II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 3340 

To establish a competitive grant program to provide assistance to support 

small businesses and business district revitalization in low-income, rural, 

and minority communities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 8, 2021 

Mr. PADILLA (for himself and Mr. WICKER) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 

Public Works 

A BILL 

To establish a competitive grant program to provide assistance to support small businesses and business district 

revitalization in low-income, rural, and minority communities, 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 ‘‘Revitalizing Small and 

5 Local Businesses Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. REVITALIZING BUSINESS DISTRICTS PROGRAM. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title II of the Public Works and 

3 Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3141 et 

4 seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 219. REVITALIZING BUSINESS DISTRICTS PROGRAM. 

6 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

7 ‘‘(1) NATIONAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.— 

8 The term ‘national nonprofit organization’ means a 

9 nonprofit organization that— 

10 ‘‘(A) operates in each geographic area 

11 served by a regional office of the Economic De12 velopment Administration; and 

13 ‘‘(B) has experience and expertise in pro14 viding technical assistance and capacity build15 ing programs in support of community-based 

16 organizations that focus on revitalizing business 

17 districts and commercial corridors, including 

18 through support of underserved small busi19 nesses. 

20 ‘‘(2) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.—The term 

21 ‘nonprofit organization’ means an organization that 

22 is— 

23 ‘‘(A) described in paragraph (3), (4), (5), 

24 or (6) of section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue 

25 Code of 1986; and 


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1 ‘‘(B) exempt from taxation under section 

2 501(a) of that Code. 

3 ‘‘(b) PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall establish a na4 tional program under which the Secretary shall award 

5 grants on a competitive basis to national nonprofit organi6 zations to carry out place-based programs, in partnership 

7 with locally-based nonprofit or public community and eco8 nomic development partners, to provide specialized tech9 nical assistance, capacity building, and related services 

10 that support small businesses and business district revital11 ization in low-income, rural, and minority communities. 

12 ‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—A national nonprofit organiza13 tion seeking a grant under this section shall submit an 

14 application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 

15 and containing such information as the Secretary may re16 quire. 

17 ‘‘(d) PARTNERSHIPS.—In order to receive a grant 

18 under this section, a national nonprofit organization shall 

19 demonstrate a track record of, and a strategy for, sup20 porting local business district organizations or similar 

21 place-based business or economic development organiza22 tions and serving disadvantaged businesses or commu23 nities that are socially and economically disadvantaged, in24 cluding rural communities. 


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1 ‘‘(e) PRIORITIZATION.—Notwithstanding section 206, 

2 in selecting grant recipients under this section, the Sec3 retary shall give priority to an applicant— 

4 ‘‘(1) that would serve communities that are so5 cially and economically disadvantaged, including 

6 rural communities; and 

7 ‘‘(2) that has the demonstrated capacity to 

8 serve multiple States, and multiple geographies with9 in a State. 

10 ‘‘(f) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary shall carry 

11 out this section through the headquarters office of the 

12 Economic Development Administration. 

13 ‘‘(g) FEDERAL SHARE.— 

14 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraphs (2) 

15 and (3) and notwithstanding section 204 or any 

16 other provision of law, the Federal share of the cost 

17 of a project carried out with assistance under this 

18 section shall be not more than 80 percent. 

19 ‘‘(2) USE OF OTHER FEDERAL FUNDS.—A 

20 grant recipient may use other Federal funds pro21 vided to the grant recipient to increase the Federal 

22 share under paragraph (1) up to 100 percent, as the 

23 Secretary determines to be appropriate. 

24 ‘‘(3) WAIVER.—The Secretary may increase the 

25 Federal share under paragraph (1) up to 100 perVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:50 Dec 14, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3340.IS S3340

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1 cent if the Secretary determines that the grant re2 cipient is unable to pay, or would experience signifi3 cant financial hardship if required to pay, the non4 Federal share. 

5 ‘‘(h) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Of the amounts 

6 made available to carry out this section for a fiscal year, 

7 the Secretary may use not more than 2 percent for the 

8 administrative costs of carrying out this section. 

9 ‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

10 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 

11 $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026, 

12 to remain available until expended, to carry out this sec13 tion.’’. 

14 (b) DIRECT EXPENDITURE OR REDISTRIBUTION BY

15 RECIPIENT.—Section 217(a) of the Public Works and 

16 Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3154c(a)) 

17 is amended by striking ‘‘or 207’’ and inserting ‘‘207, or 

18 219’’. 

Æ 


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