II 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2397 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 19, 2007 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and 

Entrepreneurship 

AN ACT 

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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

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

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

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

5 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. 

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. 

6 TITLE I—NATIONAL WOMEN’S 

7 BUSINESS COUNCIL 

8 SEC. 101. ANNUAL STUDIES ON PROBLEMS HINDERING THE 

9 SUCCESS OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS. 

10 Section 409 of the Women’s Business Ownership Act 

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

12 (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as sub13 section (c); and 

14 (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol15 lowing: 

16 ‘‘(b) PROBLEMS HINDERING THE SUCCESS OF

17 WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS.—The Council shall conduct at 

18 least one study per year that evaluates the problems hin19 dering the success of women entrepreneurs. The Council 


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1 shall select the topic for the study in consultation with 

2 the Committee on Small Business of the House of Rep3 resentatives and the Committee on Small Business and 

4 Entrepreneurship of the Senate.’’. 

5 SEC. 102. ADDITIONAL PROGRESS REPORTS. 

6 Section 406(d)(4) of the Women’s Business Owner7 ship Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 7106(d)(4)) is amended by 

8 inserting before the semicolon at the end the following: 

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

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

11 Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and 

12 the Committee on Small Business of the House of Rep13 resentatives a report containing a description of, and the 

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

15 TITLE II—WOMEN’S BUSINESS 

16 CENTERS 

17 SEC. 201. REVISED FUNDING FORMULA. 

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

19 656(b)) is amended to read as follows: 

20 ‘‘(b) AUTHORITY.— 

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

22 provide financial assistance to private nonprofit or23 ganizations to conduct projects for the benefit of 

24 small business concerns owned and controlled by 

25 women. The projects shall provide— 


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1 ‘‘(A) financial assistance, including train2 ing and counseling in how to apply for and se3 cure business credit and investment capital, 

4 preparing and presenting financial statements, 

5 and managing cash flow and other financial op6 erations of a business concern; 

7 ‘‘(B) management assistance, including 

8 training and counseling in how to plan, orga9 nize, staff, direct, and control each major activ10 ity and function of a small business concern; 

11 and 

12 ‘‘(C) marketing assistance, including train13 ing and counseling in identifying and seg14 menting domestic and international market op15 portunities, preparing and executing marketing 

16 plans, developing pricing strategies, locating 

17 contract opportunities, negotiating contracts, 

18 and utilizing varying public relations and adver19 tising techniques. 

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

21 assistance under paragraph (1) in three tiers of as22 sistance as follows: 

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

24 year project in a situation where a project has 

25 not previously been conducted. Such a project 


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1 shall be in a total amount of not more than 

2 $150,000 per year. 

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

4 3-year project in a situation where a first-tier 

5 project is being completed. Such a project shall 

6 be in a total amount of not more than 

7 $100,000 per year. 

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

9 3-year project in a situation where a second-tier 

10 project is being completed. Such a project shall 

11 be in a total amount of not more than 

12 $100,000 per year. Third-tier grants are renew13 able subject to established eligibility criteria as 

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

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

16 made available for assistance under this subsection, 

17 the Administrator shall allocate— 

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

19 projects under paragraph (2)(A); 

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

21 under paragraph (2)(B); and 

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

23 under paragraph (2)(C). 

24 ‘‘(4) BENCHMARKS FOR THIRD-TIER

25 PROJECTS.—In awarding third-tier projects under 


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

2 benchmarks based on socio-economic factors in the 

3 community and on the performance of the applicant. 

4 The benchmarks shall include— 

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

6 the project; 

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

8 and socio-economic distribution of clients served 

9 by the project; 

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

11 community that are socially or economically dis12 advantaged (based on median income); 

13 ‘‘(D) the future fundraising and service co14 ordination plans; 

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

16 ‘‘(F) regional distribution within the 10 

17 districts of the Administration.’’. 

18 SEC. 202. MATCHMAKING FORMULA CHANGE. 

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

20 U.S.C. 656(c)(1)) is amended— 

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

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

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

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

25 dollars. 


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

2 the project— 

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

4 Federal dollar; or 

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

6 at least 50 percent of the population of 

7 which is below the median income, 1 non8 Federal dollar for each 2 Federal dollars.’’. 

9 SEC. 203. TERMINATION OF FUNDING. 

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

11 656(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

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

13 conducted a project under this subsection— 

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

15 project; and 

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

17 women’s business center logo only with the con18 sent of the Administrator.’’. 

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

20 MADE PUBLIC. 

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

22 (15 U.S.C. 656(g)(2)(B)(ii)(V)) is amended by inserting 

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


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1 available to the public the award made to each applicant 

2 so selected’’. 

Passed the House of Representatives June 18, 2007. 

Attest: LORRAINE C. MILLER, 

Clerk. 


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