I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6457 

To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to establish a grant program to create or expand programs at minority-serving 

institutions relating to minority entrepreneurship and business ownership, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 17, 2023 

Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia (for herself, Mr. EVANS, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. 

FITZPATRICK, and Mrs. TORRES of California) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Small Business 

A BILL 

To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to establish a grant program to create or expand 

programs at minority-serving institutions relating to minority entrepreneurship and business ownership, 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 ‘‘Minority Entrepre5 neurship Grant Program Act of 2023’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•HR 6457 IH

1 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis2 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Small Busi3 ness Administration. 

4 (2) BOARD.—The term ‘‘Board’’ means the Mi5 nority Entrepreneurship Advisory Board established 

6 under section 4(a). 

7 (3) HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNI8 VERSITY.—The term ‘‘historically Black college or 

9 university’’ means a part B institution, as that term 

10 is defined in section 322 of the Higher Education 

11 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061). 

12 (4) MINORITY.—The term ‘‘minority’’ means an 

13 individual who is— 

14 (A) Black or African American; 

15 (B) Hispanic or Latino; 

16 (C) Native or Indigenous American; 

17 (D) Asian; 

18 (E) Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Is19 lander; 

20 (F) Native Alaskan; or 

21 (G) a member of a group that the Minority 

22 Business Development Agency of the Depart23 ment of Commerce determines under part 1400 

24 of title 15, Code of Federal Regulations, as in 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•HR 6457 IH

1 effect on November 23, 1984, is a socially dis2 advantaged group eligible to receive assistance. 

3 (5) MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTION.—The 

4 term ‘‘minority-serving institution’’ means any of 

5 the following types of institutions: 

6 (A) A historically Black college or univer7 sity. 

8 (B) A Hispanic-serving institution, as that 

9 term is defined in section 502(a) of the Higher 

10 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)). 

11 (C) A Tribal College or University, as that 

12 term is defined in section 316(b) of the Higher 

13 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)). 

14 (D) An Alaska Native-serving institution, 

15 as that term is defined in section 317(b) of the 

16 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

17 1059d(b)). 

18 (E) A Native Hawaiian-serving institution, 

19 as that term is defined in section 317(b) of the 

20 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

21 1059d(b)). 

22 (F) A Predominantly Black Institution, as 

23 that term is defined in section 318(b) of the 

24 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

25 1059e(b)). 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•HR 6457 IH

1 (G) A Native American-serving, nontribal 

2 institution, as that term is defined in section 

3 319(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

4 (20 U.S.C. 1059f(b)). 

5 (H) An Asian-American and Native Amer6 ican Pacific Islander-serving institution, as that 

7 term is defined in section 320(b) of the Higher 

8 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059g(b)). 

9 (6) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means 

10 the grant program established under section 3(a). 

11 (7) SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN.—The term 

12 ‘‘small business concern’’ has the meaning given the 

13 term in section 3(a) of the Small Business Act (15 

14 U.S.C. 632(a)). 

15 (8) STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR.—The term 

16 ‘‘student entrepreneur’’ means a minority student 

17 who seeks to establish or develop a small business 

18 concern. 

19 (9) UNDER SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Under 

20 Secretary’’ means Under Secretary of Commerce for 

21 Minority Business Development of the Minority 

22 Business Development Agency (established under 

23 section 100002 of the Minority Business Develop24 ment Act of 2021 (15 U.S.C. 9501)). 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
5 

•HR 6457 IH

1 SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM. 

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after 

3 the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in 

4 consultation with the Under Secretary, shall establish a 

5 grant program within the Small Business Administration, 

6 the purpose of which shall be to create or expand pro7 grams at minority-serving institutions that foster, pro8 mote, and increase programs, initiatives, or opportunities 

9 for minority entrepreneurship and business ownership 

10 among student entrepreneurs enrolled at such a minority11 serving institution. 

12 (b) APPLICATION PROCESS.—A minority-serving in13 stitution seeking a grant under the Program shall submit 

14 to the Administrator an application that contains a de15 scription of— 

16 (1) the need for and proposed use of grant 

17 funds to promote minority entrepreneurship and 

18 business ownership among student entrepreneurs en19 rolled at the minority-serving institution; 

20 (2) how the programs, initiatives, or opportuni21 ties created or expanded with the grant funds will 

22 provide support to student entrepreneurs enrolled at 

23 the minority-serving institution who— 

24 (A) seek support for an established small 

25 business concern; or 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
6 

•HR 6457 IH

1 (B) need assistance in establishing a small 

2 business concern; and 

3 (3) how the minority-serving institution will cre4 ate or expand programs, initiatives, or opportunities 

5 that— 

6 (A) increase minority entrepreneurship and 

7 business ownership among student entre8 preneurs enrolled at the minority-serving insti9 tution; and 

10 (B) expand business resources to student 

11 entrepreneurs enrolled at the minority-serving 

12 institution. 

13 (c) SELECTION.—In selecting grantees under this 

14 section, the Administrator shall evaluate applications from 

15 among the same type of minority-serving institution, as 

16 listed in subparagraphs (A) through (H) of section 2(5). 

17 (d) AMOUNT OF GRANT.—A grant made to a minor18 ity-serving institution under the Program shall be not less 

19 than $250,000. 

20 (e) USE OF GRANT FUNDS.—A minority-serving in21 stitution that receives a grant under the Program shall 

22 use grant amounts to support the creation or expansion 

23 of programs, initiatives, or opportunities that offer busi24 ness development resources that support student entreVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:31 Nov 28, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6457.IH H6457

kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
7 

•HR 6457 IH

1 preneurs enrolled at the minority-serving institution, such 

2 as— 

3 (1) free legal, accounting, human resources, in4 formation technology, marketing, training, coun5 seling, networking, and technical assistance; and 

6 (2) access to capital resources, such as the 

7 costs associated with forming a new small business 

8 concern. 

9 (f) SUBMISSION REQUIREMENT.—A minority-serving 

10 institution to which a grant is made under the Program 

11 shall, not later than 6 months and not later than 12 

12 months after receipt of such grant, submit to the Adminis13 trator a report that contains, for the period covered by 

14 the report, the number of— 

15 (1) student entrepreneurs enrolled at the mi16 nority-serving institution assisted with the grant 

17 funds; 

18 (2) small business concerns created through the 

19 expenditure of the grant funds, including, with re20 spect to each such concern— 

21 (A) the name of the concern; 

22 (B) a description of the business of the 

23 concern; and 

24 (C) the amount of grant funds expended in 

25 creating the concern; 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
8 

•HR 6457 IH

1 (3) student entrepreneurs enrolled at the mi2 nority-serving institution referred to other resources 

3 of the Small Business Administration; and 

4 (4) student entrepreneurs enrolled at the mi5 nority-serving institution participating in programs, 

6 initiatives, or opportunities created or expanded 

7 through the expenditure of the grant funds, 

8 disaggregated (to the extent possible) by sex, race, 

9 and ethnicity of the student entrepreneur. 

10 (g) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 18 

11 months after the date on which the first grant is made 

12 under the Program, and annually thereafter until Sep13 tember 30, 2028, the Administrator shall submit to Con14 gress a report that contains information regarding the mi15 nority-serving institutions to which grants were made 

16 under the Program for the period covered by the report, 

17 which shall include— 

18 (1) the name of each such minority-serving in19 stitution and the amount of each such grant; 

20 (2) the number of student entrepreneurs as21 sisted with Program grant funds— 

22 (A) at each minority-serving institution to 

23 which a grant was made under the Program; 

24 and 

25 (B) in total under the Program; 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
9 

•HR 6457 IH

1 (3) the number of small business concerns cre2 ated through the expenditure of Program grant 

3 funds— 

4 (A) with respect to each minority-serving 

5 institution to which a grant was made under 

6 the Program; and 

7 (B) in total under the Program; 

8 (4) the number of student entrepreneurs re9 ferred to resources of the Small Business Adminis10 tration— 

11 (A) at each minority-serving institution to 

12 which a grant was made under the Program; 

13 and 

14 (B) in total under the Program; 

15 (5) the number of student entrepreneurs par16 ticipating in programs, initiatives, or opportunities 

17 created or expanded through the expenditure of Pro18 gram grant funds, disaggregated by sex, race, and 

19 ethnicity (to the extent possible)— 

20 (A) at each minority-serving institution to 

21 which a grant was made under the Program; 

22 and 

23 (B) in total under the Program; and 

24 (6) a statement regarding whether any amounts 

25 made available to carry out this section remain unVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:31 Nov 28, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6457.IH H6457

kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
10 

•HR 6457 IH

1 expended, as of the date on which the report is sub2 mitted. 

3 (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

4 are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator 

5 $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2028 

6 to carry out this section. 

7 SEC. 4. MINORITY ENTREPRENEURSHIP ADVISORY BOARD. 

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

9 date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall es10 tablish a Minority Entrepreneurship Advisory Board to 

11 develop recommendations regarding how minority-serving 

12 institutions can better serve minority businesses and en13 trepreneurs. 

14 (b) MEMBERSHIP OF BOARD.—The members of the 

15 Board— 

16 (1) shall be appointed by the Administrator; 

17 (2) shall include one representative from each 

18 of— 

19 (A) the United Negro College Fund; 

20 (B) the Thurgood Marshall College Fund; 

21 (C) the National Association for Equal Op22 portunity in Higher Education; 

23 (D) the American Indian Higher Edu24 cation Consortium; 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
11 

•HR 6457 IH

1 (E) the Asian and Pacific Islander Amer2 ican Scholarship Fund; 

3 (F) the National Congress of American In4 dians; and 

5 (G) the Hispanic Association of Colleges 

6 and Universities; and 

7 (3) shall include additional individuals, as de8 termined by the Administrator, with— 

9 (A) outstanding qualifications relating to 

10 minority-serving institutions or minority busi11 nesses and entrepreneurs; 

12 (B) knowledge regarding the needs of 

13 small business concerns that are owned by mi14 norities; and 

15 (C) experience— 

16 (i) working with startups; or 

17 (ii) in providing consultation to small 

18 business concerns. 

19 (c) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 18 

20 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

21 Administrator shall submit to Congress the recommenda22 tions developed by the Board. 

23 (d) TERMINATION.—The Board shall terminate not 

24 later than 6 months after the report required under sub25 section (c) has been submitted. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
12 

•HR 6457 IH

1 (e) INAPPLICABILITY OF FACA.—The Federal Advi2 sory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply with 

3 respect to the Board or the activities of the Board. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB