I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3543 

To ensure that certain entrepreneurial development services of the Small 

Business Administration are made available to cannabis-related legitimate 

businesses and service providers, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 27, 2019 

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

Committee on Small Business 

A BILL 

To ensure that certain entrepreneurial development services 

of the Small Business Administration are made available 

to cannabis-related legitimate businesses and service providers, 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 ‘‘Ensuring Access to 

5 Counseling and Training for All Small Businesses Act of 

6 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS RELATING TO CANNABIS-RELATED 

2 LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES AND SERVICE PRO3 VIDERS. 

4 Section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632) 

5 is amended by adding at the end the following new sub6 section: 

7 ‘‘(ff) DEFINITIONS RELATING TO CANNABIS-RE8 LATED LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES AND SERVICE PRO9 VIDERS.—In this Act: 

10 ‘‘(1) CANNABIS.—The term ‘cannabis’ has the 

11 meaning given the term ‘marihuana’ in section 102 

12 of the Controlled Substances Act. 

13 ‘‘(2) CANNABIS PRODUCT.—The term ‘cannabis 

14 product’ means any article which contains cannabis, 

15 including an article which is a concentrate, an edi16 ble, a tincture, a cannabis-infused product, or a top17 ical. 

18 ‘‘(3) CANNABIS-RELATED LEGITIMATE BUSI19 NESS.—The term ‘cannabis-related legitimate busi20 ness’ means a manufacturer, producer, or any per21 son or company that is a small business concern and 

22 that— 

23 ‘‘(A) engages in any activity described in 

24 subparagraph (B) pursuant to a law established 

25 by a State or a political subdivision of a State, 


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1 as determined by such State or political subdivi2 sion; and 

3 ‘‘(B) participates in any business or orga4 nized activity that involves handling cannabis or 

5 cannabis products, including cultivating, pro6 ducing, manufacturing, selling, transporting, 

7 displaying, dispensing, distributing, or pur8 chasing cannabis or cannabis products. 

9 ‘‘(4) MANUFACTURER.—The term ‘manufac10 turer’ means a person who manufactures, com11 pounds, converts, processes, prepares, or packages 

12 cannabis or cannabis products. 

13 ‘‘(5) PRODUCER.—The term ‘producer’ means a 

14 person who plants, cultivates, harvests, or in any 

15 way facilitates the natural growth of cannabis. 

16 ‘‘(6) SERVICE PROVIDER.—The term ‘service 

17 provider’— 

18 ‘‘(A) means a business, organization, or 

19 other person that— 

20 ‘‘(i) sells goods or services to a can21 nabis-related legitimate business; or 

22 ‘‘(ii) provides any business services, 

23 including the sale or lease of real or any 

24 other property, legal or other licensed servVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:37 Jul 09, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3543.IH H3543

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1 ices, or any other ancillary service, relating 

2 to cannabis; and 

3 ‘‘(B) does not include a business, organiza4 tion, or other person that participates in any 

5 business or organized activity that involves han6 dling cannabis or cannabis products, including 

7 cultivating, producing, manufacturing, selling, 

8 transporting, displaying, dispensing, distrib9 uting, or purchasing cannabis or cannabis prod10 ucts. 

11 ‘‘(7) STATE.—The term ‘State’ means each of 

12 the several States, the District of Columbia, Puerto 

13 Rico, and any territory or possession of the United 

14 States.’’. 

15 SEC. 3. ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FOR 

16 CANNABIS-RELATED LEGITIMATE BUSI17 NESSES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS. 

18 (a) SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS.— 

19 Section 21(c) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 

20 648(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 

21 paragraph: 

22 ‘‘(9) SERVICES FOR CANNABIS-RELATED LE23 GITIMATE BUSINESSES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS.— 

24 A small business development center may not decline 

25 to provide services to an otherwise eligible small 


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1 business concern under this section solely because 

2 such concern is a cannabis-related legitimate busi3 ness or service provider.’’. 

4 (b) WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTERS.—Section 29 of 

5 the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656) is amended by 

6 adding at the end the following new subsection: 

7 ‘‘(p) SERVICES FOR CANNABIS-RELATED LEGITI8 MATE BUSINESSES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS.—A wom9 en’s business center may not decline to provide services 

10 to an otherwise eligible small business concern under this 

11 section solely because such concern is a cannabis-related 

12 legitimate business or service provider.’’. 

13 (c) SCORE.—Section 8(b)(1)(B) of the Small Busi14 ness Act (15 U.S.C. 637(b)(1)(B)) is amended by adding 

15 at the end the following new sentence: ‘‘The head of the 

16 SCORE program established under this subparagraph 

17 may not decline to provide services to an otherwise eligible 

18 small business concern solely because such concern is a 

19 cannabis-related legitimate business or service provider.’’. 

20 (d) VETERAN BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS.—Sec21 tion 32 of the Small Business Act is amended (15 U.S.C. 

22 657b) is amended by adding at the end the following new 

23 subsection: 

24 ‘‘(h) SERVICES FOR CANNABIS-RELATED LEGITI25 MATE BUSINESSES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS.—A VetVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:37 Jul 09, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3543.IH H3543

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1 eran Business Outreach Center may not decline to provide 

2 services to an otherwise eligible small business concern 

3 under this section solely because such concern is a can4 nabis-related legitimate business or service provider.’’. 

Æ 


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