II 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3506 

To improve certain programs of the Small Business Administration to better 

assist small business customers in accessing broadband technology, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 17, 2010 

Ms. LANDRIEU (for herself and Mr. KERRY) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business 

and Entrepreneurship 

A BILL 

To improve certain programs of the Small Business Administration to better assist small business customers in accessing broadband technology, 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 ‘‘Small Business 

5 Broadband and Emerging Information Technology En6 hancement Act of 2010’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds that, according to a report by the Fed9 eral Communications Commission entitled ‘‘Connecting 


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1 America: The National Broadband Plan’’, dated March 

2 2010, the Commission recommends that— 

3 (1) ‘‘To fully implement next-generation tech4 nology within its operations, the SBA should also 

5 appoint a broadband and emerging IT coordinator. 

6 This individual would ensure that SBA programs 

7 maintain the requisite broadband expertise, tools 

8 and training courses to serve small businesses.’’; 

9 (2) ‘‘Congress should consider ways to leverage 

10 existing assistance provided through’’ entrepre11 neurial development programs, ‘‘to focus training on 

12 advanced IT and broadband applications’’; 

13 (3) ‘‘Congress could also consider ways to sup14 port technology training among women entre15 preneurs through’’ women’s business centers; 

16 (4) ‘‘The training programs should include an 

17 entry-level ‘Broadband 101’ course to give small 

18 businesses an introduction to how to capitalize on 

19 broadband connectivity, as well as more advanced 

20 applications for IT staff.’’; 

21 (5) small and medium enterprise ‘‘IT training 

22 should include resources for non-IT staff, such as 

23 how to use e-commerce tools for sales, streamline fi24 nance with online records or leverage knowledge 

25 management across an organization.’’; and 


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1 (6) ‘‘To facilitate the development of broadband 

2 networks, Congress should consider allowing all 

3 agencies to set the fees for access to rights-of-way 

4 for broadband services on the basis of a direct cost 

5 recovery approach, especially in markets currently 

6 underserved or unserved by any broadband service 

7 provider. The Executive Branch should also develop 

8 one or more master contracts for all federal property 

9 and buildings covering the placement of wireless 

10 towers.’’. 

11 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

12 In this Act— 

13 (1) the terms ‘‘Administration’’ and ‘‘Adminis14 trator’’ mean the Small Business Administration 

15 and the Administrator thereof, respectively; and 

16 (2) the term ‘‘small business concern’’ has the 

17 meaning given that term under section 3 of the 

18 Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632). 

19 SEC. 4. BROADBAND AND EMERGING INFORMATION TECH20 NOLOGY COORDINATOR. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Small Business Act (15 

22 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended— 

23 (1) by redesignating section 44 as section 45; 

24 and 

25 (2) by inserting after section 43 the following: 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 44. BROADBAND AND EMERGING INFORMATION 

2 TECHNOLOGY. 

3 ‘‘(a) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term 

4 ‘broadband and emerging information technology coordi5 nator’ means the individual assigned the broadband and 

6 emerging information technology coordination responsibil7 ities of the Administration under subsection (b)(1). 

8 ‘‘(b) ASSIGNMENT OF COORDINATOR.— 

9 ‘‘(1) ASSIGNMENT OF COORDINATOR.—The Ad10 ministrator shall assign responsibility for coordi11 nating the programs and activities of the Adminis12 tration relating to broadband and emerging informa13 tion technology to an individual who— 

14 ‘‘(A) shall report directly to the Adminis15 trator; 

16 ‘‘(B) shall work in coordination with— 

17 ‘‘(i) the chief information officer, the 

18 chief technology officer, and the head of 

19 the Office of Technology of the Adminis20 tration; and 

21 ‘‘(ii) any Associate Administrator of 

22 the Administration determined appropriate 

23 by the Administrator; 

24 ‘‘(C) shall not be an employee of the Office 

25 of Technology of the Administration; 


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1 ‘‘(D) has experience developing and imple2 menting telecommunications policy in the pri3 vate sector or government; and 

4 ‘‘(E) has demonstrated significant experi5 ence in the area of broadband or emerging in6 formation technology. 

7 ‘‘(2) RESPONSIBILITIES OF COORDINATOR.— 

8 The broadband and emerging information technology 

9 coordinator shall— 

10 ‘‘(A) coordinate programs of the Adminis11 tration that assist small business concerns in 

12 adopting, making innovations in, and using 

13 broadband and other emerging information 

14 technologies; 

15 ‘‘(B) serve as the primary liaison of the 

16 Administration to other Federal agencies in17 volved in broadband and emerging information 

18 technology policy, including the Department of 

19 Commerce, the Department of Agriculture, and 

20 the Federal Communications Commission; and 

21 ‘‘(C) identify best practices relating to 

22 broadband and emerging information tech23 nology that may benefit small business con24 cerns. 


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1 ‘‘(3) TRAVEL.—Not more than 20 percent of 

2 the hours of service by the broadband and emerging 

3 information technology coordinator during any fiscal 

4 year shall consist of travel outside the United States 

5 to perform official duties. 

6 ‘‘(c) BROADBAND AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGY

7 TRAINING.— 

8 ‘‘(1) TRAINING.—The Administrator shall pro9 vide to employees of the Administration training 

10 that— 

11 ‘‘(A) familiarizes employees of the Admin12 istration with broadband and other emerging 

13 information technologies; and 

14 ‘‘(B) includes— 

15 ‘‘(i) instruction counseling small busi16 ness concerns regarding adopting, making 

17 innovations in, and using broadband and 

18 other emerging information technologies; 

19 and 

20 ‘‘(ii) information on programs of the 

21 Federal Government that provide assist22 ance to small business concerns relating to 

23 broadband and emerging information tech24 nologies. 


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1 ‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

2 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

3 as are necessary to carry out this subsection. 

4 ‘‘(d) REPORTS.— 

5 ‘‘(1) BIENNIAL REPORT ON ACTIVITIES.—Not 

6 later than 2 years after the date on which the Ad7 ministrator makes the first assignment of respon8 sibilities under subsection (b), and every 2 years 

9 thereafter, the broadband and emerging information 

10 technology coordinator shall submit to the Com11 mittee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of 

12 the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of 

13 the House of Representatives a report regarding the 

14 programs and activities of the Administration relat15 ing to broadband and other emerging information 

16 technologies. 

17 ‘‘(2) REPORT ON FEDERAL PROGRAMS.—Not 

18 later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 

19 section, the broadband and emerging information 

20 technology coordinator, in consultation with the Sec21 retary of Agriculture, the Assistant Secretary of 

22 Commerce for Communications and Information, 

23 and the Chairman of the Federal Communications 

24 Commission, shall submit to the Committee on 

25 Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate 


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1 and the Committee on Small Business of the House 

2 of Representatives a report on the programs of the 

3 Federal Government that provide assistance to small 

4 business concerns relating to broadband and emerg5 ing information technologies, which shall include rec6 ommendations, if any, for improving coordination 

7 among the programs.’’. 

8 SEC. 5. ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT. 

9 (a) ASSISTANCE BY SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOP10 MENT CENTERS.—Section 21(c)(3)(B) of the Small Busi11 ness Act (15 U.S.C. 648(c)(3)(B)) is amended— 

12 (1) in the matter preceding clause (i), by insert13 ing ‘‘accessing broadband and other emerging infor14 mation technology,’’ after ‘‘technology transfer,’’; 

15 (2) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

16 (3) in clause (iii), by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

17 and 

18 (4) by adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(iv) increasing the competitiveness and 

20 productivity of small business concerns by as21 sisting entrepreneurs in accessing broadband 

22 and other emerging information technology;’’. 

23 (b) ASSISTANCE BY WOMEN’S BUSINESS CEN24 TERS.—Section 29(b)(3) of the Small Business Act (15 

25 U.S.C. 656(b)(3)) is amended by inserting ‘‘using 


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1 broadband and other emerging information technologies,’’ 

2 after ‘‘negotiating contracts,’’. 

3 SEC. 6. CAPITAL ACCESS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 7(a) of the Small Busi5 ness Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)) is amended in the matter pre6 ceding paragraph (1) by inserting ‘‘(including to purchase 

7 equipment for broadband or other emerging information 

8 technologies)’’ after ‘‘equipment’’. 

9 (b) MICROLOANS.—Section 7(m)(1)(A)(iii)(I) of the 

10 Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(m)(1)(A)(iii)(I)) is 

11 amended by inserting ‘‘(including to purchase equipment 

12 for broadband or other emerging information tech13 nologies)’’ after ‘‘or equipment’’. 

14 (c) 504 LOANS.—Section 502 of the Small Business 

15 Investment Act of 1958 (15 U.S.C. 697) is amended in 

16 the matter preceding paragraph (1) by inserting ‘‘and the 

17 purchase of equipment for broadband or other emerging 

18 information technologies’’ after ‘‘acquisition of land’’. 

19 SEC. 7. RURAL SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY PILOT PRO20 GRAM. 

21 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

22 (1) the term ‘‘qualified small business concern’’ 

23 means a small business concern located in a rural 

24 area; and 


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1 (2) the term ‘‘rural area’’ has the meaning 

2 given that term in section 1393(a)(2) of the Internal 

3 Revenue Code of 1986. 

4 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 120 days after the date 

5 of enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in coordina6 tion with the Administrator of General Services, shall sub7 mit to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepre8 neurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small Busi9 ness of the House of Representatives a report describing— 

10 (1) the number of Government-owned com11 puters in the possession of the Administration, in12 cluding the number of working computers, non13 working computers, desktop computers, and laptop 

14 computers; 

15 (2) the number of Government-owned com16 puters disposed of by the Administration during the 

17 5-year period ending on the date of enactment of 

18 this Act, including the number of such computers 

19 that were working computers, nonworking com20 puters, desktop computers, or laptop computers; 

21 (3) the procedures of the Administration for the 

22 disposal of Government-owned computers; and 

23 (4) the plans of the Administrator for carrying 

24 out the pilot program under subsection (c). 

25 (c) PILOT PROGRAM.— 


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1 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days 

2 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Adminis3 trator shall establish a pilot program to provide not 

4 more than 1,000 excess Government-owned com5 puters each year to qualified small business concerns 

6 at no cost or a reduced cost. 

7 (2) PURPOSES OF PROGRAM.—The pilot pro8 gram established under paragraph (1) shall be de9 signed to— 

10 (A) encourage entrepreneurship in rural 

11 areas; 

12 (B) assist small business concerns in ac13 cessing technology; and 

14 (C) accelerate the growth of qualified small 

15 business concerns. 

16 (3) TERMINATION.—The authority to conduct 

17 the pilot program under this subsection shall termi18 nate 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act. 

19 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

20 are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator 

21 such sums as are necessary to carry out this section. 

22 SEC. 8. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 45 days after the 

24 date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in con25 sultation with the Administrator of General Services, shall 


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1 submit to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepre2 neurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small Busi3 ness of the House of Representatives a report on ways 

4 to assist with the development of broadband and wireless 

5 technology that would benefit small business concerns. 

6 (b) CONTENT OF THE REPORT.—The report sub7 mitted under subsection (a) shall— 

8 (1) outline the participation by the Administra9 tion in the National Antenna Program, including the 

10 number of wireless towers deployed on facilities 

11 which contain an office of the Administration; 

12 (2) information on agreements between the Ad13 ministration and the General Services Administra14 tion related to broadband and wireless deployment in 

15 offices of the Administration; and 

16 (3) recommendations, if any, on opportunities 

17 for the Administration to improve broadband or 

18 wireless technology in offices of the Administration 

19 that are in areas currently underserved or unserved 

20 by broadband service providers. 

Æ 


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