I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6706 
To support the establishment of small business development centers 
internationally and promote international commerce, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 
Mr. CASTRO of Texas (for himself, Mrs. WAGNER, and Mr. LARSEN of Wash-
ington) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To support the establishment of small business development 
centers internationally and promote international com-
merce, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Global Small Business 
Network Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Small businesses empower citizens of a 
country, strengthen communities, provide employ-
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ment to millions, and form the backbone of the 
United States economy. 
(2) Small business concerns across the United 
States have benefitted from access to technical as-
sistance, regulatory guidance, and educational pro-
grams through small business development centers 
(referred to in this Act as ‘‘SBDC’’) in the United 
States. 
(3) The SBDC model has successfully been 
adopted in Central America, South America, and the 
Caribbean, through assistance from the Small Busi-
ness Network of the Americas’ initiative funded 
through the Department of State. 
(4) The Small Business Network of the Amer-
icas’ initiative is a highly effective program that 
works with host governments in the Americas to es-
tablish small business development centers, primarily 
funded by the host governments. 
(5) SBDC networks outside the United States 
serve as important conduits of commerce with the 
United States, providing important information, 
tools, and regulatory guidance to small businesses 
interested in trading with the United States. 
(6) The establishment of SBDCs in other parts 
of the world promotes opportunities for small busi-
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nesses to thrive and engage with the United States 
economy. 
SEC. 3. GLOBAL AND REGIONAL NETWORKS. 
(a) GLOBAL SMALL BUSINESS NETWORK.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of State, 
in consultation with the Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development and 
the Administrator of the Small Business Administra-
tion, is authorized to establish and administer a 
Global Small Business Network program. 
(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Global 
Small Business Network program is to— 
(A) enhance the ability of small business 
concerns in the United States that are affiliated 
with a small business development center to ex-
port to foreign markets and take part in inter-
national commerce; and 
(B) facilitate partners for U.S. businesses 
and resilient business environments in foreign 
countries through the development of small 
business development centers in foreign coun-
tries. 
(3) AFFILIATION.—The Secretary shall deter-
mine if a small business development center in a for-
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to participate in the Global Small Business Network 
program. 
(c) GRANTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may make 
grants to any qualified entity that submits an appli-
cation in such form, and satisfying such require-
ments, as the Secretary may require. 
(2) TYPES OF GRANTS.—A qualified entity may 
receive a grant for one or both of the following pur-
poses: 
(A) To assist national and local govern-
ments of a foreign country to develop a small 
business development center, or multiple cen-
ters, in such country, regardless whether such 
country participates in a regional network de-
scribed in subsection (b). 
(B) To promote economic connectivity be-
tween small business concerns in the United 
States and economies covered by the Global 
Small Business Network, including through an 
internet platform to— 
(i) enhance the ability of small busi-
ness concerns in the United States to take 
part in international commerce; and 
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(ii) facilitate the growth of small busi-
nesses in foreign countries through the de-
velopment of small business development 
centers in foreign countries. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $2,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024, in addition 
to amounts otherwise available for economic activities and 
foreign assistance, to carry out this section. With respect 
to each such fiscal year, the Secretary is authorized to 
use— 
(1) up to $1,000,000 of such amount to estab-
lish and operate the Small Business Network of the 
Americas; and 
(2) up to $1,000,000 of such amount to estab-
lish and operate the ASEAN Small Business Net-
work. 
SEC. 4. REPORT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter 
for a period of 5 years after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Ad-
ministrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development and the Administrator of the Small Business 
Administration, shall submit to the Committee on Foreign 
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Affairs of the House of Representatives, the Committee 
on Foreign Relations of the Senate, the Committee on 
Small Business of the House of Representatives, and the 
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of 
the Senate a report on the status of the Global Small 
Business Network program. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The report required by subsection 
(a) shall include the following: 
(1) An assessment of support provided to U.S. 
small businesses that have utilized programs 
through the Global Small Business Network, to in-
clude information on the number of businesses sup-
ported, the geographic location of those businesses, 
the number of jobs supported, and the amount of 
economic activity generated. 
(2) A description of methods and strategies to 
develop small business development centers in for-
eign countries for the 2 years after the date of the 
report. 
(3) A list, and the current status, of all oper-
ating small business development centers in foreign 
countries that are affiliated with the Global Small 
Business Network program. 
(4) A list, and the current status, of all new 
small business development centers in foreign coun-
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tries set up through the Global Small Business Net-
work program in the 2 years before the date of the 
report, even if no longer affiliated with the Global 
Small Business Network program. 
(5) A description of the estimated timelines for 
national and local governments of a foreign country 
participating in the Small Business Network of the 
Americas and the ASEAN Small Business Network 
to— 
(A) complete the creation of a small busi-
ness development center in such country; and 
(B) establish connections between such a 
small business development center with small 
business development centers in the United 
States. 
(6) A description of international commercial 
activity resulting from participation in the Global 
Small Business Network program. 
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) QUALIFIED ENTITY.—The term ‘‘qualified 
entity’’ means an entity that is— 
(A) an institution of higher education (as 
defined in section 102 of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)), except that 
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such term does not include institutions de-
scribed in section 102(a)(1)(c) of such Act; 
(B) a consortium of 2 or more institutions 
of higher education described in subparagraph 
(A); or 
(C) a nonprofit entity with experience in 
operating or working with small business devel-
opment centers in the United States. 
(2) SMALL
BUSINESS
CONCERN.—The term 
‘‘small business concern’’ has the meaning given the 
term under section 3(a) of the Small Business Act 
(15 U.S.C. 632(a)). 
(3) SMALL
BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT
CEN-
TER.—The term ‘‘small business development cen-
ter’’— 
(A) with respect to a center located in the 
United States— 
(i) has the meaning given such term 
in section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 632); and 
(ii) includes a women’s business cen-
ter, as such term is used under section 29 
of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
656); and 
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(B) with respect to a center located in a 
foreign country, means an entity that— 
(i) provides small business-oriented 
employment or natural resources develop-
ment programs; 
(ii) promotes studies, research, and 
counseling concerning the managing, fi-
nancing, and operation of small businesses; 
(iii) provides management and tech-
nical assistance regarding small business 
participation in international markets and 
international commerce, including with the 
United States; 
(iv) provides delivery or distribution of 
services and information described in this 
subparagraph; or 
(v) provides access to business ana-
lysts who can refer a small business to 
available experts. 
Æ 
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