I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1693
To amend the Small Business Act to assist the development of small business
concerns owned and controlled by women, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 21, 1997
Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Small Business
A BILL
To amend the Small Business Act to assist the development
of small business concerns owned and controlled by
women, 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 ‘‘Women’s Business
Centers Act of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. WOMEN’S BUSINESS TRAINING CENTERS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 29 of the Small Business
Act (15 U.S.C. 656) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘SEC. 29. (a) The Administration may provide finan-
cial assistance to private organizations to conduct five-
year projects for the benefit of small business concerns
owned and controlled by women. The projects shall pro-
vide—
‘‘(1) financial assistance, including training and
counseling in how to apply for and secure business
credit and investment capital, preparing and pre-
senting financial statements, and managing cashflow
and other financial operations of a business concern;
‘‘(2) management assistance, including training
and counseling in how to plan, organize, staff, direct
and control each major activity and function of a
small business concern; and
‘‘(3) marketing assistance, including training
and counseling in identifying and segmenting domes-
tic and international market opportunities, preparing
and executing marketing plans, developing pricing
strategies, locating contract opportunities, negotiat-
ing contracts, and utilizing varying public relations
and advertising techniques.
‘‘(b)(1) As a condition of receiving financial assist-
ance authorized by this section, the recipient organization
shall agree to obtain, after its application has been ap-
proved and notice of award has been issued, cash contribu-
tions from non-Federal sources as follows:
‘‘(A) in the first, second, and third years, 1
non-Federal dollar for each 2 Federal dollars;
‘‘(B) in the fourth year, 1 non-Federal dollar
for each Federal dollar; and
‘‘(C) in the fifth year, 2 non-Federal dollars for
each Federal dollar.
‘‘(2) Up to one-half of the non-Federal sector match-
ing assistance may be in the form of in-kind contributions
which are budget line items only, including but not limited
to office equipment and office space.
‘‘(3) The financial assistance authorized pursuant to
this section may be made by grant, contract, or coopera-
tive agreement and may contain such provision, as nec-
essary, to provide for payments in lump sum or install-
ments, and in advance or by way of reimbursement. The
Administration may disburse up to 25 percent of each
year’s Federal share awarded to a recipient organization
after notice of the award has been issued and before the
non-Federal sector matching funds are obtained.
‘‘(4) If any recipient of assistance fails to obtain the
required non-Federal contribution during any project, it
shall not be eligible thereafter for advance disbursements
pursuant to paragraph (3) during the remainder of that
project, or for any other project for which it is or may
be funded. In addition, prior to approving assistance to
such organization for any other projects, the Administra-
tion shall specifically determine whether the Administra-
tion believes that the recipient will be able to obtain the
requisite non-Federal funding and enter a written finding
setting forth the reasons for making such determination.
‘‘(c) Each applicant organization initially shall sub-
mit a five-year plan on proposed fundraising and training
activities, and a recipient organization may receive finan-
cial assistance under this program for a maximum of five
years per site. The Administration shall evaluate and rank
applicants in accordance with predetermined selection cri-
teria that shall be stated in terms of relative importance.
Such criteria and their relative importance shall be made
publicly available and stated in each solicitation for appli-
cations made by the Administration. The criteria shall in-
clude—
‘‘(1) the experience of the applicant in conduct-
ing programs or on-going efforts designed to impart
or upgrade the business skills of women business
owners or potential owners;
‘‘(2) the present ability of the applicant to com-
mence a project within a minimum amount of time;
and
‘‘(3) the ability of the applicant to provide
training and services to a representative number of
women who are both socially and economically dis-
advantaged.
‘‘(d) For the purposes of this section, the term small
business concern, either ‘start-up’ or existing, owned and
controlled by women includes any small business con-
cern—
‘‘(1) which is at least 51 percent owned by one
or more women; and
‘‘(2) the management and daily business oper-
ations are controlled by one or more women.
‘‘(e) There are authorized to be appropriated
$8,000,000 per year to carry out the projects authorized
by this section. Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, the Administration may use such expedited acquisi-
tion methods as it deems appropriate to achieve the pur-
poses of this section, except that it shall ensure that all
eligible sources are provided a reasonable opportunity to
submit proposals.
‘‘(f) The Administration shall prepare and transmit
a biennial report to the Committees on Small Business
of the Senate and House of Representatives on the effec-
tiveness of all projects conducted under the authority of
this section. Such report shall provide information con-
cerning—
‘‘(1) the number of individuals receiving assist-
ance;
‘‘(2) the number of start-up business concerns
formed;
‘‘(3) the gross receipts of assisted concerns;
‘‘(4) increases or decreases in profits of assisted
concerns; and
‘‘(5) the employment increases or decreases of
assisted concerns.
‘‘(g) OFFICE OF WOMEN’S BUSINESS OWNERSHIP.—
There is hereby established within the Administration an
Office of Women’s Business Ownership, which shall be re-
sponsible for the administration of the Administration’s
programs for the development of women’s business enter-
prises, as such term is defined in section 408 of the Wom-
en’s Business Ownership Act of 1988. The Office of Wom-
en’s Business Ownership shall be administered by an As-
sistant Administrator, who shall be appointed by the Ad-
ministrator.’’.
(b) APPLICABILITY.—Any organization conducting a
three-year project under Section 29 of the Small Business
Act (15 U.S.C. 656) on the date of the enactment of this
Act may extend such project to five years and receive fi-
nancial assistance according to section 29(b)(1) of the
Small Business Act as amended by the Women’s Business
Centers Act of 1997.
Æ