I 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5672 

To establish the Commission on Women’s Business Ownership. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 1, 2008 

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to 

the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform and Small Business, 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 establish the Commission on Women’s Business 

Ownership. 

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 ‘‘Women’s Business 

5 Ownership Act of 2008’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT. 

7 There is established a commission to be known as the 

8 ‘‘National Commission on Women’s Business Ownership’’ 

9 (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’). 


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1 SEC. 3. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION. 

2 (a) REVIEW REQUIRED.—The Commission shall— 

3 (1) review the status of women business owners 

4 nationwide, and the progress made since the 1980 

5 White House Conference on Small Business; 

6 (2) review the role of the Federal Government 

7 in aid to, and the promotion of, women business 

8 owners; and 

9 (3) review data collection procedures with re10 gard to women-owned business and Federal initia11 tives and procurement, with a view toward recom12 mending improvements. 

13 (b) RECOMMENDATIONS REQUIRED.—Based on its 

14 review, the Commission shall— 

15 (1) recommend new private-sector initiatives re16 garding management and technical assistance to 

17 women business owners; 

18 (2) recommend ways to create greater access to 

19 credit for women in business; and 

20 (3) recommend ways to enhance procurement 

21 opportunities for women business owners. 

22 (c) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this Act, a busi23 ness is owned by a woman if the sole owner is a woman, 

24 or if one-half or more of the partners are women, or if 

25 it is a corporation, where 50 percent or more of the stock 

26 is owned by women. 


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1 SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall be com3 posed of nine members appointed as follows: 

4 (1) Three members appointed by the President. 

5 (2) Three members appointed by the Speaker of 

6 the House of Representatives from a list of fifteen 

7 individuals nominated for such appointment by the 

8 chairman of the Committee on Small Business of the 

9 House of Representatives. 

10 (3) Three members appointed by the majority 

11 leader of the Senate from a list of fifteen individuals 

12 nominated for such appointment by the chairman of 

13 the Committee on Small Business and Entrepre14 neurship of the Senate. 

15 (b) QUALIFICATIONS.—(1) Appointments under sub16 section (a) shall be made from individuals whip are spe17 cially qualified to serve on the Commission by virtue of 

18 their education, training, or experience, and who are not 

19 officers or employees of the Federal Government or Mem20 bers of Congress. 

21 (2) Of the three individuals appointed under each of 

22 paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (a)— 

23 (A) no more than two members appointed 

24 under each paragraph shall be of the same political 

25 party; 


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1 (B) at least one member appointed under each 

2 paragraph shall be a woman; and 

3 (C) at least one member appointed under each 

4 paragraph shall be an individual who is a small busi5 ness owner. 

6 (3) In making the appointments under subsection (a), 

7 the appointing authorities should give consideration to 

8 achieving a geographical balance. 

9 (c) TERM.—Members shall be appointed for the life 

10 of the Commission, except that, if any member of the 

11 Commission becomes an officer or employee of the Federal 

12 Government or a Member of Congress, such individual 

13 may continue as a member of the Commission for not 

14 longer than the thirty-day period beginning on the date 

15 such individual becomes such an officer or employee or 

16 Member of Congress. 

17 (d) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Commission shall 

18 be filled in the manner in which the original appointment 

19 was made. 

20 (e) PAY.—Members of the Commission shall serve 

21 without pay, except members of the Commission shall be 

22 entitled to reimbursement for travel, subsistence, and 

23 other necessary expenses incurred by them in carrying out 

24 the functions of the Commission, in the same manner as 

25 persons employed intermittently in the Federal GovernVerDate Aug 31 2005 03:38 Apr 03, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5672.IH H5672

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1 ment are allowed expenses under section 5703 of title 5, 

2 United States Code. 

3 (f) QUORUM.—Five members of the Commission shall 

4 constitute a quorum but a lesser number may hold hear5 ings. 

6 (g) CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIRPERSON.—The 

7 Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Commission 

8 shall be designated by the President. The term of office 

9 of the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson shall be the life 

10 of the Commission. 

11 (h) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet not less 

12 than four times nor more than six times each year. Meet13 ings shall be at the call of a majority of its members. 

14 SEC. 5. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF THE COMMISSION. 

15 (a) DIRECTOR AND STAFF.—(1) The Commission 

16 shall have a Director who shall be appointed by the Com17 mission. The Commission, with the recommendation of the 

18 Director, may appoint and fix the pay of four additional 

19 personnel. 

20 (2) The Director and staff of the Commission may 

21 be appointed without regard to section 5311(b) of title 5, 

22 United States Code, and without regard to the provisions 

23 of such title governing appointments in the competitive 

24 service, and may be paid without regard to the provisions 

25 of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such 


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1 title relating to classification and General Schedule pay 

2 rates, except that no individual so appointed may receive 

3 pay in excess of the annual rate of basic pay payable for 

4 GS–18 of the General Schedule. 

5 (b) SERVICES.—The Commission may procure tem6 porary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of 

7 title 5 of the Unites States Code, but at rates for individ8 uals not to exceed the daily equivalent of the maximum 

9 annual rate of basic pay payable for GS–18 of the General 

10 Schedule. 

11 (c) DETAILS.—Upon request of the Commission, the 

12 head of any department or agency may detail, on a reim13 bursable basis, any of the personnel of such agency to the 

14 Commission to assist the Commission in carrying out its 

15 duties under this Act. 

16 SEC. 6. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may, for the 

18 purpose of carrying out this Act, hold such hearings, sit 

19 and act at such times and places, take such testimony, 

20 and receive such evidence, as the Commission considers 

21 appropriate. 

22 (b) DELEGATION.—Any member or agent of the 

23 Commission may, if so authorized by the Commission, 

24 take any action which the Commission is authorized to 

25 take by this section. 


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1 (c) ACCESS TO INFORMATION.—The Commission 

2 may secure directly from any department or agency of the 

3 United States information necessary to enable it to carry 

4 out this Act. Upon request of the Chairperson of the Com5 mission, the head of such department or agency shall fur6 nish such information to the Commission. 

7 (d) USE OF MAILS.—The Commission may use the 

8 United States mails in the same manner and under the 

9 same conditions as other departments and agencies of the 

10 United States. 

11 (e) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—The Administrator 

12 of General Services shall provide to the Commission on 

13 a reimbursable basis such administrative support services 

14 as the Commission may request. 

15 SEC. 7. REPORTS. 

16 The Commission shall transmit to the President and 

17 to each House of the Congress such interim reports as 

18 it considers appropriate and shall transmit a final report 

19 to the President no later than twenty-six months after the 

20 date of the Commission’s first meeting. The final report 

21 shall contain a detailed statement of the findings and con22 clusions of the Commission, together with its rec23 ommendations for such legislation and administrative ac24 tions as it considers appropriate. 


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1 SEC. 8. TERMINATION. 

2 The Commission shall cease to exist on the date that 

3 it transmits its final report to the President and to each 

4 House of the Congress. 

5 SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

6 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

7 as may be necessary to carry out this Act. 

Æ 


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