H. R. 4253 
One Hundred Tenth Congress 
of the 
United States of America 
AT THE SECOND SESSION 
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday, 
the third day of January, two thousand and eight 
An Act 
To improve and expand small business assistance programs for veterans of the 
armed forces and military reservists, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Military Reservist and Veteran 
Small Business Reauthorization and Opportunity Act of 2008’’. 
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents for this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title. 
Sec. 2. Table of contents. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
TITLE I—VETERANS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT 
Sec. 101. Increased funding for the Office of Veterans Business Development. 
Sec. 102. Interagency task force. 
Sec. 103. Permanent extension of SBA Advisory Committee on Veterans Business 
Affairs. 
Sec. 104. Office of Veterans Business Development. 
Sec. 105. Increasing the number of outreach centers. 
Sec. 106. Independent study on gaps in availability of outreach centers. 
Sec. 107. Veterans assistance and services program. 
TITLE II—RESERVIST PROGRAMS 
Sec. 201. Reservist programs. 
Sec. 202. Reservist loans. 
Sec. 203. Noncollateralized loans. 
Sec. 204. Loan priority. 
Sec. 205. Relief from time limitations for veteran-owned small businesses. 
Sec. 206. Service-disabled veterans. 
Sec. 207. Study on options for promoting positive working relations between em-
ployers and their Reserve Component employees. 
Sec. 208. Increased Veteran Participation Program. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘activated’’ means receiving an order placing 
a Reservist on active duty; 
(2) the term ‘‘active duty’’ has the meaning given that 
term in section 101 of title 10, United States Code; 
(3) the terms ‘‘Administration’’ and ‘‘Administrator’’ mean 
the Small Business Administration and the Administrator 
thereof, respectively; 
(4) the term ‘‘Reservist’’ means a member of a reserve 
component of the Armed Forces, as described in section 10101 
of title 10, United States Code;
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(5) the term ‘‘Service Corps of Retired Executives’’ means 
the Service Corps of Retired Executives authorized by section 
8(b)(1) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(b)(1)); 
(6) the terms ‘‘service-disabled veteran’’ and ‘‘small business 
concern’’ have the meaning as in section 3 of the Small Business 
Act (15 U.S.C. 632); 
(7) the term ‘‘small business development center’’ means 
a small business development center described in section 21 
of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648); and 
(8) the term ‘‘women’s business center’’ means a women’s 
business center described in section 29 of the Small Business 
Act (15 U.S.C. 656). 
TITLE I—VETERANS BUSINESS 
DEVELOPMENT 
SEC. 101. INCREASED FUNDING FOR THE OFFICE OF VETERANS BUSI-
NESS DEVELOPMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appropriated to 
the Office of Veterans Business Development of the Administration, 
to remain available until expended— 
(1) $2,100,000 for fiscal year 2008; and 
(2) $2,300,000 for fiscal year 2009. 
(b) FUNDING OFFSET.—Amounts necessary to carry out sub-
section (a) shall be offset and made available through the reduction 
of the authorization of funding under section 20(e)(1)(B)(iv) of the 
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 note). 
(c) SENSE
OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress that 
any amounts provided pursuant to this section that are in excess 
of amounts provided to the Administration for the Office of Veterans 
Business Development in fiscal year 2007, should be used to support 
Veterans Business Outreach Centers. 
SEC. 102. INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE. 
Section 32 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657b) is 
amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (c) as (f); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following: 
‘‘(c) INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of enactment of this subsection, the President shall estab-
lish an interagency task force to coordinate the efforts of Fed-
eral agencies necessary to improve capital and business develop-
ment opportunities for, and ensure achievement of the pre- 
established Federal contracting goals for, small business con-
cerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans and 
small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans (in 
this section referred to as the ‘task force’). 
‘‘(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The members of the task force shall 
include— 
‘‘(A) the Administrator, who shall serve as chairperson 
of the task force; and 
‘‘(B) a senior level representative from— 
‘‘(i) the Department of Veterans Affairs; 
‘‘(ii) the Department of Defense;
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‘‘(iii) the Administration (in addition to the 
Administrator); 
‘‘(iv) the Department of Labor; 
‘‘(v) the Department of the Treasury; 
‘‘(vi) the General Services Administration; 
‘‘(vii) the Office of Management and Budget; and 
‘‘(viii) 4 representatives from a veterans service 
organization or military organization or association, 
selected by the President. 
‘‘(3) DUTIES.—The task force shall— 
‘‘(A) consult regularly with veterans service organiza-
tions and military organizations in performing the duties 
of the task force; and 
‘‘(B) coordinate administrative and regulatory activities 
and develop proposals relating to— 
‘‘(i) improving capital access and capacity of small 
business concerns owned and controlled by service- 
disabled veterans and small business concerns owned 
and controlled by veterans through loans, surety 
bonding, and franchising; 
‘‘(ii) ensuring achievement of the pre-established 
Federal contracting goals for small business concerns 
owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans and 
small business concerns owned and controlled by vet-
erans through expanded mentor-prote´ge´ assistance and 
matching such small business concerns with con-
tracting opportunities; 
‘‘(iii) increasing the integrity of certifications of 
status as a small business concern owned and con-
trolled by service-disabled veterans or a small business 
concern owned and controlled by veterans; 
‘‘(iv) reducing paperwork and administrative bur-
dens on veterans in accessing business development 
and entrepreneurship opportunities; 
‘‘(v) increasing and improving training and coun-
seling services provided to small business concerns 
owned and controlled by veterans; and 
‘‘(vi) making other improvements relating to the 
support for veterans business development by the Fed-
eral Government.’’. 
SEC. 103. PERMANENT EXTENSION OF SBA ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON 
VETERANS BUSINESS AFFAIRS. 
(a) ASSUMPTION OF DUTIES.—Section 33 of the Small Business 
Act (15 U.S.C. 657c) is amended— 
(1) by striking subsection (h); and 
(2) by redesignating subsections (i) through (k) as sub-
sections (h) through (j), respectively. 
(b) PERMANENT EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY.—Section 203 of the 
Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act 
of 1999 (15 U.S.C. 657b note) is amended by striking subsection 
(h). 
SEC. 104. OFFICE OF VETERANS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. 
Section 32 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657b) is 
amended by inserting after subsection (c) (as added by section 
102) the following: 
‘‘(d) PARTICIPATION IN TAP WORKSHOPS.—
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‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Associate Administrator shall 
increase veteran outreach by ensuring that Veteran Business 
Outreach Centers regularly participate, on a nationwide basis, 
in the workshops of the Transition Assistance Program of the 
Department of Labor. 
‘‘(2) PRESENTATIONS.—In carrying out paragraph (1), a Vet-
eran Business Outreach Center may provide grants to entities 
located in Transition Assistance Program locations to make 
presentations on the opportunities available from the Adminis-
tration for recently separating or separated veterans. Each 
presentation under this paragraph shall include, at a minimum, 
a description of the entrepreneurial and business training 
resources available from the Administration. 
‘‘(3) WRITTEN
MATERIALS.—The Associate Administrator 
shall— 
‘‘(A) create written materials that provide comprehen-
sive 
information 
on 
self-employment 
and 
veterans 
entrepreneurship, including information on resources avail-
able from the Administration on such topics; and 
‘‘(B) make the materials created under subparagraph 
(A) available to the Secretary of Labor for inclusion in 
the Transition Assistance Program manual. 
‘‘(4) REPORTS.—The Associate Administrator shall submit 
to Congress progress reports on the implementation of this 
subsection. 
‘‘(e) WOMEN VETERANS BUSINESS TRAINING.—The Associate 
Administrator shall— 
‘‘(1) compile information on existing resources available 
to women veterans for business training, including resources 
for— 
‘‘(A) vocational and technical education; 
‘‘(B) general business skills, such as marketing and 
accounting; and 
‘‘(C) business assistance programs targeted to women 
veterans; and 
‘‘(2) disseminate the information compiled under paragraph 
(1) through Veteran Business Outreach Centers and women’s 
business centers.’’. 
SEC. 105. INCREASING THE NUMBER OF OUTREACH CENTERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall use the authority 
in section 8(b)(17) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(b)(17)) 
to ensure that the number of Veterans Business Outreach Centers 
throughout the United States increases— 
(1) subject to subsection (b), by at least 2, for each of 
fiscal years 2008 and 2009; and 
(2) by the number that the Administrator considers appro-
priate, based on need, for each fiscal year thereafter. 
(b) LIMITATION.—Subsection (a)(1) shall apply in a fiscal year 
if, for that fiscal year, the amount made available for the Office 
of Veterans Business Development is more than the amount made 
available for the Office of Veterans Business Development for fiscal 
year 2007. 
SEC. 106. INDEPENDENT STUDY ON GAPS IN AVAILABILITY OF OUT-
REACH CENTERS. 
The Administrator shall sponsor an independent study on gaps 
in the availability of Veterans Business Outreach Centers across
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the United States, to inform decisions on funding and on the alloca-
tion and coordination of resources. Not later than 6 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit 
to Congress a report on the results of the study. 
SEC. 107. VETERANS ASSISTANCE AND SERVICES PROGRAM. 
Section 21 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(n) VETERANS ASSISTANCE AND SERVICES PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A small business development center 
may apply for a grant under this subsection to carry out a 
veterans assistance and services program. 
‘‘(2) ELEMENTS
OF
PROGRAM.—Under a program carried 
out with a grant under this subsection, a small business 
development center shall— 
‘‘(A) create a marketing campaign to promote aware-
ness and education of the services of the center that are 
available to veterans, and to target the campaign toward 
veterans, service-disabled veterans, military units, Federal 
agencies, and veterans organizations; 
‘‘(B) use technology-assisted online counseling and dis-
tance learning technology to overcome the impediments 
to entrepreneurship faced by veterans and members of 
the Armed Forces; and 
‘‘(C) increase coordination among organizations that 
assist veterans, including by establishing virtual integra-
tion of service providers and offerings for a one-stop point 
of contact for veterans who are entrepreneurs or owners 
of small business concerns. 
‘‘(3) AMOUNT OF GRANTS.—A grant under this subsection 
shall be for not less than $75,000 and not more than $250,000. 
‘‘(4) FUNDING.—Subject to amounts approved in advance 
in appropriations Acts, the Administration may make grants 
or enter into cooperative agreements to carry out the provisions 
of this subsection.’’. 
TITLE II—RESERVIST PROGRAMS 
SEC. 201. RESERVIST PROGRAMS. 
(a) APPLICATION PERIOD.—Section 7(b)(3)(C) of the Small Busi-
ness Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)(3)(C)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘90 days’’ and inserting ‘‘1 year’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘The Administrator 
may, when appropriate (as determined by the Administrator), 
extend the ending date specified in the preceding sentence 
by not more than 1 year.’’. 
(b) PRE-CONSIDERATION PROCESS.— 
(1) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘eligible 
Reservist’’ means a Reservist who— 
(A) has not been ordered to active duty; 
(B) expects to be ordered to active duty during a period 
of military conflict; and 
(C) can reasonably demonstrate that the small business 
concern for which that Reservist is a key employee will 
suffer economic injury in the absence of that Reservist.
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(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 6 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish 
a pre-consideration process, under which the Administrator— 
(A) may collect all relevant materials necessary for 
processing a loan to a small business concern under section 
7(b)(3) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)(3)) 
before an eligible Reservist employed by that small busi-
ness concern is activated; and 
(B) shall distribute funds for any loan approved under 
subparagraph (A) if that eligible Reservist is activated. 
(c) OUTREACH AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation 
with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of 
Defense, may develop a comprehensive outreach and technical 
assistance program (in this subsection referred to as the ‘‘pro-
gram’’) to— 
(A) market the loans available under section 7(b)(3) 
of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)(3)) to Reserv-
ists, and family members of Reservists, that are on active 
duty and that are not on active duty; and 
(B) provide technical assistance to a small business 
concern applying for a loan under that section. 
(2) COMPONENTS.—The program shall— 
(A) incorporate appropriate websites maintained by the 
Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and 
the Department of Defense; and 
(B) require that information on the program is made 
available to small business concerns directly through— 
(i) the district offices and resource partners of the 
Administration, including small business development 
centers, women’s business centers, and the Service 
Corps of Retired Executives; and 
(ii) other Federal agencies, including the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs and the Department of 
Defense. 
(3) REPORT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, and every 6 months there-
after until the date that is 30 months after such date 
of enactment, the Administrator shall submit to Congress 
a report on the status of the program. 
(B) CONTENTS.—Each report submitted under subpara-
graph (A) shall include— 
(i) for the 6-month period ending on the date of 
that report— 
(I) the number of loans approved under section 
7(b)(3) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
636(b)(3)); 
(II) the number of loans disbursed under that 
section; and 
(III) the total amount disbursed under that 
section; and 
(ii) recommendations, if any, to make the program 
more effective in serving small business concerns that 
employ Reservists.
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SEC. 202. RESERVIST LOANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator and the Secretary of 
Defense shall develop a joint website and printed materials pro-
viding information regarding any program for small business con-
cerns that is available to veterans or Reservists. 
(b) MARKETING.—The Administrator is authorized— 
(1) to advertise and promote the program under section 
7(b)(3) of the Small Business Act jointly with the Secretary 
of Defense and veterans’ service organizations; and 
(2) to advertise and promote participation by lenders in 
such program jointly with trade associations for banks or other 
lending institutions. 
SEC. 203. NONCOLLATERALIZED LOANS. 
Section 7(b)(3) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)(3)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(G)(i) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
the Administrator may make a loan under this paragraph 
of not more than $50,000 without collateral. 
‘‘(ii) The Administrator may defer payment of principal 
and interest on a loan described in clause (i) during the 
longer of— 
‘‘(I) the 1-year period beginning on the date of 
the initial disbursement of the loan; and 
‘‘(II) the period during which the relevant essential 
employee is on active duty.’’. 
SEC. 204. LOAN PRIORITY. 
Section 7(b)(3) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)(3)), 
as amended by this Act, is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(H) The Administrator shall give priority to any 
application for a loan under this paragraph and shall 
process and make a determination regarding such applica-
tions prior to processing or making a determination on 
other loan applications under this subsection, on a rolling 
basis.’’. 
SEC. 205. RELIEF FROM TIME LIMITATIONS FOR VETERAN-OWNED 
SMALL BUSINESSES. 
Section 3(q) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632(q)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) RELIEF FROM TIME LIMITATIONS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Any time limitation on any quali-
fication, certification, or period of participation imposed 
under this Act on any program that is available to small 
business concerns shall be extended for a small business 
concern that— 
‘‘(i) is owned and controlled by— 
‘‘(I) a veteran who was called or ordered to 
active duty under a provision of law specified in 
section 101(a)(13)(B) of title 10, United States 
Code, on or after September 11, 2001; or 
‘‘(II) a service-disabled veteran who became 
such a veteran due to an injury or illness incurred 
or aggravated in the active military, naval, or air 
service during a period of active duty pursuant 
to a call or order to active duty under a provision
H. R. 4253—8 
of law referred to in subclause (I) on or after 
September 11, 2001; and 
‘‘(ii) was subject to the time limitation during such 
period of active duty. 
‘‘(B) DURATION.—Upon submission of proper docu-
mentation to the Administrator, the extension of a time 
limitation under subparagraph (A) shall be equal to the 
period of time that such veteran who owned or controlled 
such a concern was on active duty as described in that 
subparagraph. 
‘‘(C) EXCEPTION FOR PROGRAMS SUBJECT TO FEDERAL 
CREDIT REFORM ACT OF 1990.—The provisions of subpara-
graphs (A) and (B) shall not apply to any programs subject 
to the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 (2 U.S.C. 661 
et seq.).’’. 
SEC. 206. SERVICE-DISABLED VETERANS. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit 
to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the 
Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House of 
Representatives a report describing— 
(1) the types of assistance needed by service-disabled vet-
erans who wish to become entrepreneurs; and 
(2) any resources that would assist such service-disabled 
veterans. 
SEC. 207. STUDY ON OPTIONS FOR PROMOTING POSITIVE WORKING 
RELATIONS BETWEEN EMPLOYERS AND THEIR RESERVE 
COMPONENT EMPLOYEES. 
(a) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct a study on options for promoting positive 
working relations between employers and Reserve component 
employees of such employers, including assessing options for 
improving the time in which employers of Reservists are notified 
of the call or order of such members to active duty other than 
for training. 
(b) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress 
a report on the study conducted under subsection (a). 
(2) CONTENTS.—The report submitted under paragraph (1) 
shall— 
(A) provide a quantitative and qualitative assessment 
of— 
(i) what measures, if any, are being taken to inform 
Reservists of the obligations and responsibilities of 
such members to their employers; 
(ii) how effective such measures have been; and 
(iii) whether there are additional measures that 
could be taken to promote positive working relations 
between Reservists and their employers, including any 
steps that could be taken to ensure that employers 
are timely notified of a call to active duty; and 
(B) assess whether there has been a reduction in the 
hiring of Reservists by business concerns because of—
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(i) any increase in the use of Reservists after Sep-
tember 11, 2001; or 
(ii) any change in any policy of the Department 
of Defense relating to Reservists after September 11, 
2001. 
(c) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘appropriate committees of Congress’’ means— 
(1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee 
on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate; and 
(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee 
on Small Business of the House of Representatives. 
SEC. 208. INCREASED VETERAN PARTICIPATION PROGRAM. 
Section 7(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(32) INCREASED VETERAN PARTICIPATION PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(A) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph— 
‘‘(i) the term ‘cost’ has the meaning given that 
term in section 502 of the Federal Credit Reform Act 
of 1990 (2 U.S.C. 661a); 
‘‘(ii) the term ‘pilot program’ means the pilot pro-
gram established under subparagraph (B); and 
‘‘(iii) the term ‘veteran participation loan’ means 
a loan made under this subsection to a small business 
concern owned and controlled by veterans of the Armed 
Forces or members of the reserve components of the 
Armed Forces. 
‘‘(B) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator shall estab-
lish and carry out a pilot program under which the 
Administrator shall reduce the fees for veteran participa-
tion loans. 
‘‘(C) DURATION.—The pilot program shall terminate at 
the end of the second full fiscal year after the date that 
the Administrator establishes the pilot program. 
‘‘(D) MAXIMUM PARTICIPATION.—A veteran participation 
loan shall include the maximum participation levels by 
the Administrator permitted for loans made under this 
subsection. 
‘‘(E) FEES.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The fee on a veteran participa-
tion loan shall be equal to 50 percent of the fee other-
wise applicable to that loan under paragraph (18). 
‘‘(ii) WAIVER.—The Administrator may waive 
clause (i) for a fiscal year if— 
‘‘(I) for the fiscal year before that fiscal year, 
the annual estimated rate of default of veteran 
participation loans exceeds that of loans made 
under this subsection that are not veteran partici-
pation loans; 
‘‘(II) the cost to the Administration of making 
loans under this subsection is greater than zero 
and such cost is directly attributable to the cost 
of making veteran participation loans; and 
‘‘(III) 
no 
additional 
sources 
of 
revenue 
authority are available to reduce the cost of 
making loans under this subsection to zero.
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‘‘(iii) EFFECT
OF
WAIVER.—If the Administrator 
waives the reduction of fees under clause (ii), the 
Administrator— 
‘‘(I) shall not assess or collect fees in an 
amount greater than necessary to ensure that the 
cost of the program under this subsection is not 
greater than zero; and 
‘‘(II) shall reinstate the fee reductions under 
clause (i) when the conditions in clause (ii) no 
longer apply. 
‘‘(iv) NO INCREASE OF FEES.—The Administrator 
shall not increase the fees under paragraph (18) on 
loans made under this subsection that are not veteran 
participation loans as a direct result of the pilot pro-
gram. 
‘‘(F) GAO REPORT.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date that the pilot program terminates, the Comp-
troller General of the United States shall submit to 
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 
pilot program. 
‘‘(ii) CONTENTS.—The report submitted under 
clause (i) shall include— 
‘‘(I) the number of veteran participation loans 
for which fees were reduced under the pilot pro-
gram; 
‘‘(II) a description of the impact of the pilot 
program on the program under this subsection; 
‘‘(III) an evaluation of the efficacy and poten-
tial fraud and abuse of the pilot program; and 
‘‘(IV) recommendations for improving the pilot 
program.’’. 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.