SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Entrepre-
neurship and Benefits Improvement Act of 2003’’.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR STATE APPROVING AGENCIES
TO APPROVE CERTAIN ENTREPRENEURSHIP
COURSES.
(a) APPROVAL OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP COURSES.—
Section 3675 of title 38, United States Code, is amended
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(c)(1) A State approving agency may approve the
entrepreneurship courses offered by a qualified provider
of entrepreneurship courses.
‘‘(2) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘entre-
preneurship course’ means a non-degree, non-credit course
of business education that enables or assists a person to
start or enhance a small business enterprise.
‘‘(3) Subsection (a) and paragraphs (1) and (2) of
subsection (b) do not apply to—
‘‘(A) an entrepreneurship course offered by a
qualified provider of entrepreneurship courses; and
‘‘(B) a qualified provider of entrepreneurship
courses by reason of such provider offering one or
more entrepreneurship courses.’’.
(b) BUSINESS OWNERS NOT TREATED AS ALREADY
QUALIFIED.—Section 3471 of such title is amended by in-
serting before the last sentence the following: ‘‘The Sec-
retary shall not treat a person as already qualified for the
objective of a program of education offered by a qualified
provider of entrepreneurship courses solely because such
person is the owner or operator of a business.’’.
(c) INCLUSION OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP COURSES IN
DEFINITION OF PROGRAM OF EDUCATION.—Subsection
(b) of section 3452 of such title is amended by adding
at the end the following: ‘‘Such term also includes any
course, or combination of courses, offered by a qualified
provider of entrepreneurship courses.’’.
(d) INCLUSION OF QUALIFIED PROVIDER OF ENTRE-
PRENEURSHIP
COURSES
IN
DEFINITION
OF
EDU-
CATIONAL INSTITUTION.—Subsection (c) of section 3452
of such title is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: ‘‘Such term also includes any qualified provider
of entrepreneurship courses.’’.
(e) DEFINITION OF QUALIFIED PROVIDER OF EN-
TREPRENEURSHIP COURSES.—Section 3452 of such title
is further amended by adding at the end the following new
subsection:
‘‘(h) The term ‘qualified provider of entrepreneurship
courses’ means—
‘‘(1) a small business development center de-
scribed in section 21 of the Small Business Act (15
U.S.C. 648), and
‘‘(2) the National Veterans Business Develop-
ment Corporation (established under section 33 of
such Act (15 U.S.C. 657c)) insofar as the Corpora-
tion offers or sponsors an entrepreneurship course
(as defined in section 3675(c)(2) of this title).’’.
(f) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
this section shall apply to courses approved by State ap-
proving agencies after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
SEC. 3. PROCUREMENT PROGRAM FOR CERTIFIED SMALL
BUSINESS 
CONCERNS 
OWNED 
AND 
CON-
TROLLED BY QUALIFIED SERVICE-DISABLED
VETERANS, ETC.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT
OF
PROGRAM.—The Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended by redes-
ignating section 36 as section 38 and by inserting after
section 35 the following new sections:
‘‘SEC. 36. PROCUREMENT PROGRAM FOR CERTIFIED SMALL
BUSINESS 
CONCERNS 
OWNED 
AND 
CON-
TROLLED BY QUALIFIED SERVICE-DISABLED
VETERANS.
‘‘(a) SOLE SOURCE CONTRACTS.—In accordance with
this section, a contracting officer may award a sole source
contract to any certified small business concern owned and
controlled by qualified service-disabled veterans if—
‘‘(1) such concern is determined to be a respon-
sible contractor with respect to performance of such
contract opportunity and the contracting officer does
not have a reasonable expectation that 2 or more
certified small business concerns owned and con-
trolled by qualified service-disabled veterans will sub-
mit offers for the contracting opportunity;
‘‘(2) the anticipated award price of the contract
(including options) will not exceed—
‘‘(A) $5,000,000, in the case of a contract
opportunity assigned a standard industrial clas-
sification code for manufacturing; or
‘‘(B) $3,000,000, in the case of any other
contract opportunity; and
‘‘(3) in the estimation of the contracting officer,
the contract award can be made at a fair and rea-
sonable price.
‘‘(b) RESTRICTED
COMPETITION.—In accordance
with this section, a contracting officer may award con-
tracts on the basis of competition restricted to certified
small business concerns owned and controlled by qualified
service-disabled veterans if the contracting officer has a
reasonable expectation that not less than 2 certified small
business concerns owned and controlled by qualified serv-
ice-disabled veterans will submit offers and that the award
can be made at a fair market price.
‘‘(c) ENFORCEMENT; PENALTIES.—Rules similar to
the rules of section 31(c) shall apply for purposes of this
section.
‘‘(d) COLLECTION
OF DATA REGARDING SMALL
BUSINESS CONCERNS OWNED
AND CONTROLLED
BY
SERVICE-DISABLED VETERANS.—
‘‘(1) SURVEY.—Not later than 2 years after the
date of the enactment of this section and each 3
years thereafter, the Administrator, in consultation
with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall com-
plete a survey of service-disabled veterans receiving
benefits under title 38, United States Code, to deter-
mine the number, identity, and primary industry
classification of small business concerns owned and
controlled by service-disabled veterans.
‘‘(2) REPORT
TO CONGRESS.—The Adminis-
trator, in consultation with the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs, shall report to Congress on the results
of each survey conducted under paragraph (1). Such
report shall include the total number of small busi-
ness concerns owned and controlled by service-dis-
abled veterans.
‘‘(e) CONTRACTING OFFICER.—For purposes of this
section and section 37, the term ‘contracting officer’ has
the meaning given such term in section 27(f)(5) of the
Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C.
423(f)(5)).
‘‘SEC. 37. PRIORITY OF SMALL BUSINESS PROCUREMENT
PREFERENCES.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—A contracting officer may not
make a procurement from a source on the basis of a pref-
erence provided under any provision of this Act referred
to in subsection (b) unless the contracting officer has de-
termined that such procurement cannot be made on the
basis of a preference provided under another provision of
this Act with a higher priority under such subsection.
‘‘(b) ORDER OF PRIORITY.—For purposes of this sec-
tion, the following provisions of this Act are listed in order
of priority from highest to lowest:
‘‘(1) Section 8(a).
‘‘(2) Section 36(b).
‘‘(3) Section 36(a).
‘‘(4) Section 31(b)(2)(B).
‘‘(5) Section 31(b)(2)(A).
‘‘(6) Section 8(m).
‘‘(c) PRIORITY OF CERTAIN OTHER PROCUREMENT
PREFERENCES.—A procurement may not be made from
a source on the basis of a preference provided under any
provision of this Act referred to in subsection (b) if the
procurement would otherwise by made from a different
source under section 4124 or 4125 of title 18, United
States Code, or the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act (41 U.S.C.
46 et seq.).’’.
(b) CERTIFIED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN OWNED
AND CONTROLLED BY SERVICE-DISABLED VETERANS.—
Subsection (q) of section 3 of the Small Business Act (15
U.S.C. 632) is amended by adding at the end the following
new paragraph:
‘‘(5) CERTIFIED
SMALL
BUSINESS
CONCERN
OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY QUALIFIED SERVICE-
DISABLED VETERANS.—
‘‘(A) QUALIFIED SERVICE-DISABLED VET-
ERAN.—The term ‘qualified service-disabled vet-
eran’ means any veteran who—
‘‘(i) has one or more disabilities that
are service-connected (as defined in section
101(16) of title 38, United States Code)
and rated at 10 percent or more by the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or
‘‘(ii) is entitled to benefits under sec-
tion 1151 of title 38, United States Code.
‘‘(B) SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN OWNED
AND CONTROLLED BY QUALIFIED SERVICE-DIS-
ABLED VETERANS.—The term ‘small business
concern owned and controlled by qualified serv-
ice-disabled veterans’ means a small business
concern—
‘‘(i) not less than 51 percent of which
is owned by one or more qualified service-
disabled veterans or, in the case of any
publicly owned business, not less than 51
percent of the stock of which is owned by
one or more qualified service-disabled vet-
erans; and
‘‘(ii) the management and daily busi-
ness operations of which are controlled by
one or more qualified service-disabled vet-
erans or, in the case of a veteran with per-
manent and severe disability, the spouse or
permanent caregiver of such veteran.
‘‘(C) CERTIFIED
SMALL
BUSINESS
CON-
CERN OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY QUALIFIED
SERVICE-DISABLED VETERANS.—The term ‘cer-
tified small business concern owned and con-
trolled by qualified service-disabled veterans’
means any small business concern owned and
controlled by qualified service-disabled veterans
that is certified by the Administrator as being
such a concern.’’.
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Paragraph (2) of
section 31(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
657a(b)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘Notwithstanding any other pro-
vision of law’’ and inserting ‘‘In accordance with this
section’’;
(2) in subparagraph (B)—
(A) by striking ‘‘a contract opportunity
shall be awarded pursuant to this section’’ and
inserting ‘‘a contracting officer may award con-
tracts’’; and
(B) by striking ‘‘; and’’ at the end and in-
serting a period; and
(3) by striking subparagraph (C).
(d) DEPARTMENT
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT
PROGRAM.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a contracting
officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the
provisions of the Small Business Act referred to in
paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 37(b) of such
Act shall be treated as being equal in priority for
purposes of applying section 37 of such Act.
(2) TERMINATION.—Paragraph (1) shall not
apply with respect to procurements made after Sep-
tember 30, 2007.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION TO PROVIDE ADAPTED HOUSING
ASSISTANCE TO CERTAIN DISABLED MEM-
BERS OF THE ARMED FORCES WHO REMAIN
ON ACTIVE DUTY.
Section 2101 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘(c)(1) The Secretary may provide assistance under
subsection (a) to a member of the Armed Forces serving
on active duty who is suffering from a disability described
in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of that subsection if such
disability is the result of an injury incurred or disease con-
tracted in or aggravated in line of duty in the active mili-
tary, naval, or air service. Such assistance shall be pro-
vided to the same extent as assistance is provided under
that subsection to veterans eligible for assistance under
that subsection and subject to the requirements of the sec-
ond sentence of that subsection.
‘‘(2) The Secretary may provide assistance under
subsection (b) to a member of the Armed Forces serving
on active duty who is suffering from a disability described
in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) of that sub-
section if such disability is the result of an injury incurred
or disease contracted in or aggravated in line of duty in
the active military, naval, or air service. Such assistance
shall be provided to the same extent as assistance is pro-
vided under such subsection to veterans eligible for assist-
ance under that subsection and subject to the require-
ments of paragraph (2) of that subsection.’’.
SEC. 5. REINSTATEMENT OF MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
FOR SALE OF VENDEE LOANS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3733(a) of title 38,
United States Code, is amended—
(1) by striking paragraph (2) and redesignating
paragraphs (3), (4), (5), and (6) as paragraphs (2),
(3), (4), and (5), respectively; and
(2) in subparagraph (B)(i) of paragraph (3), as
so redesignated, by striking ‘‘paragraph (5) of this
subsection’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph (4)’’.
(b) INCREASE IN MAXIMUM PERCENTAGE.—Section
3733(a)(1) of such title is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘65 percent’’ in the first sen-
tence and inserting ‘‘85 percent’’; and
(2) by striking the second sentence.
(c) STYLISTIC AMENDMENT.—Section 3733 of such
title is amended by striking ‘‘paragraph (1) of this sub-
section’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘paragraph
(1)’’.
SEC. 6. PAYMENT OF ACCRUED BENEFITS.
(a) REPEAL OF LIMITATION ON PAYMENT.—Sub-
section (a) of section 5121 of title 38, United States Code,
is amended by striking ‘‘for a period not to exceed two
years’’ in the matter preceding paragraph (1).
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by
subsection (a) shall take effect with respect to deaths oc-
curring on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Passed the House of Representatives June 24, 2003.
Attest:
Clerk.