I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4121 

To amend the Small Business Act to provide for improvements to small 

business development centers. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 28, 2014 

Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Small Business 

A BILL 

To amend the Small Business Act to provide for 

improvements to small business development centers. 

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 ‘‘Small Business Devel5 opment Centers Improvement Act of 2014’’. 

6 SEC. 2. USE OF AUTHORIZED ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVEL7 OPMENT PROGRAMS. 

8 The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is 

9 amended by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 48. USE OF AUTHORIZED ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVEL2 OPMENT PROGRAMS. 

3 ‘‘(a) EXPANDED SUPPORT FOR

4 ENTRERPRENEURS.— 

5 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 

6 provision of law, the Administrator shall only use 

7 the programs authorized in sections 7(j), 7(m), 8(a), 

8 8(b)(1), 21, 22, 29, and 32 of this Act, and sections 

9 358 and 389 of the Small Business Investment Act 

10 to deliver entrepreneurial development services, en11 trepreneurial education, business incubation services, 

12 growth acceleration services, support for the develop13 ment and maintenance of clusters, or business train14 ing. 

15 ‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—This section shall not apply 

16 to services provided to assist small business concerns 

17 owned by an Indian tribe. 

18 ‘‘(b) ANNUAL REPORT.—Beginning on the first De19 cember 1 after the date of enactment of this subsection, 

20 the Administrator shall annually report to the Committee 

21 on Small Business of the House of Representatives and 

22 the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship 

23 of the Senate on all entrepreneurial development activities 

24 undertaken in the current fiscal year. This report shall 

25 include— 


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1 ‘‘(1) a description and operating details for 

2 each program and activity; 

3 ‘‘(2) operating circulars, manuals, and standard 

4 operating procedures for each program and activity; 

5 ‘‘(3) a description of the process used to award 

6 grants under each program and activity; 

7 ‘‘(4) a list of all awardees, contractors, and ven8 dors (including organization name and location) and 

9 the amount of awards for the current fiscal year for 

10 each program and activity; 

11 ‘‘(5) the amount of funding obligated for the 

12 current fiscal year for each program and activity; 

13 and 

14 ‘‘(6) the names and titles for those individuals 

15 responsible for each program and activity.’’. 

16 SEC. 3. MARKETING OF SERVICES. 

17 Section 21 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648) 

18 is amended by adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(o) NO PROHIBITION OF MARKETING OF SERV20 ICES.—The Administrator shall not prohibit applicants re21 ceiving grants under this section from marketing and ad22 vertising their services to individuals and small busi23 nesses.’’. 


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1 SEC. 4. CONFIDENTIALITY REQUIREMENTS. 

2 Section 21(a)(7)(A) of the Small Business Act (15 

3 U.S.C. 648(a)(7)(A)) is amended by inserting after 

4 ‘‘under this section’’ the following: ‘‘to any State, local or 

5 Federal agency or third party’’. 

6 SEC. 5. DATA COLLECTION. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 21(a)(3)(A) of the Small 

8 Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648(a)(3)(A)) is amended— 

9 (1) by striking ‘‘as provided in this section 

10 and’’ and inserting ‘‘as provided in this section,’’; 

11 and 

12 (2) by inserting before the period at the end the 

13 following: ‘‘, and (iv) governing data collection ac14 tivities related to applicants receiving grants under 

15 this section’’. 

16 (b) ANNUAL REPORT ON DATA COLLECTION.—Sec17 tion 21 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648), as 

18 amended by section 3 of this Act, is further amended by 

19 adding at the end the following: 

20 ‘‘(p) ANNUAL REPORT ON DATA COLLECTION.—The 

21 Administrator shall report annually to the Committee on 

22 Small Business of the House of Representatives and the 

23 Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of 

24 the Senate on data collection activities related to the Small 

25 Business Development Center program.’’. 


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1 SEC. 6. MATCHMAKING AND OTHER EVENTS. 

2 Section 21(a)(3)(C) of the Small Business Act (15 

3 U.S.C. 648(a)(3)(C)) is amended to read as follows: 

4 ‘‘(C) Such participation in private partnerships 

5 and cosponsorships with the Administration shall 

6 not limit Small Business Development Centers from 

7 collecting fees or other income related to the oper8 ation of such partnerships and cosponsorships.’’. 

9 SEC. 7. EQUITY FOR SBDCS. 

10 Section 21(a)(4)(C)(v) of the Small Business Act (15 

11 U.S.C. 648(a)(4)(C)(v)) is amended— 

12 (1) in item (aa), by striking ‘‘; and’’ and insert13 ing a period; and 

14 (2) by striking item (bb). 

15 SEC. 8. AWARD OF GRANTS TO SBDCS. 

16 Section 21 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 

17 648), as amended by sections 3 and 5 of this Act, is fur18 ther amended by adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(q) LIMITATION ON AWARD OF GRANTS.—Except 

20 for not-for-profit institutions of higher education, notwith21 standing any provision of law, the Administrator shall not 

22 award grants (including contracts and cooperative agree23 ments) under this section to any entity other than those 

24 that received grants (including contracts and cooperative 

25 agreements) under this section prior to September 30, 


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1 2014, and that seek to renew such grants (including con2 tracts and cooperative agreements) after such date.’’. 

Æ 


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