I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5193 
To amend the Small Business Act to codify the Boots to Business Program, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 7, 2018 
Mr. SCHNEIDER (for himself and Mr. BLUM) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Small Business, and in addition 
to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Small Business Act to codify the Boots to 
Business Program, 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 ‘‘Veteran Entrepreneur-
ship Training Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of De-
fense should coordinate with the Administrator of the 
Small Business Administration to include relevant aspects 
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of veterans assistance programs of the Small Business Ad-
ministration in the Transition Assistance Program estab-
lished under section 1144 of title 10, United States Code. 
SEC. 3. BOOTS TO BUSINESS PROGRAM. 
Section 32 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
657b) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (f) as sub-
section (g); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (e) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(f) BOOTS TO BUSINESS PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection— 
‘‘(A) the term ‘covered individual’ means— 
‘‘(i) a member of the Armed Forces, 
including the National Guard or Reserves; 
‘‘(ii) an individual who is participating 
in the Transition Assistance Program es-
tablished under section 1144 of title 10, 
United States Code; 
‘‘(iii) an individual who— 
‘‘(I) served on active duty in any 
branch of the Armed Forces, includ-
ing the National Guard or Reserves; 
and 
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‘‘(II) was discharged or released 
from such service under conditions 
other than dishonorable; and 
‘‘(iv) a spouse or dependent of an in-
dividual described in clause (i), (ii), or (iii); 
and 
‘‘(B) the term ‘Vet Center’ has the mean-
ing given in section 1712A(h) of title 38, 
United States Code. 
‘‘(2) 
ESTABLISHMENT.—The 
Administrator 
shall carry out a program to be known as the ‘Boots 
to Business Program’ to provide entrepreneurship 
training to covered individuals. 
‘‘(3) GOALS.—The goals of the Boots to Busi-
ness Program are to— 
‘‘(A) provide assistance and in-depth train-
ing to covered individuals interested in business 
ownership; and 
‘‘(B) provide covered individuals with the 
tools, skills, and knowledge necessary to identify 
a business opportunity, draft a business plan, 
identify sources of capital, connect with local 
resources for small business concerns, and 
launch a small business concern. 
‘‘(4) PROGRAM COMPONENTS.— 
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Boots to Busi-
ness Program may include— 
‘‘(i) a presentation providing exposure 
to the considerations involved in self-em-
ployment and ownership of a small busi-
ness concern; 
‘‘(ii) an online, self-study course fo-
cused on the basic skills of entrepreneur-
ship, the language of business, and the 
considerations involved in self-employment 
and ownership of a small business concern; 
‘‘(iii) an in-person classroom instruc-
tion component providing an introduction 
to the foundations of self employment and 
ownership of a small business concern; and 
‘‘(iv) 
in-depth 
training 
delivered 
through online instruction, including an 
online course that leads to the creation of 
a business plan. 
‘‘(B) 
COLLABORATION.—The 
Adminis-
trator may— 
‘‘(i) collaborate with public and pri-
vate entities to develop course curricula for 
the Boots to Business Program; and 
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‘‘(ii) modify program components in 
coordination with entities participating in a 
Warriors in Transition program, as defined 
in section 738(e) of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 
(10 U.S.C. 1071 note). 
‘‘(C) UTILIZATION
OF
RESOURCE
PART-
NERS.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator 
shall— 
‘‘(I) ensure that Veteran Busi-
ness Outreach Centers regularly par-
ticipate, on a nationwide basis, in the 
Boots to Business Program; and 
‘‘(II) to the maximum extent 
practicable, use a variety of other re-
source partners and entities in admin-
istering the Boots to Business Pro-
gram. 
‘‘(ii) GRANT AUTHORITY.—In carrying 
out clause (i), the Administrator may make 
grants to Veteran Business Outreach Cen-
ters, other resource partners, or other enti-
ties to carry out components of the Boots 
to Business Program. 
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‘‘(D) AVAILABILITY TO DEPARTMENT OF 
DEFENSE.—The 
Administrator 
shall 
make 
available to the Secretary of Defense informa-
tion regarding the Boots to Business Program, 
including all course materials created for the 
Boots to Business Program, for inclusion on 
the website of the Department of Defense relat-
ing to the Transition Assistance Program, in 
the Transition Assistance Program manual, and 
in other relevant materials available for dis-
tribution from the Secretary of Defense. 
‘‘(E) AVAILABILITY
TO
VETERANS
AF-
FAIRS.—In consultation with the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs, the Administrator shall make 
available outreach materials regarding the 
Boots to Business Program for distribution and 
display at local facilities of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs which shall, at a minimum— 
‘‘(i) describe the Boots to Business 
Program and the services provided; and 
‘‘(ii) include eligibility requirements 
for participating in the Boots to Business 
Program. 
‘‘(5) REVIEW.—The Inspector General of the 
Administration shall submit to the Committee on 
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Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate 
and the Committee on Small Business of the House 
of Representatives an annual report regarding the 
awarding of grants to entities under paragraph 
(4)(C). 
‘‘(6) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this subsection and every 
year thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to 
the Committee on Small Business and Entrepre-
neurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small 
Business of the House of Representatives a report 
on the performance and effectiveness of the Boots to 
Business Program, which may be included as part of 
another report submitted to such Committees by the 
Administrator, and which shall include— 
‘‘(A) the number of program participants 
using each component of the Boots to Business 
Program; 
‘‘(B) the completion rates for each compo-
nent of the Boots to Business Program; 
‘‘(C) to the extent possible— 
‘‘(i) the demographics of program par-
ticipants, to include gender, age, race, rela-
tionship to military, military occupational 
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comments received from program partici-
pants; 
‘‘(D) an evaluation of the effectiveness of 
the Boots to Business Program in each region 
of the Administration during the most recent 
fiscal year; 
‘‘(E) an assessment of additional perform-
ance outcome measures for the Boots to Busi-
ness Program, as identified by the Adminis-
trator; 
‘‘(F) any recommendations of the Adminis-
trator for improvement of the Boots to Busi-
ness Program, which may include expansion of 
the types of individuals who are covered individ-
uals; 
‘‘(G) an explanation of how the Boots to 
Business Program has been integrated with 
other transition programs and related resources 
of the Administration and other Federal agen-
cies; and 
‘‘(H) any additional information the Ad-
ministrator determines necessary.’’. 
Æ 
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