IIB 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1606 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
JUNE 21, 2023 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and 
Entrepreneurship 
AN ACT 
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, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veteran Entrepreneur-
ship Training Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. BOOTS TO BUSINESS PROGRAM. 
Section 32 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
657b) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(h) BOOTS TO BUSINESS PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) COVERED INDIVIDUAL DEFINED.—In this 
subsection, the term ‘covered individual’ means— 
‘‘(A) a member of the Armed Forces, in-
cluding the National Guard or Reserves; 
‘‘(B) an individual who is participating in 
the Transition Assistance Program established 
under section 1144 of title 10, United States 
Code; 
‘‘(C) an individual who— 
‘‘(i) served on active duty in any 
branch of the Armed Forces, including the 
National Guard or Reserves; and 
‘‘(ii) was discharged or released from 
such service under conditions other than 
dishonorable; and 
‘‘(D) a spouse or dependent of an indi-
vidual described in subparagraph (A), (B), or 
(C). 
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‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—During the period be-
ginning on the date of enactment of this subsection 
and ending on September 30, 2028, the Adminis-
trator shall carry out a program to be known as the 
‘Boots to Business Program’ to provide entrepre-
neurship 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 start 
up a small business concern. 
‘‘(4) PROGRAM COMPONENTS.— 
‘‘(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; 
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‘‘(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 
‘‘(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). 
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