I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3385 

To provide for the establishment of a Commission on the Advancement of 

Social Enterprise, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 20, 2019 

Mr. CICILLINE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Oversight and Reform 

A BILL 

To provide for the establishment of a Commission on the 

Advancement of Social Enterprise, 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 ‘‘Social Enterprise Eco5 system and Economic Development Commission Act of 

6 2019’’ or as the ‘‘SEEED Commission Act of 2019’’. 

7 SEC. 2. COMMISSION ON THE ADVANCEMENT OF SOCIAL 

8 ENTERPRISE. 

9 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a com10 mission to be known as the Commission on the AdvanceVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:16 Jun 26, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3385.IH H3385

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1 ment of Social Enterprise (referred to in this section as 

2 the ‘‘Commission’’). The purpose of the Commission is to 

3 examine and make recommendations with respect to ways 

4 the Federal Government can support and utilize the trans5 formative power of social enterprises. 

6 (b) FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT.—The 

7 Federal Advisory Committee Act does not apply to the 

8 Commission established under this section. 

9 (c) MEMBERSHIP.—The membership of the Commis10 sion shall be composed of the following or their designees: 

11 (1) The Administrator of the Small Business 

12 Administration. 

13 (2) The Administrator of the Economic Devel14 opment Administration. 

15 (3) The Assistant to the President for Domestic 

16 Policy. 

17 (4) The Commissioner of Internal Revenue. 

18 (5) The Secretary of Labor. 

19 (6) The Director of the National Economic 

20 Council. 

21 (7) The Chair of the Council of Economic Advi22 sors. 

23 (8) The Secretary of the Treasury. 

24 (9) The Secretary of Commerce. 


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1 (10) The Secretary of Housing and Urban De2 velopment. 

3 (d) OPERATION.— 

4 (1) CHAIRPERSON.—The Director of the Do5 mestic Policy Council shall serve as the Chairperson 

6 of the Commission. 

7 (2) MEETINGS.— 

8 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall 

9 meet at the call of the Chairperson. 

10 (B) INITIAL MEETING.—The initial meet11 ing shall take place not later than 30 days after 

12 the date of enactment of this Act. 

13 (3) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of 

14 the Commission shall constitute a quorum, but a 

15 lesser number of members may hold hearings. 

16 (4) RULES.—The Commission may establish, by 

17 majority vote, any rules for the conduct of Commis18 sion business, in accordance with this Act and other 

19 applicable law. 

20 (e) DUTIES.— 

21 (1) DEFINING SOCIAL ENTERPRISE.—Not later 

22 than 1 year after the initial meeting of the Commis23 sion, the Commission shall establish criteria for 

24 identifying social enterprises for purposes of Federal 

25 programs. The Commission will draw upon existing 


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1 leading research and scholarship in this area as well 

2 as the input of practitioners and policy experts with3 in the social enterprise field. 

4 (2) STUDY ACTIVITIES.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall 

6 identify opportunities for the Federal Govern7 ment to more effectively engage social enter8 prises in creating jobs and strengthening local 

9 economies while achieving optimal outcomes in 

10 addressing policy challenges at the national, 

11 State, and local level. The Commission shall re12 ceive and consider reports and testimony from 

13 individuals, government departments, State and 

14 local elected officials, community-based organi15 zations, nonprofit organizations, faith-based or16 ganizations, foundations, and other public and 

17 private organizations statewide and of national 

18 significance on the following: 

19 (i) How social enterprise can accel20 erate progress on social issues. 

21 (ii) How social enterprises work in a 

22 cross-sector manner. 

23 (iii) How social enterprise can ad24 vance social and economic development 

25 goals. 


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1 (B) AREAS OF STUDY AND RECOMMENDA2 TION.—The areas studied and potential rec3 ommendations offered by the Commission under 

4 this paragraph shall include the following: 

5 (i) The role of social enterprises in the 

6 United States economy. 

7 (ii) The role of social enterprises in 

8 addressing economic, social, and environ9 mental policy challenges across all levels of 

10 government. 

11 (iii) The role of social enterprises as 

12 community support and development enti13 ties. 

14 (iv) A statistical and qualitative exam15 ination of social enterprise within the 

16 United States and its contribution to the 

17 social and economic development of the 

18 United States. 

19 (v) Means through which the Federal 

20 Government can assist in enhancing the 

21 capacity of social enterprises. 

22 (vi) Corporate legal structures that 

23 foster or impede the development of social 

24 enterprises. 


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1 (vii) How to reform the Internal Rev2 enue Code to reduce obstacles that social 

3 enterprises face when addressing social 

4 issues and creating economic value through 

5 innovative methods. 

6 (viii) How to reform Federal securi7 ties laws to encourage impact investing. 

8 (ix) How the Federal Government can 

9 leverage existing Community Development 

10 Financial Institutions programs. 

11 (x) How various sectors (including but 

12 not limited to philanthropic, for-profit, and 

13 nonprofit sectors) and levels of government 

14 currently interact with social enterprises. 

15 (xi) Review of the current process 

16 through which social enterprises—both for17 profit and nonprofit organizations—can 

18 obtain Federal loans, grants, and contracts 

19 and offer recommendations for improving 

20 these processes in light of the special needs 

21 and contributions of social enterprises. 

22 (xii) Review of the current process, 

23 policies, and procedures through which so24 cial enterprises—both for-profit and non25 profit organizations—can access Federal 


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1 contracting opportunities and offer rec2 ommendations for improving the access of 

3 social enterprises to Federal procurement 

4 opportunities. 

5 (xiii) How the Federal Government 

6 can play a role in developing a purchasing 

7 directory of social enterprises within the 

8 United States that can be supported by 

9 citizens, businesses, and government. 

10 (xiv) Opportunities for the Federal 

11 Government to develop and expand re12 search and the collection and analysis of 

13 longitudinal data on social enterprises. 

14 (xv) Barriers to social enterprise 

15 growth. 

16 (xvi) Opportunities for the develop17 ment of an entity or initiative to support 

18 intermediaries that will promote and invest 

19 in social enterprise. 

20 (xvii) Identification of the appropriate 

21 entity within the Federal Government that 

22 shall be charged with the responsibility of 

23 preparing an annual report to Congress on 

24 the impact of social enterprises in the 

25 United States and the extent to which the 


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1 Federal Government interacts with, sup2 ports, and invests in social enterprises. 

3 And, where appropriate, this entity shall 

4 monitor and update the areas of study list5 ed in this subparagraph. 

6 (f) POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.— 

7 (1) HEARINGS.—The Commission may hold 

8 such hearings and collect such information as appro9 priate for carrying out this section. 

10 (2) INFORMATION.—Except as otherwise pro11 hibited by law, the Commission may secure directly 

12 from any Federal department or agency information 

13 the Commission considers necessary to carry out this 

14 section. Upon the request of the Commission, the 

15 head of the any Federal agency shall furnish infor16 mation requested under this paragraph to the Com17 mission. 

18 (3) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—The Commission 

19 may enter into contracts for research to inform the 

20 deliberations of the Commission. 

21 (4) MAILS.—The Commission may use the 

22 United States mails in the same manner and under 

23 the same conditions as other agencies of the Federal 

24 Government. 

25 (g) COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.— 


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1 (1) DETAIL OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—On the 

affirmative vote of 2 2 ⁄3 of the members of the Com3 mission and the approval of the appropriate Federal 

4 agency head, an employee of the Federal Govern5 ment at GS–13 level or higher may be detailed to 

6 the Commission without reimbursement, and such 

7 detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil 

8 service status, benefits, or privileges. 

9 (2) STAFF.— 

10 (A) IN GENERAL.— 

11 (i) APPOINTMENT AND COMPENSA12 TION.—The chairperson, in accordance 

13 with rules agreed upon by the Commission, 

14 may appoint and fix the compensation of a 

15 staff director and such other personnel as 

16 may be necessary to enable the Commis17 sion to carry out its functions, without re18 gard to the provisions of title 5, United 

19 States Code, governing appointments in 

20 the competitive service, and without regard 

21 to the provisions of chapter 51 and sub22 chapter III of chapter 53 of such title re23 lating to classification and General Sched24 ule pay rates, except that no rate of pay 

25 fixed under this subsection may exceed the 


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1 equivalent of that payable for a position at 

2 Level V of the Executive Schedule under 

3 section 5316 of title 5, United States 

4 Code. 

5 (ii) PERSONNEL AS FEDERAL EM6 PLOYEES.— 

7 (I) IN GENERAL.—Any personnel 

8 of the Commission who are employees 

9 shall be employees under section 2105 

10 of title 5, United States Code, for 

11 purposes of chapters 63, 81, 83, 84, 

12 85, 87, 89, and 90 of that title. 

13 (II) MEMBERS OF THE COMMIS14 SION.—Subparagraph (I) shall not be 

15 construed to apply to members of the 

16 Commission. 

17 (B) VOLUNTEER SERVICES.—Notwith18 standing section 1342 of title 31, United States 

19 Code, the Commission may accept and use vol20 untary and uncompensated services as the Com21 mission determines necessary. 

22 (h) CONTRACTS FOR RESEARCH.— 

23 (1) RESEARCHERS AND EXPERTS.—On an affirmative vote of 2 24 ⁄3 of the members of the Commis25 sion, the Commission may select nongovernmental 


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1 researchers and experts to assist the Commission in 

2 carrying out the duties of the Commission under this 

3 section. 

4 (2) OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.—Nothing in this 

5 subsection limits the ability of the Commission to 

6 enter into contracts with any other entity or organi7 zation to carry out research necessary to carry out 

8 the duties of the Commission under this section. 

9 (i) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the Com10 mission establishes criteria by which to identify social en11 terprise, the Commission shall submit to the President and 

12 Congress a report on the Commission’s findings, conclu13 sions, and recommendations. The report shall identify the 

14 Federal programs recommended and shall include— 

15 (1) reports on all matters studied as described 

16 in subsection (e); and 

17 (2) how existing Federal Government programs 

18 can be expanded to take advantage of the social and 

19 economic benefits of social enterprises. 

20 (j) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate 

21 90 days after the date on which the Commission submits 

22 the report of the Commission under subsection (i). 

Æ 


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