IIB 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1838 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
NOVEMBER 9, 2009 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and 
Entrepreneurship 
AN ACT 
To amend the Small Business Act to modify certain provi-
sions relating to women’s business centers, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. NOTIFICATION OF GRANTS; PUBLICATION OF 
GRANT AMOUNTS. 
Section 29 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(o) NOTIFICATION OF GRANTS; PUBLICATION OF 
GRANT AMOUNTS.—The Administrator shall disburse 
funds to a women’s business center not later than 1 month 
after the center’s application is approved under this sec-
tion. At the end of each fiscal year the Administrator (act-
ing through the Office of Women’s Business ownership) 
shall publish on the Administration’s website a report set-
ting forth the total amount of the grants made under this 
Act to each women’s business center in the fiscal year for 
which the report is issued, the total amount of such grants 
made in each prior fiscal year to each such center, and 
the total amount of private matching funds provided by 
each such center over the lifetime of the center.’’. 
SEC. 2. COMMUNICATIONS. 
Section 29 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
656), as amended, is further amended by adding at the 
end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(p) COMMUNICATIONS.—The Administrator shall 
establish, by rule, a standardized process to communicate 
with women’s business centers regarding program admin-
istration matters, including reimbursement, regulatory 
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matters, and programmatic changes. The Administrator 
shall notify each women’s business center of the oppor-
tunity for notice and comment on the proposed rule.’’. 
SEC. 3. FUNDING. 
(a) FORMULA.—Section 29(b) of the Small Business 
Act (15 U.S.C. 656(b)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(b) AUTHORITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator may 
provide financial assistance to private nonprofit or-
ganizations to conduct projects for the benefit of 
small business concerns owned and controlled by 
women. The projects shall provide— 
‘‘(A) financial assistance, including train-
ing and counseling in how to apply for and se-
cure business credit and investment capital, 
preparing and presenting financial statements, 
and managing cash flow and other financial op-
erations of a business concern; 
‘‘(B) management assistance, including 
training and counseling in how to plan, orga-
nize, staff, direct, and control each major activ-
ity and function of a small business concern, in-
cluding implementing cost-saving energy tech-
niques; and 
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‘‘(C) marketing assistance, including train-
ing and counseling in identifying and seg-
menting domestic and international market op-
portunities, preparing and executing marketing 
plans, developing pricing strategies, locating 
contract opportunities, negotiating contracts, 
and utilizing varying public relations and adver-
tising techniques. 
‘‘(2) TIERS.—The Administrator shall provide 
assistance under paragraph (1) in 3 tiers of assist-
ance as follows: 
‘‘(A) The first tier shall be to conduct a 5- 
year project in a situation where a project has 
not previously been conducted. Such a project 
shall be in a total amount of not more than 
$150,000 per year. Projects receiving assistance 
under this subparagraph that possess the ca-
pacity to train existing or potential business 
owners in the fields of green technology, clean 
technology, or energy efficiency shall receive the 
maximum award under this subparagraph. 
‘‘(B) The second tier shall be to conduct a 
3-year project in a situation where a first-tier 
project is being completed. Such a project shall 
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be in a total amount of not more than 
$100,000 per year. 
‘‘(C) The third tier shall be to conduct a 
3-year project in a situation where a second-tier 
project is being completed. Such a project shall 
be in a total amount of not more than 
$100,000 per year. Third-tier grants shall be 
renewable subject to established eligibility cri-
teria as well as criteria in subsection (b)(4). 
‘‘(3) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—Of the amounts 
made available for assistance under this subsection, 
the Administrator shall allocate— 
‘‘(A) at least 40 percent for first-tier 
projects under paragraph (2)(A); 
‘‘(B) 20 percent for second-tier projects 
under paragraph (2)(B); and 
‘‘(C) the remainder for third-tier projects 
under paragraph (2)(C). 
‘‘(4) 
BENCHMARKS
FOR
THIRD-TIER 
PROJECTS.—In awarding third-tier projects under 
paragraph (2)(C), the Administrator shall use 
benchmarks based on socio-economic factors in the 
community and on the performance of the applicant. 
The benchmarks shall include— 
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‘‘(A) the total number of women served by 
the project; 
‘‘(B) the proportion of low income women 
and socio-economic distribution of clients served 
by the project; 
‘‘(C) the proportion of individuals in the 
community that are socially or economically dis-
advantaged (based on median income); 
‘‘(D) the future fund-raising and service 
coordination plans; 
‘‘(E) the capacity of the project to train 
existing or potential business owners in the 
fields of green technology, clean technology, or 
energy efficiency; 
‘‘(F) the diversity of services provided; and 
‘‘(G) geographic distribution within and 
across the 10 regions of the Small Business Ad-
ministration.’’. 
(b) MATCHING.—Subparagraphs (A) and (B) of sec-
tion 29(c)(1) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
656(c)(1)) are amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(A) For the first and second years of the 
project, 1 non-Federal dollar for each 2 Federal 
dollars. 
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‘‘(B) Each year after the second year of 
the project— 
‘‘(i) 1 non-Federal dollar for each 
Federal dollar; or 
‘‘(ii) if the center is in a community 
at least 50 percent of the population of 
which is below the median income for the 
State or United States territory in which 
the center is located, 1 non-Federal dollar 
for each 2 Federal dollars.’’. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION.—Section 20 of the Small Busi-
ness Act (15 U.S.C. 631 note) is amended by inserting 
the following new subsection after subsection (e): 
‘‘(f) WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTERS.—There is au-
thorized to be appropriated for purposes of grants under 
section 29 to women’s business centers not more than 
$20,000,000 in fiscal year 2010 and not more than 
$22,000,000 in fiscal year 2011.’’. 
SEC. 4. PERFORMANCE AND PLANNING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 29(h)(1) of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656(h)(1)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (A); 
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as sub-
paragraph (D); and 
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(3) by inserting the following new subpara-
graphs after subparagraph (A): 
‘‘(B) establish performance measures, tak-
ing into account the demographic differences of 
populations served by women’s business centers, 
which measures shall include— 
‘‘(i) outcome-based measures of the 
amount of job creation or economic activity 
generated in the local community as a re-
sult of efforts made and services provided 
by each women’s business center, and 
‘‘(ii) service-based measures of the 
amount of services provided to individuals 
and small business concerns served by each 
women’s business center; 
‘‘(C) require each women’s business center 
to submit an annual plan for the next year that 
includes the center’s funding sources and 
amounts, strategies for increasing outreach to 
women-owned businesses, strategies for increas-
ing job growth in the community, strategies for 
increasing job placement of women in nontradi-
tional occupations, and other content as deter-
mined by the Administrator; and’’. 
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(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 29(h)(1) of 
the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656(h)(1)), as amend-
ed, is further amended by adding the following at the end 
thereof: 
‘‘The Administrator’s evaluation of each women’s 
business center as required by this subsection shall 
be in part based on the performance measures under 
subparagraphs (B) and (C). These measures and the 
Administrator’s evaluations thereof shall be made 
publicly available.’’. 
SEC. 5. NATIONAL WOMEN’S BUSINESS COUNCIL. 
The Women’s Business Ownership Act of 1988 is 
amended as follows: 
(1) In section 409(a) (15 U.S.C. 7109(a)), by 
adding the following at the end thereof: ‘‘Such stud-
ies shall include a study on the impact of the 2008– 
2009 financial markets crisis on women-owned busi-
nesses, and a study of the use of the Small Business 
Administration’s programs by women-owned busi-
nesses.’’. 
(2) In section 410(a) (15 U.S.C. 7110(a)), by 
striking ‘‘2001 through 2003’’ and insert ‘‘2010 and 
2011’’. 
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SEC. 6. APPLICANT EVALUATION CRITERIA. 
Section 29(f) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
656(f)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (4) by striking the period and 
inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) whether the applicant has the capacity to 
train existing or potential business owners in the 
fields of green technology, clean technology, or en-
ergy efficiency.’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives November 7, 
2009. 
Attest: 
LORRAINE C. MILLER, 
Clerk. 
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