21st Century Entrepreneurship Act

Subjects: Commerce


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1222 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1222

 To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to 
 encourage entrepreneurship training in after school programs, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 20, 2023

   Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself and Mrs. Blackburn) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                  Small Business and Entrepreneurship

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to 
 encourage entrepreneurship training in after school programs, 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 ``21st Century Entrepreneurship Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) entrepreneurship creates new jobs, grows the economy, 
        increases productivity, and significantly improves the quality 
        of life of the people of the United States;
            (2) entrepreneurship rates in the United States have 
        declined substantially over the last several decades;
            (3) children from disadvantaged communities are less likely 
        to become entrepreneurs and inventors, hampering economic 
        growth and harming communities most in need;
            (4) studies show that children with mentors in 
        entrepreneurship and inventorship are more likely to pursue 
        these fields in adulthood; and
            (5) in order to promote growth in disadvantaged 
        communities, increase entrepreneurship rates, and improve the 
        economy, volunteer mentors with the SCORE program should be 
        encouraged to engage with children in community learning 
        centers.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the terms ``Administration'' and ``Administrator'' mean 
        the Small Business Administration and the Administrator 
        thereof, respectively;
            (2) the term ``community learning center'' has the meaning 
        given the term in section 4201(b) of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7171(b));
            (3) the term ``inventorship'' means the activity of 
        creating, designing, or otherwise originating a new product or 
        service;
            (4) the term ``SCORE program'' means the Service Corps of 
        Retired Executives described in section 8(b)(1)(B) of the Small 
        Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(b)(1)(B)); and
            (5) the term ``small business development center'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 3 of the Small Business Act 
        (15 U.S.C. 632).

SEC. 4. ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION FOR DISADVANTAGED YOUTH.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator shall--
            (1) develop a curriculum for volunteers with the SCORE 
        program to teach female students, minority students, English 
        learners, children with disabilities, and low-income students 
        who are often underrepresented in critical and enriching 
        subjects about entrepreneurship and inventorship through 
        community learning centers;
            (2) develop and implement a strategy to encourage 
        partnerships between the SCORE program and community learning 
        centers to teach the curriculum developed under paragraph (1) 
        to the students described in that paragraph through community 
        learning centers; and
            (3) in developing the curriculum required under paragraph 
        (1), collaborate with education specialists, entrepreneurship 
        groups, business groups, and groups with experience serving 
        underrepresented children.
    (b) Collaboration With Other Programs.--In carrying out the 
partnerships under subsection (a)(2), volunteers with the SCORE program 
are encouraged to collaborate with other entrepreneurial development 
programs of the Administration and other agencies, including--
            (1) small business development centers;
            (2) women's business centers operating under section 29 of 
        the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656);
            (3) centers overseen by the Minority Business Development 
        Agency of the Department of Commerce; and
            (4) the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition of the 
        Administration carried out under section 24 of the Stevenson-
        Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719).
    (c) SCORE Program.--Section 8(b)(1)(B) of the Small Business Act 
(15 U.S.C. 637(b)(1)(B)) is amended, in the first sentence, by 
inserting before the period at the end the following: ``and to carry 
out entrepreneurship and inventorship programs under section 4(a) of 
the 21st Century Entrepreneurship Act''.
    (d) Community Learning Centers.--Part B of title IV of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7171 et seq.) 
is amended--
            (1) in section 4201(a)(2) (20 U.S.C. 7171(a)(2)), by 
        inserting ``entrepreneurship and inventorship (as defined in 
        section 3 of the 21st Century Entrepreneurship Act) programs,'' 
        after ``apprenticeship programs,''; and
            (2) in section 4205(a) (20 U.S.C. 7175(a))--
                    (A) in paragraph (13), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in paragraph (14), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(15) entrepreneurship and inventorship programs described 
        in section 4(a) of the 21st Century Entrepreneurship Act.''.
    (e) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the Administrator shall submit 
to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate 
and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives a 
report that--
            (1) identifies each partnership between the SCORE program 
        and a community learning center during the preceding 2-year 
        period;
            (2) documents the use of funds by the SCORE program, and 
        adherence by the SCORE program to contract award and 
        procurement procedures, relating to the implementation of this 
        Act;
            (3) documents any training or guidance provided to SCORE 
        program chapter leadership on properly using funds provided to 
        carry out this Act;
            (4) estimates the number of students who were reached 
        through the entrepreneurship curriculum developed under 
        subsection (a);
            (5) identifies any barriers to reaching additional 
        students; and
            (6) identifies any plans for improving the curriculum or 
        implementing the strategy developed under subsection (a).
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Administrator $2,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 
        through 2027 to carry out this Act and the amendments made by 
        this Act.
            (2) Transfer of funds.--Of amounts made available to the 
        Administrator to carry out this Act and the amendments made by 
        this Act, the Administrator may transfer any portion of those 
        amounts to the SCORE program to carry out such provisions.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
</pre></body></html>