‘‘(2) CONDITIONS FOR CONTINUED FUNDING.— 
In determining whether to award a continuation 
grant, the Administrator— 
‘‘(A) shall consider the results of the most 
recent examination of the eligible entity under 
paragraph (1); and 
‘‘(B) shall determine if— 
‘‘(i) the eligible entity has failed to 
provide, or provided inadequate, informa-
tion under paragraph (1)(A); or 
‘‘(ii) the eligible entity has failed to 
provide any information required to be pro-
vided by the women’s business center for 
purposes of the management report under 
subsection (k)(1), or the information pro-
vided by the center is inadequate. 
‘‘(h) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.— 
‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—An eligible entity that 
receives a grant under this section may enter into a 
contract with a Federal department or agency to 
provide specific assistance to small business concerns 
owned and controlled by women and other under-
served small business concerns, if performance of 
such a contract does not hinder the ability of the eli-
gible entity to carry out the terms of a grant re-
ceived under this section. 
‘‘(2) ADMINISTRATOR.—The authority of the 
Administrator to enter into contracts shall be in ef-
fect for each fiscal year only to the extent and in the 
amounts as are provided in advance in appropria-
tions Acts. After the Administrator has entered into 
a contract, either as a grant or a cooperative agree-
ment, with any applicant under this section, the Ad-
ministrator shall not suspend, terminate, or fail to 
renew or extend any such contract unless the Ad-
ministrator provides the applicant with written noti-
fication setting forth the reasons therefore and af-
fords the applicant an opportunity for a hearing, ap-
peal, or other administrative proceeding under chap-
ter 5 of title 5, United States Code. 
‘‘(i) PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A women’s business center 
may not disclose the name, address, or telephone 
number of any individual or small business concern 
receiving assistance under this section without the 
consent of such individual or small business concern, 
unless— 
‘‘(A) the Administrator is ordered to make 
such a disclosure by a court in any civil or
criminal enforcement action initiated by a Fed-
eral or State agency; or 
‘‘(B) the Administrator considers such a 
disclosure to be necessary for the purpose of 
conducting a financial audit of a women’s busi-
ness center, except that such a disclosure shall 
be limited to the information necessary for such 
audit. 
‘‘(2) ADMINISTRATION USE OF INFORMATION.— 
This subsection shall not— 
‘‘(A) restrict Administration access to 
women’s business center data; or 
‘‘(B) prevent the Administration from 
using information about individuals who use 
women’s business centers (other than the infor-
mation described in subparagraph (A)) to con-
duct surveys of such individuals. 
‘‘(3) REGULATIONS.—The Administrator shall 
issue regulations to establish standards for disclo-
sures for purposes of a financial audit under para-
graph (1)(B). 
‘‘(j) NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS UNDER
THE 
WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER PROGRAM.—The Adminis-
trator shall provide the following:
‘‘(1) A public announcement of any opportunity 
to be awarded grants under this section, to include 
the selection criteria under subsection (d) and any 
applicable regulations. 
‘‘(2) To any applicant for a grant under this 
section that failed to obtain such a grant, an oppor-
tunity to debrief with the Administrator to review 
the reasons for the applicant’s failure. 
‘‘(3) To an eligible entity that receives an initial 
grant under this section, if a site visit or review of 
the eligible entity is carried out by an officer or em-
ployee of the Administration (other than the Inspec-
tor General), a copy of the site visit report or eval-
uation, as applicable, within 30 calendar days of the 
completion of such visit or evaluation. 
‘‘(k) REPORTS.— 
‘‘(1) MANAGEMENT REPORT.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator 
shall prepare and submit to the Committee on 
Small Business of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Small Business and En-
trepreneurship of the Senate a report on the ef-
fectiveness of women’s business centers oper-
ated through a grant awarded under this sec-
tion.
‘‘(B) CONTENTS.—Each report submitted 
under paragraph (1) shall include information 
concerning, with respect to each women’s busi-
ness center established pursuant to a grant 
awarded under this section— 
‘‘(i) the number of individuals receiv-
ing assistance; 
‘‘(ii) the number of startup business 
concerns formed; 
‘‘(iii) the gross receipts of assisted 
concerns; 
‘‘(iv) the employment increases or de-
creases of assisted concerns; 
‘‘(v) to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, increases or decreases in profits of 
assisted concerns; and 
‘‘(vi) the most recent analysis, as re-
quired under subsection (g)(1)(B), and the 
subsequent determination made by the Ad-
ministration under that subsection. 
‘‘(2) STUDY AND REPORT ON REPRESENTATION 
OF WOMEN.— 
‘‘(A) STUDY.—The Administrator shall pe-
riodically conduct a study to identify industries, 
as defined under the North American Industry
Classification 
System, 
underrepresented 
by 
small business concerns owned and controlled 
by women. 
‘‘(B) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years 
after the date of enactment of this subsection, 
and every 5 years thereafter, the Administrator 
shall submit to the Committee on Small Busi-
ness and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and 
the Committee on Small Business of the House 
of Representatives a report on the results of 
each study under paragraph (1) conducted dur-
ing the 5-year period ending on the date of the 
report. 
‘‘(l) OFFICE OF WOMEN’S BUSINESS OWNERSHIP.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established 
within the Administration an Office of Women’s 
Business Ownership, which shall be responsible for 
the administration of the Administration’s programs 
for the development of women’s business enterprises 
(as defined in section 408 of the Women’s Business 
Ownership Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 7108)). The Of-
fice of Women’s Business Ownership shall be admin-
istered by an Assistant Administrator, who shall be 
appointed by the Administrator.
the management and administration of the pro-
gram under this section. 
‘‘(B) EXCEPTIONS.—Of the amount made 
available under this subsection for a fiscal year, 
the following amounts shall be available: 
‘‘(i) For the first fiscal year beginning 
after the date of the enactment of this sub-
paragraph, 2.65 percent. 
‘‘(ii) For the second fiscal year begin-
ning after the date of the enactment of 
this subparagraph and each fiscal year 
thereafter through fiscal year 2022, 2.5 
percent. 
‘‘(3) 
EXPEDITED
ACQUISITION.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of law, the Adminis-
trator may use such expedited acquisition methods 
as the Administrator determines to be appropriate to 
carry out this section, except that the Administrator 
shall ensure that all small business sources are pro-
vided a reasonable opportunity to submit pro-
posals.’’. 
SEC. 3. EFFECT ON EXISTING GRANTS. 
(a) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—A nonprofit organiza-
tion receiving a grant under section 29(m) of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656(m)), as in effect on the day
before the date of enactment of this Act, shall continue 
to receive the grant under the terms and conditions in ef-
fect for the grant on the day before the date of enactment 
of this Act, except that the nonprofit organization may 
not apply for a continuation of the grant under section 
29(m)(5) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
656(m)(5)), as in effect on the day before the date of en-
actment of this Act. 
(b) LENGTH OF CONTINUATION GRANT.—The Ad-
ministrator of the Small Business Administration may 
award a grant under section 29(m) of the Small Business 
Act, as amended by this Act, to a nonprofit organization 
receiving a grant under section 29(m) of the Small Busi-
ness Act (15 U.S.C. 656(m)), as in effect on the day be-
fore the date of enactment of this Act, for the period— 
(1) beginning on the day after the last day of 
the grant agreement under such section 29(m); and 
(2) ending at the end of the third fiscal year be-
ginning after the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 4. REGULATIONS. 
Not later than 270 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Administrator of Small Business Ad-
ministration shall publish in the Federal Register such 
regulations as are necessary to carry out section 29 of the 
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656), as amended by this
Act. The Administrator shall accept public comments on 
such proposed regulations for a period of not less than 
60 days. 
Passed the House of Representatives May 8, 2018. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 1680 
AN ACT 
To amend the Small Business Act to improve the 
women’s business center program, and for other 
purposes.