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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3663 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3663

  To amend the Small Business Act to increase the maximum amount for 
  international trade loans, to direct the Administrator of the Small 
Business Administration to assign an international finance specialist, 
                        and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 14, 2006

    Ms. Landrieu (for herself, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Bayh, and Mr. Pryor) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
            Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To amend the Small Business Act to increase the maximum amount for 
  international trade loans, to direct the Administrator of the Small 
Business Administration to assign an international finance specialist, 
                        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 ``Small Business International Trade 
Enhancements Act of 2006''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act, the terms ``Administration'' and ``Administrator'' 
mean the Small Business Administration and the Administrator thereof, 
respectively.

SEC. 3. INTERNATIONAL TRADE LOANS.

    (a) In General.--Section 7(a)(3)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 636(a)(3)(B)) is amended by striking ``$1,750,000, of which not 
more than $1,250,000'' and inserting ``$2,750,000 (or if the gross loan 
amount would exceed $3,670,000), of which not more than $2,000,000''.
    (b) Working Capital.--Section 7(a)(16)(A) of the Small Business Act 
(15 U.S.C. 636(a)(16)(A)) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking ``in--
        '' and inserting ``--'';
            (2) in clause (i)--
                    (A) by inserting ``in'' after ``(i)''; and
                    (B) by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (3) in clause (ii)--
                    (A) by inserting ``in'' after ``(ii)''; and
                    (B) by striking the period and inserting ``; or''; 
                and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iii) by providing working capital.''.
    (c) Collateral.--Section 7(a)(16)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 636(a)(16)(B)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``Each loan'' and inserting the following:
                            ``(i) In general.--Except as provided in 
                        clause (ii), each loan''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(ii) Exception.--A loan under this 
                        paragraph may be secured by a second lien 
                        position on the property or equipment financed 
                        by the loan or on other assets of the small 
                        business concern, if the Administrator 
                        determines such lien provides adequate 
                        assurance of the payment of such loan.''.
    (d) Refinancing.--Section 7(a)(16)(A)(ii) of the Small Business Act 
(15 U.S.C. 636(a)(16)(A)(ii)) is amended by inserting ``, including any 
debt that qualifies for refinancing under any other provision of this 
subsection'' before the period.

SEC. 4. GULF COAST EXPORT ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Increase in Small Business International Trade Staff.--The 
Administrator shall assign 1 additional full-time international finance 
specialist to the Office of International Trade of the Administration.
    (b) Location and Service Area.--The international finance 
specialist assigned under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) be located in the New Orleans, Louisiana United States 
        Export Assistance Center;
            (2) help to carry out the export promotion efforts 
        described in section 22 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
        649); and
            (3) provide such services in the States of Louisiana, 
        Mississippi, and Alabama.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Administration such sums as are necessary to carry out this 
        section.
            (2) Availability of funds.--Amounts made available under 
        this subsection shall remain available until expended.

SEC. 5. ASSIGNMENT OF EMPLOYEES OF THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE.

    Section 22 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
    ``(h) In carrying out this section, the Administrator shall ensure 
that the number of full-time equivalent employees of the Office 
assigned to the one-stop shops referred to in section 2301(b) of the 
Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4721(b)) is 
not less than the number of such employees so assigned on January 1, 
2006.''.
                                 <all>
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