I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8443 
To amend the Small Business Act to provide re-entry entrepreneurship coun-
seling and training services for incarcerated individuals, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 16, 2024 
Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Small Business 
A BILL 
To amend the Small Business Act to provide re-entry entre-
preneurship counseling and training services for incarcer-
ated individuals, 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 ‘‘Prison to Proprietor-
ship Act’’. 
SEC. 2. RE-ENTRY ENTREPRENEURSHIP COUNSELING AND 
TRAINING FOR INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS. 
The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is 
amended— 
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(1) by redesignating section 49 as section 50; 
and 
(2) by inserting after section 48 the following 
new section: 
‘‘SEC. 49. RE-ENTRY ENTREPRENEURSHIP COUNSELING 
AND TRAINING FOR INCARCERATED INDIVID-
UALS. 
‘‘(a) SERVICES REQUIRED.—The Administrator, in 
coordination with the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, 
shall require women’s business centers and small business 
development centers identified under the plan described in 
subsection (b) to provide entrepreneurship counseling and 
training services to covered individuals. 
‘‘(b) PLAN.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall— 
‘‘(A) develop a plan, which shall be up-
dated annually, to match women’s business cen-
ters and small business development centers 
with covered individuals in Federal prisons who 
are eligible to receive services under this sec-
tion; and 
‘‘(B) seek to consult with both an associa-
tion formed to pursue matters of common con-
cern to women’s business centers and an asso-
ciation of small business development centers 
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formed pursuant to section 21(a)(3)(A) to de-
velop and update such plan. 
‘‘(2) 
MATCHING.—In 
determining 
matches 
under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall 
prioritize matching the women’s business center or 
small business development center in closest prox-
imity to the applicable Federal prison. 
‘‘(3) ASSOCIATION
RESPONSIBILITIES.—If the 
women’s business center or small business develop-
ment center identified under the plan in paragraph 
(1) is unable to provide such services to covered in-
dividuals in such Federal prison, another women’s 
business center or small business development cen-
ter, an association of women’s business centers, or 
an association of small business development centers 
shall provide such services in accordance with the re-
quirements of this section. 
‘‘(c) GOALS.—The goals of the services provided 
under this section is to provide covered individuals with 
the following: 
‘‘(1) Assistance and in-depth training on how to 
start or expand a small business concern. 
‘‘(2) Tools, skills, and knowledge necessary to 
identify a business opportunity, including how to— 
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‘‘(A) draft a re´sume´, business plan, and 
transition plan; 
‘‘(B) identify sources of capital; and 
‘‘(C) connect with local resources for small 
business concerns. 
‘‘(d) ADDITIONAL
REQUIREMENTS.—The services 
provided under this section shall include— 
‘‘(1) a presentation providing exposure to the 
opportunities involved in self-employment and own-
ership of a small business concern; 
‘‘(2) a self-study course manual focused on the 
basic skills of entrepreneurship, financial literacy, 
the language of business, and the considerations and 
life skills relevant to self-employment and ownership 
of a small business concern; 
‘‘(3) five two-day sessions of in-depth classroom 
instruction introducing the foundations of self-em-
ployment and ownership of small business concerns, 
including guided discussions to explore personal en-
trepreneurial development interests; and 
‘‘(4) in-depth one-on-one training, including in-
dividual support in the development of a business 
plan, entrepreneurial skills, and strategies for start-
ing up a small business concern. 
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‘‘(e) CERTIFICATE.—A covered individual shall re-
ceive a certificate upon completion of the counseling and 
training provided under this section. 
‘‘(f) PRIORITY.—The Administrator shall, to the ex-
tent practicable, ensure that women’s business centers and 
small business development centers prioritize providing en-
trepreneurship counseling and training services to covered 
individuals who will be released from Federal custody not 
later than 18 months after the date on which such a cov-
ered individual begins to receive such services. 
‘‘(g) CONTINUATION OF SERVICES.—A covered indi-
vidual receiving services under this section may continue 
to receive such services after release from Federal custody. 
‘‘(h) GRANT AUTHORITY.—In carrying out this sec-
tion, the Administrator may, subject to appropriation, 
award a grant to an association formed to pursue matters 
of common concern to women’s business centers or small 
business development centers to coordinate the services 
described under this section, including to develop cur-
riculum, train mentors and instructors, and establish pub-
lic-private partnerships to support covered individuals and 
to identify opportunities to access capital for covered indi-
viduals. 
‘‘(i) CURRICULUM.—The Administration shall print 
and make available to women’s business centers, small 
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business development centers, an association of women’s 
business centers, or an association of small business devel-
opment centers any curriculum or course materials devel-
oped pursuant to this section. 
‘‘(j) SURVEY.—Each women’s business center, asso-
ciation of women’s business centers, small business devel-
opment center, or association of small business develop-
ment centers that provided services under this section 
shall survey covered individuals who received such services 
to assess the satisfaction of such covered individuals with 
such services. 
‘‘(k) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this section and annually thereafter, 
the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Small 
Business of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the 
Senate a report on the performance and effectiveness of 
the services provided under this section, which may be in-
cluded as part of another report submitted to such com-
mittees by the Administrator, and which shall include— 
‘‘(1) the number of covered individuals coun-
seled or trained under this section; 
‘‘(2) the number of hours of counseling pro-
vided by each women’s business center and each 
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small business development center under this sec-
tion; 
‘‘(3) the number of certificates presented under 
subsection (e); 
‘‘(4) the demographics of covered individuals 
who received services, including age, gender, race, 
and ethnicity; 
‘‘(5) the level of understanding of business con-
cepts of covered individuals upon completion of the 
counseling and training provided under this section; 
‘‘(6) a summary and analysis of surveys con-
ducted under subsection (j); and 
‘‘(7) any additional information, as determined 
by the Administrator. 
‘‘(l) COVERED INDIVIDUAL DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘covered individual’ means an individual in-
carcerated in a Federal prison designated as a minimum, 
low, or medium security prison by the Director of the Bu-
reau of Prisons. 
‘‘(m) FUNDING.—Subject to the availability of appro-
priations, the Administrator shall reimburse women’s 
business centers, small business development centers, an 
association of women’s business centers, or an association 
of small business development centers, as applicable, for 
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