II

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2243

To reauthorize certain programs of the Small Business Administration, and

for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MARCH 9, 2000

Ms. LANDRIEU (for herself, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. KERRY, Mr. CLELAND, Mrs.

MURRAY, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. ABRAHAM, and Mr. JEFFORDS) introduced

the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee

on Small Business

A BILL

To reauthorize certain programs of the Small Business

Administration, 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 ‘‘National Women’s

5 Business Council Reauthorization Act of 2000’’.

6 SEC. 2. DUTIES OF THE COUNCIL.

7 Section 406 of the Women’s Business Ownership Act

8 of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 631 note) is amended to read as fol9 lows:
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1 ‘‘SEC. 406. DUTIES OF THE COUNCIL.

2 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Council shall—

3 ‘‘(1) provide advice and counsel to the Presi4 dent and to the Congress on economic matters of

5 importance to women business owners;

6 ‘‘(2) promote initiatives designed to increase ac7 cess to capital and to markets, training and tech8 nical assistance, research, resources, and leadership

9 opportunities for and about women business owners;

10 ‘‘(3) provide a source of information and a cat11 alyst for action to support women’s business devel12 opment;

13 ‘‘(4) promote the implementation of the policy

14 agenda, initiatives and recommendations issued at

15 Summit ’98, the National Women’s Economic

16 Forum;

17 ‘‘(5) review, coordinate, and monitor plans and

18 programs developed in the public and private sectors

19 that affect the ability of women-owned small busi20 ness concerns to obtain capital and credit;

21 ‘‘(6) work with—

22 ‘‘(A) the Federal agencies for the purpose

23 of assisting them in meeting the 5 percent

24 women’s procurement goal established under

25 section 15(g) of the Small Business Act; and
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1 ‘‘(B) the private sector in increasing con2 tracting opportunities for women-owned small

3 business concerns;

4 ‘‘(7) promote and assist in the development of

5 a women’s business census and other statistical sur6 veys of women-owned small business concerns;

7 ‘‘(8) support new and ongoing research on

8 women-owned small business concerns;

9 ‘‘(9) monitor and promote the plans, programs,

10 and operations of the departments and agencies of

11 the Federal Government that may contribute to the

12 establishment and growth of women’s business en13 terprise;

14 ‘‘(10) develop and promote new initiatives, poli15 cies, programs, and plans designed to foster women’s

16 business enterprise; and

17 ‘‘(11) advise and consult with State and local

18 leaders to develop and implement programs and poli19 cies that promote women’s business ownership.

20 ‘‘(b) INTERACTION WITH THE INTERAGENCY COM21 MITTEE ON WOMEN’S BUSINESS ENTERPRISE.—The

22 Council shall—

23 ‘‘(1) advise the Interagency Committee on

24 Women’s Business Enterprise (in this section re25 ferred to as the ‘Committee’) on matters relating to
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1 the activities, functions, and policies of the Com2 mittee, as provided in this title; and

3 ‘‘(2) meet jointly with the Committee at the dis4 cretion of the chairperson of the Council and the

5 chairperson of the Committee, but not less fre6 quently than biannually.

7 ‘‘(c) MEETINGS.—The Council shall meet separately

8 at such times as the Council deems necessary. A majority

9 of the members of the Council shall constitute a quorum

10 for the approval of recommendations or reports issued

11 pursuant to this section.

12 ‘‘(d) RECOMMENDATIONS AND REPORTS.—

13 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days

14 after the last day of each fiscal year, the Council

15 shall—

16 ‘‘(A) make recommendations for consider17 ation by the Committee; and

18 ‘‘(B) submit a report to the President, the

19 Committee, the Administrator, the Committee

20 on Small Business of the Senate, and the Com21 mittee on Small Business of the House of Rep22 resentatives, as described in paragraph (2).

23 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS OF REPORTS.—The reports re24 quired by paragraph (1) shall contain—
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1 ‘‘(A) a detailed description of the activities

2 of the Council during the preceding fiscal year,

3 including a status report on the progress of the

4 Council toward meeting its duties under sub5 sections (a);

6 ‘‘(B) the findings, conclusions, and rec7 ommendations of the Council concerning; and

8 ‘‘(C) the recommendations of the Council

9 for such legislation and administrative actions

10 as the Council considers appropriate to promote

11 the development of small business concerns

12 owned and controlled by women.

13 ‘‘(e) SEPARATE SUBMISSIONS.—The Administrator

14 shall submit any additional, concurring, or dissenting

15 views or recommendations to the President, the Com16 mittee, and the Congress separately from any rec17 ommendations or report submitted by the Council under

18 this subsection.’’.

19 SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP OF THE COUNCIL.

20 Section 407 of the Women’s Business Ownership Act

21 of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 631 note) is amended—

22 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘Not later’’

23 and all that follows through ‘‘the President’’ and in24 serting ‘‘The President’’;

25 (2) in subsection (b)—
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1 (A) by striking ‘‘Not later’’ and all that

2 follows through ‘‘the Administrator’’ and insert3 ing ‘‘The Administrator’’; and

4 (B) by striking ‘‘the Assistant Adminis5 trator of the Office of Women’s Business Own6 ership and’’;

7 (3) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘, except

8 that’’ and all that follows through the end of the

9 subsection and inserting a period; and

10 (4) in subsection (h), by striking ‘‘Not later’’

11 and all that follows through ‘‘the Administrator’’

12 and inserting ‘‘The Administrator’’.

13 SEC. 4. REPEAL OF PROCUREMENT PROJECT; STATE AND

14 LOCAL ECONOMIC NETWORKS.

15 Section 409 of the Women’s Business Ownership Act

16 of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 631 note) is amended to read as fol17 lows:

18 ‘‘SEC. 409. STATE AND LOCAL ECONOMIC NETWORKS.

19 ‘‘The Council shall work with State and local officials

20 and business leaders to develop the infrastructure for

21 women’s business enterprise for the purpose of increasing

22 women’s effectiveness in shaping the economic agendas of

23 their States and communities.’’.
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1 SEC. 5. STUDIES AND OTHER RESEARCH.

2 Section 410 of the Women’s Business Ownership Act

3 of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 631 note) is amended to read as fol4 lows:

5 ‘‘SEC. 410. STUDIES, OTHER RESEARCH, AND ISSUE INITIA6 TIVES.

7 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—

8 ‘‘(1) AUTHORITY.—The Council may, as it de9 termines to be appropriate, conduct such studies, re10 search, and issue initiatives relating to—

11 ‘‘(A) the award of Federal, State, local,

12 and private sector prime contracts and sub13 contracts to women-owned businesses; and

14 ‘‘(B) access to credit and investment cap15 ital by women entrepreneurs, and business de16 velopment assistance programs, including the

17 identification of best practices.

18 ‘‘(2) PURPOSES.—Studies, research, and issue

19 initiatives may be conducted under paragraph (1)

20 for purposes including—

21 ‘‘(A) identification of several focused out22 reach initiatives in nontraditional industry sec23 tors for the purpose of increasing contract

24 awards to women in those areas;
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1 ‘‘(B) supporting the growth and prolifera2 tion of programs designed to prepare women to

3 successfully access the equity capital markets;

4 ‘‘(C) continuing to identify and report on

5 financial best practices that have worked to in6 crease credit and capital availability to women

7 business owners; and

8 ‘‘(D) working with Women’s Business Cen9 ters to develop programs and coordinate activi10 ties.

11 ‘‘(b) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—In conducting any

12 study or other research under this section, the Council

13 may contract with 1 or more public or private entities.’’.

14 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

15 Section 411 of the Women’s Business Ownership Act

16 of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 631 note) is amended to read as fol17 lows:

18 ‘‘SEC. 411. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

19 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro20 priated to carry out this title $1,000,000, for each of fiscal

21 years 2001 through 2003, of which $550,000 shall be

22 available in each such fiscal year to carry out sections 409

23 and 410.

24 ‘‘(b) BUDGET REVIEW.—No amount made available

25 under this section for any fiscal year may be obligated or
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1 expended by the Council before the date on which the

2 Council reviews and approves the operating budget of the

3 Council to carry out the responsibilities of the Council for

4 that fiscal year.’’.

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