Administrator shall provide 

13 assistance under paragraph (1) in three tiers of as14 sistance as follows: 

15 ‘‘(A) The first tier shall be to conduct a 5- 

16 year project in a situation where a project has 

17 not previously been conducted. Such a project 

18 shall be in a total amount of not more than 

19 $150,000 per year. 

20 ‘‘(B) The second tier shall be to conduct a 

21 3-year project in a situation where a first-tier 

22 project is being completed. Such a project shall 

23 be in a total amount of not more than 

24 $100,000 per year. 

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1 ‘‘(C) The third tier shall be to conduct a 

2 3-year project in a situation where a second-tier 

3 project is being completed. Such a project shall 

4 be in a total amount of not more than 

5 $100,000 per year. Third-tier grants are renew6 able subject to established eligibility criteria as 

7 well as criteria in subsection (b)(4). 

8 ‘‘(3) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—Of the amounts 

9 made available for assistance under this subsection, 

10 the Administrator shall allocate— 

11 ‘‘(A) at least 40 percent for first-tier 

12 projects under paragraph (2)(A); 

13 ‘‘(B) 20 percent for second-tier projects 

14 under paragraph (2)(B); and 

15 ‘‘(C) the remainder for third-tier projects 

16 under paragraph (2)(C). 

17 ‘‘(4) BENCHMARKS FOR THIRD-TIER

18 PROJECTS.—In awarding third-tier projects under 

19 paragraph (2)(C), the Administrator shall use 

20 benchmarks based on socio-economic factors in the 

21 community and on the performance of the applicant. 

22 The benchmarks shall include— 

23 ‘‘(A) the total number of women served by 

24 the project; 

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1 ‘‘(B) the proportion of low income women 

2 and socio-economic distribution of clients served 

3 by the project; 

4 ‘‘(C) the proportion of individuals in the 

5 community that are socially or economically dis6 advantaged (based on median income); 

7 ‘‘(D) the future fundraising and service co8 ordination plans; 

9 ‘‘(E) the diversity of services provided; and 

10 ‘‘(F) regional distribution within the 10 

11 districts of the Administration.’’. 

12 SEC. 202. MATCHMAKING FORMULA CHANGE. 

13 Section 29(c)(1) of the Small Business Act (15 

14 U.S.C. 656(c)(1)) is amended— 

15 (1) by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B); and 

16 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(A) For the first and second years of the 

18 project, 1 non-Federal dollar for each 2 Federal 

19 dollars. 

20 ‘‘(B) Each year after the second year of 

21 the project— 

22 ‘‘(i) 1 non-Federal dollar for each 

23 Federal dollar; or 

24 ‘‘(ii) if the center is in a community 

25 at least 50 percent of the population of 

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1 which is below the median income, 1 non2 Federal dollar for each 2 Federal dollars.’’. 

3 SEC. 203. TERMINATION OF FUNDING. 

4 Section 29(c) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 

5 656(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(5) TERMINATION.—An organization that has 

7 conducted a project under this subsection— 

8 ‘‘(A) is not eligible to conduct another such 

9 project; and 

10 ‘‘(B) may continue thereafter to use the 

11 women’s business center logo only with the con12 sent of the Administrator.’’. 

13 SEC. 204. WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER AWARDS TO BE 

14 MADE PUBLIC. 

15 Section 29(g)(2)(B)(ii)(V) of the Small Business Act 

16 (15 U.S.C. 656(g)(2)(B)(ii)(V)) is amended by inserting 

17 before the semicolon at the end the following: ‘‘, and make 

18 available to the public the award made to each applicant 

19 so selected’’. 

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