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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1156 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1156

  To establish an Office of Native American Affairs within the Small 
            Business Administration, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 30, 2023

Mr. Hickenlooper (for himself, Ms. Lummis, Ms. Hirono, and Mr. Mullin) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
            Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To establish an Office of Native American Affairs within the Small 
            Business Administration, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Native American Entrepreneurial and 
Opportunity Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. OFFICE OF NATIVE AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

    The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 49 (15 U.S.C. 631 note) as 
        section 50; and
            (2) by inserting after section 48 (15 U.S.C. 657u) the 
        following:

``SEC. 49. OFFICE OF NATIVE AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Associate administrator.--The term `Associate 
        Administrator' means the Associate Administrator for Native 
        American Affairs appointed under subsection (c).
            ``(2) Indian tribe.--The term `Indian Tribe' has the 
        meaning given the term `Indian tribe' in section 8(a)(13).
            ``(3) Native hawaiian organization.--The term `Native 
        Hawaiian Organization' has the meaning given the term in 
        section 8(a)(15).
            ``(4) Office.--The term `Office' means the Office of Native 
        American Affairs described in this section.
    ``(b) Establishment.--
            ``(1) In general.--There is established within the 
        Administration the Office of Native American Affairs, which 
        shall be responsible for establishing a working relationship 
        with Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations by 
        targeting programs of the Administration relating to 
        entrepreneurial development, contracting, and capital access to 
        revitalize Native businesses and economic development in Indian 
        country.
            ``(2) Connection with other programs.--To the extent 
        reasonable, the Office shall connect Indian Tribes and Native 
        Hawaiian Organizations to programs administered by other 
        Federal agencies related to the interests described in 
        paragraph (1).
            ``(3) Field offices.--The Office may establish field 
        offices within such regional offices of the Administration as 
        may be necessary, with initial focus on those parts of Indian 
        Country most economically disadvantaged, to perform efficiently 
        the functions and responsibilities of the Office.
    ``(c) Associate Administrator.--The Office shall be headed by an 
Associate Administrator for Native American Affairs, who shall--
            ``(1) be appointed by and report to the Administrator;
            ``(2) have knowledge of Native American cultures and 
        experience providing culturally tailored small business 
        development assistance to Native Americans;
            ``(3) carry out the program to provide assistance to Indian 
        Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations and small business 
        concerns owned and controlled by individuals who are members of 
        those groups;
            ``(4) administer and manage Native American outreach 
        expansion;
            ``(5) enhance assistance to Native Americans by formulating 
        and promoting policies, programs, and assistance that better 
        address their entrepreneurial, capital access, business 
        development, and contracting needs, and collaborate with other 
        Associate Administrators and intergovernmental leaders with 
        similar missions across Federal agencies on the development of 
        policies and plans to implement new programs of the 
        Administration, while supplementing existing Federal programs 
        to holistically serve those needs;
            ``(6) act as an ombudsman for Native Americans for programs 
        of the Administration;
            ``(7) provide grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or 
        other financial assistance to Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian 
        Organizations, or to private nonprofit organizations governed 
        by members of those entities, that have the experience and 
        capability to--
                    ``(A) deploy training, counseling, workshops, 
                educational outreach, and supplier events; and
                    ``(B) access the entrepreneurial, capital, and 
                contracting programs of the Administration, including 
                the Community Navigator pilot program;
            ``(8) assist the Administrator in conducting, or conduct, 
        Tribal consultation to solicit input and facilitate discussion 
        of potential modifications to programs and procedures of the 
        Administration; and
            ``(9) recommend annual budgets for the Office.
    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Office such sums as may be necessary for each of 
fiscal years 2024 through 2028 to carry out this section.''.
                                 <all>
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