I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6133 
To reauthorize the State Trade Expansion Program of the Small Business 
Administration, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 9, 2020 
Ms. FINKENAUER (for herself and Mr. SPANO) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Small Business 
A BILL 
To reauthorize the State Trade Expansion Program of the 
Small Business Administration, 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 ‘‘STEP Improvement 
Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. STATE TRADE EXPANSION PROGRAM. 
(a) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—Section 22(l)(3) 
of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649(l)(3)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in subparagraph (D)— 
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(A) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘, including 
a budget plan for use of funds awarded under 
this subsection’’ before the period at the end; 
and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
clause: 
‘‘(iii) TIMING.—The Associate Admin-
istrator shall— 
‘‘(I) publish information on how 
to apply for a grant under this sub-
section, including specific calculations 
and other determinations used to 
award such a grant, not later than 
March 31 of each year; 
‘‘(II) establish a deadline for the 
submission of applications that is not 
earlier than 60 days after the date on 
which the information is published 
under subclause (I), but in any case 
not later than May 31; and 
‘‘(III) announce grant recipients 
not later than August 31 of each 
year.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraphs: 
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‘‘(E) APPLICATION
INFORMATION.—The 
Associate Administrator shall clearly commu-
nicate to applicants and grant recipients any in-
formation about State Trade Expansion Pro-
gram, including— 
‘‘(i) for each unsuccessful applicant 
for a grant awarded under this subsection, 
recommendations to improve a subsequent 
application for such a grant; and 
‘‘(ii) for each successful applicant for 
such a grant, an explanation for the 
amount awarded, if different from the 
amount requested in the application. 
‘‘(F) BUDGET PLAN REVISIONS.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—A State receiving 
a grant under this subsection may revise 
the budget plan of the State submitted 
under subparagraph (D) after the dis-
bursal of grant funds if— 
‘‘(I) the revision complies with al-
lowable uses of grant funds under this 
subsection; and 
‘‘(II) such State submits notifica-
tion of the revision to the Associate 
Administrator. 
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‘‘(ii) EXCEPTION.—If a revision under 
clause (i) reallocates 10 percent or more of 
the amounts described in the budget plan 
of the State submitted under subparagraph 
(D), the State may not implement the re-
vised budget plan without the approval of 
the Associate Administrator, unless the As-
sociate Administrator fails to approve or 
deny the revised plan within 10 days after 
receipt of such revised plan.’’. 
(b) SURVEY.—Section 22(l) of the Small Business 
Act (15 U.S.C. 649(l)) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (7) through 
(9) as paragraphs (8) through (10), respectively; 
and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (6) the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(7) SURVEY.—The Associate Administrator 
shall conduct an annual survey of each State that 
received a grant under this subsection during the 
preceding year to solicit feedback on the program.’’. 
(c) ANNUAL REPORT.—Section 22(l)(8)(B) of the 
Small Business Act, as redesignated by subsection (b), is 
amended— 
(1) in clause (i)— 
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(A) in subclause (III), by inserting ‘‘, in-
cluding the total number of eligible small busi-
ness 
concerns 
assisted 
by 
the 
program 
(disaggregated by socially and economically dis-
advantaged small business concerns, small busi-
ness concerns owned and controlled by women, 
and rural small business concerns)’’ before the 
semicolon at the end; 
(B) in subclause (IV), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(C) in subclause (V)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘description of best 
practices’’ and inserting ‘‘detailed descrip-
tion of best practices’’; and 
(ii) by striking the period at the end 
and inserting a semicolon; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following new 
subclauses: 
‘‘(VI) an analysis of the perform-
ance metrics described in clause (iii) 
and the survey described in paragraph 
(7); and 
‘‘(VII) a description of lessons 
learned by grant recipients under this 
subsection that may apply to other as-
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‘‘(V) Number of such concerns 
that, because of participation in the 
program, have accessed a new market. 
‘‘(VI) Number of such concerns 
that, because of participation in the 
program, have created new jobs. 
‘‘(VII) Number of such concerns 
participating in foreign trade missions 
or 
trade 
show 
exhibitions, 
disaggregated by socially and eco-
nomically disadvantaged small busi-
ness concerns, small business concerns 
owned and controlled by women, and 
rural small business concerns.’’. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
22(l)(10) of the Small Business Act, as redesignated by 
subsection (b), is amended by striking ‘‘fiscal years 2016 
through 2020’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal years 2021 through 
2024’’. 
(e) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Associate 
Administrator for International Trade of the Small Busi-
ness Administration shall submit to Congress a report on 
the State Trade Expansion Program established under 
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section 22(l) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649(l)) 
that includes a description of— 
(1) the process developed for review of revised 
budget plans submitted under section 22(l)(3)(F) of 
the Small Business Act, as added by this Act; 
(2) any changes made to streamline the applica-
tion process to remove duplicative requirements and 
create a more transparent process; 
(3) the process developed to share best prac-
tices by States described in section 22(l)(8)(B)(i)(V) 
(as redesignated by this Act), particularly for first- 
time grant recipients under the State Trade Expan-
sion Program or grant recipients that are facing 
problems using grant funds; and 
(4) the process developed to communicate, both 
verbally and in writing, relevant information about 
the State Trade Expansion Program to all grant re-
cipients in a timely manner. 
Æ 
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