I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4506 

To provide incentives to encourage tribal job creation and economic activity, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 30, 2017 

Mrs. TORRES (for herself, Mr. COLE, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, Mr. KIND, Mr. 

O’HALLERAN, Ms. JACKSON LEE, and Mr. GRIJALVA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, 

and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, and Education and 

the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To provide incentives to encourage tribal job creation and 

economic activity, 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 ‘‘Jobs for Tribes Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

6 The table of contents for this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title. 

Sec. 2. Table of contents. 

TITLE I—INDIAN ECONOMIC ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2017 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 4506 IH

Sec. 101. Short title. 

Sec. 102. Findings. 

Sec. 103. Native American Business Development, Trade Promotion, and Tourism Act of 2000. 

Sec. 104. Buy Indian Act. 

Sec. 105. Native American Programs Act of 1974. 

TITLE II—NATIVE AMERICAN BUSINESS INCUBATORS PROGRAM 

ACT 

Sec. 201. Short title. 

Sec. 202. Findings. 

Sec. 203. Definitions. 

Sec. 204. Establishment of program. 

Sec. 205. Regulations. 

Sec. 206. Schools to business incubator pipeline. 

Sec. 207. Agency partnerships. 

Sec. 208. Authorizations of appropriations. 

TITLE III—INDIGENOUS PEOPLES EXCHANGE AND ECONOMIC 

COOPERATION ACT 

Sec. 301. Short title. 

Sec. 302. Statement of policy. 

Sec. 303. Definitions. 

Sec. 304. Strategy. 

Sec. 305. United States assistance to support indigenous peoples. 

1 TITLE I—INDIAN ECONOMIC 

2 ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2017 

3 SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This title may be cited as the ‘‘Indian Community 

5 Economic Enhancement Act of 2017’’. 

6 SEC. 102. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds that— 

8 (1)(A) to bring industry and economic develop9 ment to Indian communities, Indian tribes must 

10 overcome a number of barriers, including— 

11 (i) geographical location; 

12 (ii) lack of infrastructure or capacity; 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 4506 IH

1 (iii) lack of sufficient collateral and capital; 

2 and 

3 (iv) regulatory bureaucracy relating to— 

4 (I) development; and 

5 (II) access to services provided by the 

6 Federal Government; and 

7 (B) the barriers described in subparagraph (A) 

8 often add to the cost of doing business in Indian 

9 communities; 

10 (2) Indian tribes— 

11 (A) enact laws and exercise sovereign gov12 ernmental powers; 

13 (B) determine policy for the benefit of trib14 al members; and 

15 (C) produce goods and services for con16 sumers; 

17 (3) the Federal Government has— 

18 (A) an important government-to-govern19 ment relationship with Indian tribes; and 

20 (B) a role in facilitating healthy and sus21 tainable tribal economies; 

22 (4) the input of Indian tribes in developing 

23 Federal policy and programs leads to more meaning24 ful and effective measures to assist Indian tribes and 

25 Indian entrepreneurs in building tribal economies; 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 4506 IH

1 (5)(A) many components of tribal infrastruc2 ture need significant repair or replacement; and 

3 (B) access to private capital for projects in In4 dian communities— 

5 (i) may not be available; or 

6 (ii) may come at a higher cost than such 

7 access for other projects; 

8 (6)(A) Federal capital improvement programs, 

9 such as those that facilitate tax-exempt bond financ10 ing and loan guarantees, are tools that help improve 

11 or replace crumbling infrastructure; 

12 (B) lack of parity in treatment of an Indian 

13 tribe as a governmental entity under Federal tax 

14 and certain other regulatory laws impedes, in part, 

15 the ability of Indian tribes to raise capital through 

16 issuance of tax exempt debt, invest as an accredited 

17 investor, and benefit from other investment incen18 tives accorded to State and local governmental enti19 ties; and 

20 (C) as a result of the disparity in treatment of 

21 Indian tribes described in subparagraph (B), inves22 tors may avoid financing, or demand a premium to 

23 finance, projects in Indian communities, making the 

24 projects more costly or inaccessible; 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 4506 IH

1 (7) there are a number of Federal loan guar2 antee programs available to facilitate financing of 

3 business, energy, economic, housing, and community 

4 development projects in Indian communities, and 

5 those programs may support public-private partner6 ships for infrastructure development, but improve7 ments and support are needed for those programs 

8 specific to Indian communities to facilitate more ef9 fectively private financing for infrastructure and 

10 other urgent development needs; and 

11 (8)(A) most real property held by Indian tribes 

12 is trust or restricted land that essentially cannot be 

13 held as collateral; and 

14 (B) while creative solutions, such as leasehold 

15 mortgages, have been developed in response to the 

16 problem identified in subparagraph (A), some solu17 tions remain subject to review and approval by the 

18 Bureau of Indian Affairs, adding additional costs 

19 and delay to tribal projects. 

20 SEC. 103. NATIVE AMERICAN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, 

21 TRADE PROMOTION, AND TOURISM ACT OF 

22 2000. 

23 (a) FINDINGS; PURPOSES.—Section 2 of the Native 

24 American Business Development, Trade Promotion, and 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 4506 IH

1 Tourism Act of 2000 (25 U.S.C. 4301) is amended by 

2 adding at the end the following: 

3 ‘‘(c) APPLICABILITY TO INDIAN-OWNED BUSI4 NESSES.—The findings and purposes in subsections (a) 

5 and (b) shall apply to any Indian-owned business gov6 erned— 

7 ‘‘(1) by tribal laws regulating trade or com8 merce on Indian lands; or 

9 ‘‘(2) pursuant to section 5 of the Act of August 

10 15, 1876 (19 Stat. 200, chapter 289; 25 U.S.C. 

11 261).’’. 

12 (b) DEFINITIONS.—Section 3 of the Native American 

13 Business Development, Trade Promotion, and Tourism 

14 Act of 2000 (25 U.S.C. 4302) is amended— 

15 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through 

16 (6) and paragraphs (7) through (9), as paragraphs 

17 (2) through (7) and paragraphs (9) through (11), 

18 respectively; 

19 (2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as redes20 ignated by paragraph (1)) the following: 

21 ‘‘(1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘Director’ means 

22 the Director of Native American Business Develop23 ment appointed pursuant to section 4(a)(2).’’; and 

24 (3) by inserting after paragraph (7) (as redesig25 nated by paragraph (1)) the following: 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 4506 IH

1 ‘‘(8) OFFICE.—The term ‘Office’ means the Of2 fice of Native American Business Development es3 tablished by section 4(a)(1).’’. 

4 (c) OFFICE OF NATIVE AMERICAN BUSINESS DEVEL5 OPMENT.—Section 4 of the Native American Business De6 velopment, Trade Promotion, and Tourism Act of 2000 

7 (25 U.S.C. 4303) is amended— 

8 (1) in subsection (a)— 

9 (A) in paragraph (1)— 

10 (i) by striking ‘‘Department of Com11 merce’’ and inserting ‘‘Office of the Sec12 retary’’; and 

13 (ii) by striking ‘‘(referred to in this 

14 Act as the ‘Office’)’’; and 

15 (B) in paragraph (2), in the first sentence, 

16 by striking ‘‘(referred to in this Act as the ‘Di17 rector’)’’; and 

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

19 ‘‘(c) DUTIES OF DIRECTOR.— 

20 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall serve 

21 as— 

22 ‘‘(A) the program and policy advisor to the 

23 Secretary with respect to the trust and govern24 mental relationship between the United States 

25 and Indian tribes; and 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 4506 IH

1 ‘‘(B) the point of contact for Indian tribes, 

2 tribal organizations, and Indians regarding— 

3 ‘‘(i) policies and programs of the De4 partment of Commerce; and 

5 ‘‘(ii) other matters relating to eco6 nomic development and doing business in 

7 Indian lands. 

8 ‘‘(2) DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION.—The Di9 rector shall coordinate with all offices and agencies 

10 within the Department of Commerce to ensure that 

11 each office and agency has an accountable process to 

12 ensure— 

13 ‘‘(A) meaningful and timely coordination 

14 and assistance, as required by this Act; and 

15 ‘‘(B) consultation with Indian tribes re16 garding the policies, programs, assistance, and 

17 activities of the offices and agencies. 

18 ‘‘(3) OFFICE OPERATIONS.—There are author19 ized to be appropriated to carry out this section not 

20 more than $2,000,000 for each fiscal year.’’. 

21 (d) INDIAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INITIA22 TIVES.—The Native American Business Development, 

23 Trade Promotion, and Tourism Act of 2000 is amended— 

24 (1) by redesignating section 8 (25 U.S.C. 4307) 

25 as section 10; and 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
9 

•HR 4506 IH

1 (2) by inserting after section 7 (25 U.S.C. 

2 4306) the following: 

3 ‘‘SEC. 8. INDIAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES. 

4 ‘‘(a) INTERAGENCY COORDINATION.—Not later than 

5 1 year after the enactment of this section, the Secretary, 

6 the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of the 

7 Treasury shall coordinate— 

8 ‘‘(1) to develop initiatives that— 

9 ‘‘(A) encourage, promote, and provide edu10 cation regarding investments in Indian commu11 nities through— 

12 ‘‘(i) the loan guarantee program of 

13 Bureau of Indian Affairs under section 

14 201 of the Indian Financing Act of 1974 

15 (25 U.S.C. 1481); 

16 ‘‘(ii) programs carried out using 

17 amounts in the Community Development 

18 Financial Institutions Fund established 

19 under section 104(a) of the Community 

20 Development Banking and Financial Insti21 tutions Act of 1994 (12 U.S.C. 4703(a)); 

22 and 

23 ‘‘(iii) other capital development pro24 grams; 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
10 

•HR 4506 IH

1 ‘‘(B) examine and develop alternatives that 

2 would qualify as collateral for financing in In3 dian communities; and 

4 ‘‘(C) provide entrepreneur and other train5 ing relating to economic development through 

6 tribally controlled colleges and universities and 

7 other Indian organizations with experience in 

8 providing such training; 

9 ‘‘(2) to consult with Indian tribes and with the 

10 Securities and Exchange Commission to determine, 

11 and collaborate to establish, statutory or regulatory 

12 changes necessary to qualify an Indian tribe as an 

13 accredited investor for the purposes of sections 

14 230.500 through 230.508 of title 17, Code of Fed15 eral Regulations (or successor regulations); 

16 ‘‘(3) to identify regulatory, legal, or other bar17 riers to increasing investment, business, and eco18 nomic development, including qualifying or approv19 ing collateral structures, measurements of economic 

20 strength, and contributions of Indian economies in 

21 Indian communities through the Authority estab22 lished under section 4 of the Indian Tribal Regu23 latory Reform and Business Development Act of 

24 2000 (25 U.S.C. 4301 note); 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
11 

•HR 4506 IH

1 ‘‘(4) to ensure consultation with Indian tribes 

2 regarding increasing investment in Indian commu3 nities and the development of the report required in 

4 paragraph (5); and 

5 ‘‘(5) not less than once every 3 years, to pro6 vide a report to Congress regarding improvements to 

7 Indian communities resulting from such initiatives 

8 and recommendations for promoting sustained 

9 growth of the tribal economies. 

10 ‘‘(b) WAIVER.—For assistance provided pursuant to 

11 section 108 of the Community Development Banking and 

12 Financial Institutions Act of 1994 (12 U.S.C. 4707) to 

13 benefit Native Community Development Financial Institu14 tions, as defined by the Secretary of the Treasury, section 

15 108(e) of such Act shall not apply. 

16 ‘‘(c) INDIAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FEASIBILITY

17 STUDY.— 

18 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Government Account19 ability Office shall conduct a study and, not later 

20 than 18 months after the date of enactment of this 

21 subsection, submit to the Committee on Indian Af22 fairs of the Senate and the Committee on Natural 

23 Resources of the House of Representatives a report 

24 on the findings of the study and recommendations. 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
12 

•HR 4506 IH

1 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The study shall include an 

2 assessment of each of the following: 

3 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The study shall assess 

4 current Federal capitalization and related pro5 grams and services that are available to assist 

6 Indian communities with business and economic 

7 development, including manufacturing, physical 

8 infrastructure (such as telecommunications and 

9 broadband), community development, and facili10 ties construction for such purposes. For each of 

11 the Federal programs and services identified, 

12 the study shall assess the current use and de13 mand by Indian tribes, individuals, businesses, 

14 and communities of the programs, the capital 

15 needs of Indian tribes, businesses, and commu16 nities related to economic development, and the 

17 extent that similar programs have been used to 

18 assist non-Indian communities compared to the 

19 extent used for Indian communities. 

20 ‘‘(B) FINANCING ASSISTANCE.—The study 

21 shall assess and quantify the extent of assist22 ance provided to non-Indian borrowers and to 

23 Indian (both tribal and individual) borrowers 

24 through the loan programs, the loan guarantee 

25 programs, or bond guarantee programs of the— 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
13 

•HR 4506 IH

1 ‘‘(i) Department of the Interior; 

2 ‘‘(ii) Department of Agriculture; 

3 ‘‘(iii) Department of Housing and 

4 Urban Development; 

5 ‘‘(iv) Department of Energy; 

6 ‘‘(v) Small Business Administration; 

7 and 

8 ‘‘(vi) Community Development Finan9 cial Institutions Fund of the Department 

10 of the Treasury. 

11 ‘‘(C) TAX INCENTIVES.—The study shall 

12 assess and quantify the extent of the assistance 

13 and allocations afforded for non-Indian projects 

14 and for Indian projects pursuant to each of the 

15 following tax incentive programs: 

16 ‘‘(i) New market tax credit. 

17 ‘‘(ii) Low income housing tax credit. 

18 ‘‘(iii) Investment tax credit. 

19 ‘‘(iv) Renewable energy tax incentives. 

20 ‘‘(v) Accelerated depreciation. 

21 ‘‘(D) TRIBAL INVESTMENT INCENTIVE.— 

22 The study shall assess various alternative incen23 tives that could be provided to enable and en24 courage tribal governments to invest in an InVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:17 Dec 05, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4506.IH H4506

dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
14 

•HR 4506 IH

1 dian community development investment fund 

2 or bank.’’. 

3 SEC. 104. BUY INDIAN ACT. 

4 Section 23 of the Act of June 25, 1910 (commonly 

5 known as the ‘‘Buy Indian Act’’) (36 Stat. 861, chapter 

6 431; 25 U.S.C. 47), is amended to read as follows: 

7 ‘‘SEC. 23. EMPLOYMENT OF INDIAN LABOR AND PURCHASE 

8 OF PRODUCTS OF INDIAN INDUSTRY; PAR9 TICIPATION IN MENTOR-PROTEGE PROGRAM. 

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

11 ‘‘(1) INDIAN ECONOMIC ENTERPRISE.—The 

12 term ‘Indian economic enterprise’ has the meaning 

13 given the term in section 1480.201 of title 48, Code 

14 of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations). 

15 ‘‘(2) MENTOR FIRM; PROTEGE FIRM.—The 

16 terms ‘mentor firm’ and ‘protege firm’ have the 

17 meanings given those terms in section 831(c) of the 

18 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 

19 1991 (10 U.S.C. 2302 note; Public Law 101–510). 

20 ‘‘(3) SECRETARIES.—The term ‘Secretaries’ 

21 means— 

22 ‘‘(A) the Secretary of the Interior; and 

23 ‘‘(B) the Secretary of Health and Human 

24 Services. 

25 ‘‘(b) ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT.— 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
15 

•HR 4506 IH

1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Unless determined by one 

2 of the Secretaries to be impracticable and unreason3 able— 

4 ‘‘(A) Indian labor shall be employed; and 

5 ‘‘(B) purchases of Indian industry prod6 ucts (including printing and facilities construc7 tion, notwithstanding any other provision of 

8 law) may be made in open market by the Secre9 taries. 

10 ‘‘(2) MENTOR-PROTEGE PROGRAM.— 

11 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Participation in the 

12 Mentor-Protege Program established under sec13 tion 831(a) of the National Defense Authoriza14 tion Act for Fiscal Year 1991 (10 U.S.C. 2302 

15 note; Public Law 101–510) or receipt of assist16 ance under a developmental assistance agree17 ment under that program shall not render any 

18 individual or entity involved in the provision of 

19 Indian labor or an Indian industry product in20 eligible to receive assistance under this section. 

21 ‘‘(B) TREATMENT.—For purposes of this 

22 section, no determination of affiliation or con23 trol (whether direct or indirect) may be found 

24 between a protege firm and a mentor firm on 

25 the basis that the mentor firm has provided, or 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
16 

•HR 4506 IH

1 agreed to provide, to the protege firm, pursuant 

2 to a mentor-protege agreement, any form of de3 velopmental assistance described in section 

4 831(f) of the National Defense Authorization 

5 Act for Fiscal Year 1991 (10 U.S.C. 2302 note; 

6 Public Law 101–510). 

7 ‘‘(c) IMPLEMENTATION.—In carrying out this sec8 tion, the Secretaries shall— 

9 ‘‘(1) conduct outreach to Indian industrial enti10 ties; 

11 ‘‘(2) provide training; 

12 ‘‘(3) promulgate regulations in accordance with 

13 this section and with the regulations under part 

14 1480 of title 48, Code of Federal Regulations (or 

15 successor regulations), to harmonize the procure16 ment procedures of the Department of the Interior 

17 and the Department of Health and Human Services, 

18 to the maximum extent practicable; 

19 ‘‘(4) require regional offices of the Bureau of 

20 Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service to ag21 gregate data regarding compliance with this section; 

22 ‘‘(5) require procurement management reviews 

23 by their respective Departments to include a review 

24 of the implementation of this section; and 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
17 

•HR 4506 IH

1 ‘‘(6) consult with Indian tribes, Indian indus2 trial entities, and other stakeholders regarding meth3 ods to facilitate compliance with— 

4 ‘‘(A) this section; and 

5 ‘‘(B) other small business or procurement 

6 goals. 

7 ‘‘(d) REPORT.— 

8 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 

9 the date of enactment of this subsection, and not 

10 less frequently than once every 2 years thereafter, 

11 each of the Secretaries shall submit to the Com12 mittee on Indian Affairs of the Senate and the Com13 mittee on Natural Resources of the House of Rep14 resentatives a report describing, during the period 

15 covered by the report, the implementation of this 

16 section by each of the respective Secretaries. 

17 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—Each report under this sub18 section shall include, for each fiscal year during the 

19 period covered by the report— 

20 ‘‘(A) the names of each agency under the 

21 respective jurisdiction of each of the Secretaries 

22 to which this section has been applied, and ef23 forts made by additional agencies within the 

24 Secretaries’ respective Departments to use the 

25 procurement procedures under this Act; 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
18 

•HR 4506 IH

1 ‘‘(B) a summary of the types of purchases 

2 made from, and contracts (including any rel3 evant modifications, extensions, or renewals) 

4 awarded to, Indian economic enterprises, ex5 pressed by agency region; 

6 ‘‘(C) a description of the percentage in7 crease or decrease in total dollar value and 

8 number of purchases and awards made within 

9 each agency region, as compared to the totals 

10 of the region for the preceding fiscal year; 

11 ‘‘(D) a description of the methods used by 

12 applicable contracting officers and employees to 

13 conduct market searches to identify qualified 

14 Indian economic enterprises; 

15 ‘‘(E) a summary of all deviations granted 

16 under section 1480.403 of title 48, Code of 

17 Federal Regulations (or successor regulations), 

18 including a description of— 

19 ‘‘(i) the types of alternative procure20 ment methods used, including any Indian 

21 owned businesses reported under other 

22 procurement goals; and 

23 ‘‘(ii) the dollar value of any awards 

24 made pursuant to those deviations; 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
19 

•HR 4506 IH

1 ‘‘(F) a summary of all determinations 

2 made to provide awards to Indian economic en3 terprises, including a description of the dollar 

4 value of the awards; 

5 ‘‘(G) a description or summary of the total 

6 number and value of all purchases of, and con7 tracts awarded for, supplies, services, and con8 struction (including the percentage increase or 

9 decrease, as compared to the preceding fiscal 

10 year) from— 

11 ‘‘(i) Indian economic enterprises; and 

12 ‘‘(ii) non-Indian economic enterprises; 

13 and 

14 ‘‘(H) any administrative, procedural, legal, 

15 or other barriers to achieving the purposes of 

16 this section, together with recommendations for 

17 legislative or administrative actions to address 

18 those barriers. 

19 ‘‘(e) GOALS.—Each agency shall establish an annual 

20 minimum percentage goal for procurement in compliance 

21 with this section.’’. 

22 SEC. 105. NATIVE AMERICAN PROGRAMS ACT OF 1974. 

23 (a) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR NATIVE AMERICAN

24 PROJECTS.—Section 803 of the Native American Pro25 grams Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 2991b) is amended— 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
20 

•HR 4506 IH

1 (1) by redesignating subsections (b) through (d) 

2 as subsections (c) through (e), respectively; and 

3 (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol4 lowing: 

5 ‘‘(b) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.— 

6 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commissioner may 

7 provide assistance under subsection (a) for projects 

8 relating to the purposes of this title to a Native com9 munity development financial institution, as defined 

10 by the Secretary of the Treasury. 

11 ‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—With regard to not less than 

12 50 percent of the total amount available for assist13 ance under this section, the Commissioner shall give 

14 priority to any application seeking assistance for— 

15 ‘‘(A) the development of a tribal code or 

16 court system for purposes of economic develop17 ment, including commercial codes, training for 

18 court personnel, regulation pursuant to section 

19 5 of the Act of August 15, 1876 (19 Stat. 200, 

20 chapter 289; 25 U.S.C. 261), and the develop21 ment of nonprofit subsidiaries or other tribal 

22 business structures; 

23 ‘‘(B) the development of a community de24 velopment financial institution, including train25 ing and administrative expenses; or 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
21 

•HR 4506 IH

1 ‘‘(C) the development of a tribal master 

2 plan for community and economic development 

3 and infrastructure.’’. 

4 (b) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING.—Sec5 tion 804 of the Native American Programs Act of 1974 

6 (42 U.S.C. 2991c) is amended— 

7 (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 

8 striking ‘‘The Commissioner’’ and inserting the fol9 lowing: 

10 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Commissioner’’; and 

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

12 ‘‘(b) PRIORITY.—In providing assistance under sub13 section (a), the Commissioner shall give priority to any 

14 application described in section 803(b)(2).’’. 

15 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 

16 816 of the Native American Programs Act of 1974 (42 

17 U.S.C. 2992d) is amended— 

18 (1) by striking ‘‘803(d)’’ each place it appears 

19 and inserting ‘‘803(e)’’; and 

20 (2) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘1999, 2000, 

21 2001, and 2002’’ and inserting ‘‘2018 through 

22 2022’’. 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
22 

•HR 4506 IH

1 TITLE II—NATIVE AMERICAN 

2 BUSINESS INCUBATORS PRO3 GRAM ACT 

4 SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE. 

5 This title may be cited as the ‘‘Native American Busi6 ness Incubators Program Act’’. 

7 SEC. 202. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds that— 

9 (1) entrepreneurs face specific challenges when 

10 transforming ideas into profitable business enter11 prises; 

12 (2) entrepreneurs that want to provide products 

13 and services in reservation communities face an ad14 ditional set of challenges that requires special knowl15 edge; 

16 (3) a business incubator is an organization that 

17 assists entrepreneurs in navigating obstacles that 

18 prevent innovative ideas from becoming viable busi19 nesses by providing services that include— 

20 (A) workspace and facilities resources; 

21 (B) access to capital, business education, 

22 and counseling; 

23 (C) networking opportunities; 

24 (D) mentorship opportunities; and 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
23 

•HR 4506 IH

1 (E) an environment intended to help estab2 lish and expand business operations; 

3 (4) the business incubator model is suited to ac4 celerating entrepreneurship in reservation commu5 nities because the business incubator model pro6 motes collaboration to address shared challenges and 

7 provides individually tailored services for the purpose 

8 of overcoming obstacles unique to each participating 

9 business; and 

10 (5) business incubators will stimulate economic 

11 development by providing Native entrepreneurs with 

12 the tools necessary to grow businesses that offer 

13 products and services to reservation communities. 

14 SEC. 203. DEFINITIONS. 

15 In this title: 

16 (1) BUSINESS INCUBATOR.—The term ‘‘busi17 ness incubator’’ means an organization that— 

18 (A) provides physical workspace and facili19 ties resources to startups and established busi20 nesses; and 

21 (B) is designed to accelerate the growth 

22 and success of businesses through a variety of 

23 business support resources and services, includ24 ing— 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
24 

•HR 4506 IH

1 (i) access to capital, business edu2 cation, and counseling; 

3 (ii) networking opportunities; 

4 (iii) mentorship opportunities; and 

5 (iv) other services intended to aid in 

6 developing a business. 

7 (2) ELIGIBLE APPLICANT.—The term ‘‘eligible 

8 applicant’’ means an applicant eligible to apply for 

9 a grant under section 4(b). 

10 (3) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ 

11 has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 

12 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 

13 Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 

14 (4) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 

15 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 

16 meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher 

17 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 

18 (5) NATIVE AMERICAN; NATIVE.—The terms 

19 ‘‘Native American’’ and ‘‘Native’’ have the meaning 

20 given the term ‘‘Indian’’ in section 4 of the Indian 

21 Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act 

22 (25 U.S.C. 5304). 

23 (6) NATIVE BUSINESS.—The term ‘‘Native 

24 business’’ means a business concern that is at least 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
25 

•HR 4506 IH

1 51-percent owned and controlled by one or more Na2 tive Americans. 

3 (7) NATIVE ENTREPRENEUR.—The term ‘‘Na4 tive entrepreneur’’ means an entrepreneur who is a 

5 Native American. 

6 (8) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘program’’ means 

7 the program established under section 4(a). 

8 (9) RESERVATION.—The term ‘‘reservation’’ 

9 has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the 

10 Indian Financing Act of 1974 (25 U.S.C. 1452). 

11 (10) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ 

12 means the Secretary of the Interior. 

13 (11) TRIBAL COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.—The 

14 term ‘‘tribal college or university’’ has the meaning 

15 given the term ‘‘Tribal College or University’’ in sec16 tion 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

17 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)). 

18 SEC. 204. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 

20 program in the Office of Indian Energy and Economic De21 velopment under which the Secretary shall provide finan22 cial assistance in the form of competitive grants to eligible 

23 applicants for the establishment and operation of business 

24 incubators that serve reservation communities by proVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:17 Dec 05, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4506.IH H4506

dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
26 

•HR 4506 IH

1 viding business incubation and other business services to 

2 Native businesses and Native entrepreneurs. 

3 (b) ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a 

5 grant under the program, an applicant shall— 

6 (A) be— 

7 (i) an Indian tribe; 

8 (ii) a tribal college or university; 

9 (iii) an institution of higher education; 

10 or 

11 (iv) a private nonprofit organization 

12 or tribal nonprofit organization that— 

13 (I) provides business and finan14 cial technical assistance; and 

15 (II) will commit to serving one or 

16 more reservation communities; 

17 (B) be able to provide the physical work18 space, equipment, and connectivity necessary 

19 for Native businesses and Native entrepreneurs 

20 to collaborate and conduct business on a local, 

21 regional, national, and international level; and 

22 (C) in the case of an entity described in 

23 clauses (ii) through (iv) of subparagraph (A), 

24 have been operational for not less than 1 year 

25 before receiving a grant under the program. 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
27 

•HR 4506 IH

1 (2) JOINT PROJECT.— 

2 (A) IN GENERAL.—Two or more entities 

3 may submit a joint application for a project 

4 that combines the resources and expertise of 

5 those entities at a physical location dedicated to 

6 assisting Native businesses and Native entre7 preneurs under the program. 

8 (B) CONTENTS.—A joint application sub9 mitted under subparagraph (A) shall— 

10 (i) contain a certification that each 

11 participant of the joint project is one of 

12 the eligible entities described in paragraph 

13 (1)(A); and 

14 (ii) demonstrate that together the par15 ticipants meet the requirements of sub16 paragraphs (B) and (C) of paragraph (1). 

17 (c) APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS.— 

18 (1) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—Each eligi19 ble applicant desiring a grant under the program 

20 shall submit to the Secretary an application at such 

21 time, in such manner, and containing such informa22 tion as the Secretary may require, including— 

23 (A) a certification that the applicant— 

24 (i) is an eligible applicant; 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
28 

•HR 4506 IH

1 (ii) will designate an executive direc2 tor or program manager, if such director 

3 or manager has not been designated, to 

4 manage the business incubator; and 

5 (iii) agrees— 

6 (I) to a site evaluation by the 

7 Secretary as part of the final selection 

8 process; 

9 (II) to an annual programmatic 

10 and financial examination for the du11 ration of the grant; and 

12 (III) to the maximum extent 

13 practicable, to remedy any problems 

14 identified pursuant to the site evalua15 tion under subclause (I) or an exam16 ination under subclause (II); 

17 (B) a description of the one or more res18 ervation communities to be served by the busi19 ness incubator; 

20 (C) a 3-year plan that describes— 

21 (i) the number of Native businesses 

22 and Native entrepreneurs to be partici23 pating in the business incubator; 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
29 

•HR 4506 IH

1 (ii) whether the business incubator 

2 will focus on a particular type of business 

3 or industry; 

4 (iii) a detailed breakdown of the serv5 ices to be offered to Native businesses and 

6 Native entrepreneurs participating in the 

7 business incubator; and 

8 (iv) a detailed breakdown of the serv9 ices, if any, to be offered to Native busi10 nesses and Native entrepreneurs not par11 ticipating in the business incubator; 

12 (D) information demonstrating the effec13 tiveness and experience of the eligible applicant 

14 in— 

15 (i) conducting financial, management, 

16 and marketing assistance programs de17 signed to educate or improve the business 

18 skills of current or prospective businesses; 

19 (ii) working in and providing services 

20 to Native American communities; 

21 (iii) providing assistance to entities 

22 conducting business in reservation commu23 nities; 

24 (iv) providing technical assistance 

25 under Federal business and entrepreVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:17 Dec 05, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4506.IH H4506

dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
30 

•HR 4506 IH

1 neurial development programs for which 

2 Native businesses and Native entre3 preneurs are eligible; and 

4 (v) managing finances and staff effec5 tively; and 

6 (E) a site description of the location at 

7 which the eligible applicant will provide physical 

8 workspace, including a description of the tech9 nologies, equipment, and other resources that 

10 will be available to Native businesses and Na11 tive entrepreneurs participating in the business 

12 incubator. 

13 (2) EVALUATION CONSIDERATIONS.— 

14 (A) IN GENERAL.—In evaluating each ap15 plication, the Secretary shall consider— 

16 (i) the ability of the eligible appli17 cant— 

18 (I) to operate a business incu19 bator that effectively imparts entre20 preneurship and business skills to Na21 tive businesses and Native entre22 preneurs, as demonstrated by the ex23 perience and qualifications of the eli24 gible applicant; 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
31 

•HR 4506 IH

1 (II) to commence providing serv2 ices within a minimum period of time, 

3 to be determined by the Secretary; 

4 and 

5 (III) to provide quality incuba6 tion services to a significant number 

7 of Native businesses and Native entre8 preneurs; 

9 (ii) the experience of the eligible appli10 cant in providing services in Native Amer11 ican communities, including in the one or 

12 more reservation communities described in 

13 the application; and 

14 (iii) the proposed location of the busi15 ness incubator. 

16 (B) PRIORITY.— 

17 (i) IN GENERAL.—In evaluating the 

18 proposed location of the business incubator 

19 under subparagraph (A)(iii), the Secretary 

20 shall— 

21 (I) consider the program goal of 

22 achieving broad geographic distribu23 tion of business incubators; and 

24 (II) except as provided in clause 

25 (ii), give priority to eligible applicants 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
32 

•HR 4506 IH

1 that will provide business incubation 

2 services on or near the reservation of 

3 the one or more communities that 

4 were described in the application. 

5 (ii) EXCEPTION.—The Secretary may 

6 give priority to an eligible applicant that is 

7 not located on or near the reservation of 

8 the one or more communities that were de9 scribed in the application if the Secretary 

10 determines that— 

11 (I) the location of the business 

12 incubator will not prevent the eligible 

13 applicant from providing quality busi14 ness incubation services to Native 

15 businesses and Native entrepreneurs 

16 from the one or more reservation com17 munities to be served; and 

18 (II) siting the business incubator 

19 in the identified location will serve the 

20 interests of the one or more reserva21 tion communities to be served. 

22 (3) SITE EVALUATION.— 

23 (A) IN GENERAL.—Before making a grant 

24 to an eligible applicant, the Secretary shall con25 duct a site visit, evaluate a video submission, or 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
33 

•HR 4506 IH

1 evaluate a written site proposal (if the applicant 

2 is not yet in possession of the site) of the pro3 posed site to ensure the proposed site will per4 mit the eligible applicant to meet the require5 ments of the program. 

6 (B) WRITTEN SITE PROPOSAL.—A written 

7 site proposal shall meet the requirements de8 scribed in paragraph (1)(E) and contain— 

9 (i) sufficient detail for the Secretary 

10 to ensure in the absence of a site visit or 

11 video submission that the proposed site will 

12 permit the eligible applicant to meet the 

13 requirements of the program; and 

14 (ii) a timeline describing when the eli15 gible applicant will be— 

16 (I) in possession of the proposed 

17 site; and 

18 (II) operating the business incu19 bator at the proposed site. 

20 (C) FOLLOWUP.—Not later than 1 year 

21 after awarding a grant to an eligible applicant 

22 that submits an application with a written site 

23 proposal, the Secretary shall conduct a site visit 

24 or evaluate a video submission of the site to enVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:17 Dec 05, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4506.IH H4506

dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
34 

•HR 4506 IH

1 sure the site is consistent with the written site 

2 proposal. 

3 (d) ADMINISTRATION.— 

4 (1) DURATION.—Each grant awarded under the 

5 program shall be for a term of 3 years. 

6 (2) PAYMENT.— 

7 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

8 subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall disburse 

9 grant funds awarded to an eligible applicant in 

10 annual installments. 

11 (B) MORE FREQUENT DISBURSEMENTS.— 

12 On request by the applicant, the Secretary may 

13 make disbursements of grant funds more fre14 quently than annually, on the condition that 

15 disbursements shall be made not more fre16 quently than quarterly. 

17 (3) NON-FEDERAL CONTRIBUTIONS FOR INI18 TIAL ASSISTANCE.— 

19 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

20 subparagraph (B), an eligible applicant that re21 ceives a grant under the program shall provide 

22 non-Federal contributions in an amount equal 

23 to not less than 25 percent of the grant amount 

24 disbursed each year. 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
35 

•HR 4506 IH

1 (B) WAIVER.—The Secretary may waive, 

2 in whole or in part, the requirements of sub3 paragraph (A) with respect to an eligible appli4 cant if, after considering the ability of the eligi5 ble applicant to provide non-Federal contribu6 tions, the Secretary determines that— 

7 (i) the proposed business incubator 

8 will provide quality business incubation 

9 services; and 

10 (ii) the one or more reservation com11 munities to be served are unlikely to re12 ceive similar services because of remote13 ness or other reasons that inhibit the pro14 vision of business and entrepreneurial de15 velopment services. 

16 (4) RENEWALS.— 

17 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may 

18 renew a grant award under the program for a 

19 term not to exceed 3 years. 

20 (B) CONSIDERATIONS.—In determining 

21 whether to renew a grant award, the Secretary 

22 shall consider with respect to the eligible appli23 cant— 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
36 

•HR 4506 IH

1 (i) the results of the annual evalua2 tions of the eligible applicant under sub3 section (f)(1); 

4 (ii) the performance of the business 

5 incubator of the eligible applicant, as com6 pared to the performance of other business 

7 incubators receiving assistance under the 

8 program; 

9 (iii) whether the eligible applicant con10 tinues to be eligible for the program; and 

11 (iv) the evaluation considerations for 

12 initial awards under subsection (c)(2). 

13 (C) NON-FEDERAL CONTRIBUTIONS FOR

14 RENEWALS.— 

15 (i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided 

16 in clause (ii), an eligible applicant that re17 ceives a grant renewal under subparagraph 

18 (A) shall provide non-Federal contributions 

19 in an amount equal to not less than 33 

20 percent of the total amount of the grant. 

21 (ii) WAIVER.—The Secretary may 

22 waive, in whole or in part, the require23 ments of clause (i) with respect to an eligi24 ble applicant if, after considering the abil25 ity of the eligible applicant to provide nonVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:17 Dec 05, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00036 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4506.IH H4506

dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
37 

•HR 4506 IH

1 Federal contributions, the Secretary deter2 mines that— 

3 (I) the business incubator has 

4 provided and will continue to provide 

5 quality business incubation services to 

6 the one or more reservation commu7 nities served by the business incu8 bator; 

9 (II) the one or more reservation 

10 communities served by the business 

11 incubator have benefitted and will 

12 continue to benefit from the services 

13 of the business incubator; and 

14 (III) the one or more reservation 

15 communities to be served are unlikely 

16 to receive similar services because of 

17 remoteness or other reasons that in18 hibit the provision of business and en19 trepreneurial development services. 

20 (e) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.— 

21 (1) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible applicant re22 ceiving a grant under the program may use grant 

23 amounts— 

24 (A) to provide physical workspace and fa25 cilities for Native businesses and Native entreVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:17 Dec 05, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00037 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4506.IH H4506

dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
38 

•HR 4506 IH

1 preneurs participating in the business incu2 bator; 

3 (B) to establish partnerships with other in4 stitutions and entities to provide comprehensive 

5 business incubation services to Native busi6 nesses and Native entrepreneurs participating 

7 in the business incubator; and 

8 (C) for any other uses typically associated 

9 with business incubators that the Secretary de10 termines to be appropriate and consistent with 

11 the purposes of the program. 

12 (2) MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.—Each eligible 

13 applicant receiving a grant under the program 

14 shall— 

15 (A) offer culturally tailored incubation 

16 services to Native businesses and Native entre17 preneurs; 

18 (B) use a competitive process for selecting 

19 Native businesses and Native entrepreneurs to 

20 participate in the business incubator; 

21 (C) provide physical workspace that per22 mits Native businesses and Native entre23 preneurs to conduct business and collaborate 

24 with other Native businesses and Native entre25 preneurs; 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
39 

•HR 4506 IH

1 (D) provide entrepreneurship and business 

2 skills training and education to Native busi3 nesses and Native entrepreneurs including— 

4 (i) financial education, including 

5 training and counseling in— 

6 (I) applying for and securing 

7 business credit and investment cap8 ital; 

9 (II) preparing and presenting fi10 nancial statements; and 

11 (III) managing cash flow and 

12 other financial operations of a busi13 ness; 

14 (ii) management education, including 

15 training and counseling in planning, orga16 nization, staffing, directing, and controlling 

17 each major activity or function of a busi18 ness or startup; and 

19 (iii) marketing education, including 

20 training and counseling in— 

21 (I) identifying and segmenting 

22 domestic and international market op23 portunities; 

24 (II) preparing and executing 

25 marketing plans; 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
40 

•HR 4506 IH

1 (III) locating contract opportuni2 ties; 

3 (IV) negotiating contracts; and 

4 (V) using varying public relations 

5 and advertising techniques; 

6 (E) provide direct mentorship or assistance 

7 finding mentors in the industry in which the 

8 Native business or Native entrepreneur operates 

9 or intends to operate; and 

10 (F) provide access to networks of potential 

11 investors, professionals in the same or similar 

12 fields, and other business owners with similar 

13 businesses. 

14 (3) TECHNOLOGY.—Each eligible applicant 

15 shall leverage technology to the maximum extent 

16 practicable to provide Native businesses and Native 

17 entrepreneurs with access to the connectivity tools 

18 needed to compete and thrive in 21st-century mar19 kets. 

20 (f) OVERSIGHT.— 

21 (1) ANNUAL EVALUATIONS.—Not later than 1 

22 year after the date on which the Secretary awards 

23 a grant to an eligible applicant under the program, 

24 and annually thereafter for the duration of the 

25 grant, the Secretary shall conduct an evaluation of, 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
41 

•HR 4506 IH

1 and prepare a report on, the eligible applicant, which 

2 shall— 

3 (A) describe the performance of the eligible 

4 applicant; and 

5 (B) be used in determining the ongoing eli6 gibility of the eligible applicant. 

7 (2) ANNUAL REPORT.— 

8 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year 

9 after the date on which the Secretary awards a 

10 grant to an eligible applicant under the pro11 gram, and annually thereafter for the duration 

12 of the grant, each eligible applicant receiving an 

13 award under the program shall submit to the 

14 Secretary a report describing the services the 

15 eligible applicant provided under the program 

16 during the preceding year. 

17 (B) REPORT CONTENT.—The report de18 scribed in subparagraph (A) shall include— 

19 (i) a detailed breakdown of the Native 

20 businesses and Native entrepreneurs re21 ceiving services from the business incu22 bator, including, for the year covered by 

23 the report— 

24 (I) the number of Native busi25 nesses and Native entrepreneurs parVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:17 Dec 05, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4506.IH H4506

dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
42 

•HR 4506 IH

1 ticipating in or receiving services from 

2 the business incubator and the types 

3 of services provided to those Native 

4 businesses and Native entrepreneurs; 

5 (II) the number of Native busi6 nesses and Native entrepreneurs es7 tablished and jobs created or main8 tained; and 

9 (III) the performance of Native 

10 businesses and Native entrepreneurs 

11 while participating in the business in12 cubator and after graduation or de13 parture from the business incubator; 

14 and 

15 (ii) any other information the Sec16 retary may require to evaluate the per17 formance of a business incubator to ensure 

18 appropriate implementation of the pro19 gram. 

20 (C) LIMITATIONS.—To the maximum ex21 tent practicable, the Secretary shall not require 

22 an eligible applicant to report under subpara23 graph (A) information provided to the Secretary 

24 by the eligible applicant under other programs. 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
43 

•HR 4506 IH

1 (D) COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall 

2 coordinate with the heads of other Federal 

3 agencies to ensure that, to the maximum extent 

4 practicable, the report content and form under 

5 subparagraphs (A) and (B) are consistent with 

6 other reporting requirements for Federal pro7 grams that provide business and entrepre8 neurial assistance. 

9 (3) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 

10 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years 

11 after the date on which the Secretary first 

12 awards funding under the program, and bienni13 ally thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to 

14 the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate 

15 and the Committee on Natural Resources of the 

16 House of Representatives a report on the per17 formance and effectiveness of the program. 

18 (B) CONTENTS.—Each report submitted 

19 under subparagraph (A) shall— 

20 (i) account for each program year; 

21 and 

22 (ii) include with respect to each busi23 ness incubator receiving grant funds under 

24 the program— 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
44 

•HR 4506 IH

1 (I) the number of Native busi2 nesses and Native entrepreneurs that 

3 received business incubation or other 

4 services; 

5 (II) the number of businesses es6 tablished with the assistance of the 

7 business incubator; 

8 (III) the number of jobs estab9 lished or maintained by Native busi10 nesses and Native entrepreneurs re11 ceiving business incubation services, 

12 including a description of where the 

13 jobs are located with respect to res14 ervation communities; 

15 (IV) to the maximum extent 

16 practicable, the amount of capital in17 vestment and loan financing accessed 

18 by Native businesses and Native en19 trepreneurs receiving business incuba20 tion services; and 

21 (V) an evaluation of the overall 

22 performance of the business incu23 bator. 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
45 

•HR 4506 IH

1 SEC. 205. REGULATIONS. 

2 Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 

3 of this title, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations to 

4 implement the program. 

5 SEC. 206. SCHOOLS TO BUSINESS INCUBATOR PIPELINE. 

6 The Secretary shall facilitate the establishment of re7 lationships between eligible applicants receiving funds 

8 through the program and educational institutions serving 

9 Native American communities, including tribal colleges 

10 and universities. 

11 SEC. 207. AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS. 

12 The Secretary shall coordinate with the Secretary of 

13 Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of 

14 the Treasury, and the Administrator of the Small Busi15 ness Administration to ensure, to the maximum extent 

16 practicable, that business incubators receiving grant funds 

17 under the program have the information and materials 

18 needed to provide Native businesses and Native entre19 preneurs with the information and assistance necessary to 

20 apply for business and entrepreneurial development pro21 grams administered by the Department of Agriculture, the 

22 Department of Commerce, the Department of the Treas23 ury, and the Small Business Administration. 

24 SEC. 208. AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

25 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

26 the program— 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
46 

•HR 4506 IH

1 (1) for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2023, 

2 $5,000,000; and 

3 (2) for fiscal year 2024 and each fiscal year 

4 thereafter, such sums as may be necessary. 

5 TITLE III—INDIGENOUS PEO6 PLES EXCHANGE AND ECO7 NOMIC COOPERATION ACT 

8 SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE. 

9 This title may be cited as the ‘‘Indigenous Peoples 

10 Exchange and Economic Cooperation Act’’. 

11 SEC. 302. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

12 It shall be the policy of the United States to facilitate 

13 contacts and cooperation, including commercial relation14 ships, between Native American tribes and indigenous 

15 peoples in the Western Hemisphere. 

16 SEC. 303. DEFINITIONS. 

17 In this title: 

18 (1) NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES.—The term 

19 ‘‘Native American tribe’’ means any federally recog20 nized tribe. 

21 (2) INDIGENOUS PEOPLES.—The term ‘‘indige22 nous peoples’’ means peoples residing in foreign 

23 countries in the Western Hemisphere who have his24 torical ties to a particular territory and are culVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:17 Dec 05, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00046 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4506.IH H4506

dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
47 

•HR 4506 IH

1 turally or historically distinct from the politically 

2 dominant population. 

3 SEC. 304. STRATEGY. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

5 date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall sub6 mit to the appropriate congressional committees a strat7 egy, in consultation with the individuals listed in sub8 section (b), to promote and facilitate— 

9 (1) cross-investments between Native American 

10 tribes and indigenous peoples in tribal businesses 

11 and commercial enterprises that involve indigenous 

12 peoples, such as sustainable natural resource man13 agement, agricultural development, or handicraft 

14 production; and 

15 (2) the development of supply chains for United 

16 States entities that include products produced by 

17 Native American tribes and indigenous peoples. 

18 (b) CONSULTATION REQUIRED.—The individuals list19 ed in this subsection are the following: 

20 (1) The Secretary of Commerce. 

21 (2) The Secretary of State. 

22 (3) The Secretary of the Interior. 

23 (4) The United States Trade Representative. 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
48 

•HR 4506 IH

1 (5) The Administrator and the Advisor for In2 digenous Peoples Issues of the United States Agency 

3 for International Development. 

4 (6) The President of the Overseas Private In5 vestment Corporation. 

6 (7) The Chief Executive Officer of the Millen7 nium Challenge Corporation. 

8 (8) The President of the Inter-American Foun9 dation. 

10 (9) Representatives of Native American tribes. 

11 (10) Representatives of civil society organiza12 tions advocating for the rights or interests of indige13 nous peoples. 

14 (c) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.— 

15 In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com16 mittees’’ means— 

17 (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 

18 Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 

19 Representatives; and 

20 (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the 

21 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and 

22 the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate. 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
49 

•HR 4506 IH

1 SEC. 305. UNITED STATES ASSISTANCE TO SUPPORT INDIG2 ENOUS PEOPLES. 

3 In order to improve the capacity of indigenous peo4 ples to engage in and benefit from increased trade and 

5 investment relationships, the Secretary of State shall— 

6 (1) consult with— 

7 (A) the Administrator of the United States 

8 Agency for International Development; and 

9 (B) representatives of civil society organi10 zations, especially organizations comprised of or 

11 representing the interests of indigenous peoples; 

12 and 

13 (2) provide assistance to countries in the West14 ern Hemisphere in a manner that promotes and fa15 cilitates entrepreneurship among indigenous peo16 ples— 

17 (A) by strengthening the capacity of civil 

18 society organizations and local governments; 

19 and 

20 (B) by supporting projects involving sus21 tainable natural resource management, agricul22 tural development, and handicraft production. 

Æ 


dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS