H. Res. 921 
In the House of Representatives, U. S., 
January 16, 2008. 
Resolved, That upon the adoption of this resolution the 
bill (H.R. 4253) entitled ‘‘An Act to improve and expand 
small business assistance programs for veterans of the armed 
forces and military reservists, and for other purposes’’, with 
the Senate amendment thereto, shall be considered to have 
been taken from the Speaker’s table to the end that the Sen-
ate amendment thereto be, and the same is hereby, agreed to 
with the following amendment: 
In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted by the 
amendment of the Senate, insert the following: 
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.
•HRES 921 EH 
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 ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ 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; 
(5) the term ‘‘Service Corps of Retired Execu-
tives’’ means the Service Corps of Retired Executives
•HRES 921 EH 
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 sec-
tion 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 VET-
ERANS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated 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 subsection (a) shall be offset and made available through 
the reduction of the authorization of funding under section
•HRES 921 EH 
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 Out-
reach 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 fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(c) INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of enactment of this subsection, the 
President shall establish an interagency task force to 
coordinate the efforts of Federal agencies necessary to 
improve capital and business development opportuni-
ties for, and ensure 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 (in this section referred to as the ‘task force’).
•HRES 921 EH 
‘‘(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 Af-
fairs; 
‘‘(ii) the Department of Defense; 
‘‘(iii) the Administration (in addition 
to the Administrator); 
‘‘(iv) the Department of Labor; 
‘‘(v) the Department of the Treasury; 
‘‘(vi) the General Services Administra-
tion; 
‘‘(vii) the Office of Management and 
Budget; and 
‘‘(viii) 4 representatives from a vet-
erans service organization or military orga-
nization or association, selected by the 
President. 
‘‘(3) DUTIES.—The task force shall— 
‘‘(A) consult regularly with veterans service 
organizations and military organizations in per-
forming the duties of the task force; and
•HRES 921 EH 
‘‘(B) coordinate administrative and regu-
latory activities and develop proposals relating 
to— 
‘‘(i) improving capital access and ca-
pacity of small business concerns owned 
and controlled by service-disabled veterans 
and small business concerns owned and con-
trolled by veterans through loans, surety 
bonding, and franchising; 
‘‘(ii) ensuring achievement of the pre- 
established Federal contracting goals for 
small business concerns owned and con-
trolled by service-disabled veterans and 
small business concerns owned and con-
trolled by veterans through expanded men-
tor-prote´ge´ assistance and matching such 
small business concerns with contracting 
opportunities; 
‘‘(iii) increasing the integrity of cer-
tifications of status as a small business con-
cern owned and controlled by service-dis-
abled veterans or a small business concern 
owned and controlled by veterans; 
‘‘(iv) reducing paperwork and admin-
istrative burdens on veterans in accessing
•HRES 921 EH 
business development and entrepreneurship 
opportunities; 
‘‘(v) increasing and improving train-
ing and counseling services provided to 
small business concerns owned and con-
trolled by veterans; and 
‘‘(vi) making other improvements re-
lating to the support for veterans business 
development by the Federal Government.’’. 
SEC. 103. PERMANENT EXTENSION OF SBA ADVISORY COM-
MITTEE 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 subsections (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.—
•HRES 921 EH 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Associate Administrator 
shall increase veteran outreach by ensuring that Vet-
eran Business Outreach Centers regularly participate, 
on a nationwide basis, in the workshops of the Tran-
sition Assistance Program of the Department of 
Labor. 
‘‘(2) PRESENTATIONS.—In carrying out para-
graph (1), a Veteran Business Outreach Center may 
provide grants to entities located in Transition As-
sistance Program locations to make presentations on 
the opportunities available from the Administration 
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 Admin-
istration. 
‘‘(3) WRITTEN MATERIALS.—The Associate Ad-
ministrator shall— 
‘‘(A) create written materials that provide 
comprehensive information on self-employment 
and veterans entrepreneurship, including infor-
mation on resources available from the Adminis-
tration on such topics; and 
‘‘(B) make the materials created under sub-
paragraph (A) available to the Secretary of
•HRES 921 EH 
Labor for inclusion in the Transition Assistance 
Program manual. 
‘‘(4) REPORTS.—The Associate Administrator 
shall submit to Congress progress reports on the im-
plementation 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, in-
cluding resources for— 
‘‘(A) vocational and technical education; 
‘‘(B) general business skills, such as mar-
keting 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 CEN-
TERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall use the au-
thority 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 in-
creases—
•HRES 921 EH 
(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 con-
siders appropriate, 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 avail-
able 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 OUTREACH CENTERS. 
The Administrator shall sponsor an independent study 
on gaps in the availability of Veterans Business Outreach 
Centers across the United States, to inform decisions on 
funding and on the allocation and coordination of re-
sources. 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 PRO-
GRAM.—
•HRES 921 EH 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—A small business develop-
ment center may apply for a grant under this sub-
section to carry out a veterans assistance and services 
program. 
‘‘(2) ELEMENTS
OF
PROGRAM.—Under a pro-
gram carried out with a grant under this subsection, 
a small business development center shall— 
‘‘(A) create a marketing campaign to pro-
mote awareness and education of the services of 
the center that are available to veterans, and to 
target the campaign toward veterans, service-dis-
abled veterans, military units, Federal agencies, 
and veterans organizations; 
‘‘(B) use technology-assisted online coun-
seling and distance learning technology to over-
come the impediments to entrepreneurship faced 
by veterans and members of the Armed Forces; 
and 
‘‘(C) increase coordination among organiza-
tions that assist veterans, including by estab-
lishing virtual integration of service providers 
and offerings for a one-stop point of contact for 
veterans who are entrepreneurs or owners of 
small business concerns.
•HRES 921 EH 
‘‘(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 Business 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 Ad-
ministrator may, when appropriate (as determined 
by the Administrator), extend the ending date speci-
fied 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 dur-
ing a period of military conflict; and
•HRES 921 EH 
(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. 
(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 6 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Adminis-
trator shall establish a pre-consideration process, 
under which the Administrator— 
(A) may collect all relevant materials nec-
essary for processing a loan to a small business 
concern under section 7(b)(3) of the Small Busi-
ness Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)(3)) before an eligible 
Reservist employed by that small business con-
cern is activated; and 
(B) shall distribute funds for any loan ap-
proved under subparagraph (A) if that eligible 
Reservist is activated. 
(c) OUTREACH
AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PRO-
GRAM.— 
(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 com-
prehensive outreach and technical assistance program 
(in this subsection referred to as the ‘‘program’’) to—
•HRES 921 EH 
(A) market the loans available under section 
7(b)(3) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
636(b)(3)) to Reservists, 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 main-
tained by the Administration, the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Defense; 
and 
(B) require that information on the pro-
gram is made available to small business con-
cerns 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 Department of Veterans Affairs and the 
Department of Defense. 
(3) REPORT.—
•HRES 921 EH 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 
6 months thereafter until the date that is 30 
months after such date of enactment, the Admin-
istrator shall submit to Congress a report on the 
status of the program. 
(B) CONTENTS.—Each report submitted 
under subparagraph (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. 
SEC. 202. RESERVIST LOANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator and the Sec-
retary of Defense shall develop a joint website and printed 
materials providing information regarding any program
•HRES 921 EH 
for small business concerns 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 organi-
zations; and 
(2) to advertise and promote participation by 
lenders in such program jointly with trade associa-
tions 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 provi-
sion 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 rel-
evant essential employee is on active duty.’’.
•HRES 921 EH 
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 para-
graph and shall process and make a determina-
tion regarding such applications prior to proc-
essing 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 qualification, certification, or period of par-
ticipation imposed under this Act on any pro-
gram 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 provi-
sion 
of 
law 
specified 
in 
section
•HRES 921 EH 
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 En-
trepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small 
Business of the House of Representatives a report describ-
ing— 
(1) the types of assistance needed by service-dis-
abled veterans 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 EMPLOY-
EES. 
(a) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Comptroller General of 
the United States shall conduct a study on options for pro-
moting positive working relations between employers and 
Reserve component employees of such employers, including 
assessing options for improving the time in which employ-
ers of Reservists are notified of the call or order of such 
members to active duty other than for training. 
(b) REPORT.—
•HRES 921 EH 
(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 ap-
propriate 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 Reserv-
ists and their employers, including any 
steps that could be taken to ensure that em-
ployers are timely notified of a call to ac-
tive duty; and 
(B) assess whether there has been a reduc-
tion in the hiring of Reservists by business con-
cerns because of—
•HRES 921 EH 
(i) any increase in the use of Reservists 
after September 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 DE-
FINED.—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 Rep-
resentatives. 
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 PRO-
GRAM.— 
‘‘(A) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph— 
‘‘(i) the term ‘cost’ has the meaning 
given that term in section 502 of the Fed-
eral Credit Reform Act of 1990 (2 U.S.C. 
661a);
•HRES 921 EH 
‘‘(ii) the term ‘pilot program’ means 
the pilot program established under sub-
paragraph (B); and 
‘‘(iii) the term ‘veteran participation 
loan’ means a loan made under this sub-
section 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 establish and carry out a pilot program 
under which the Administrator shall reduce the 
fees for veteran participation 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 per-
mitted for loans made under this subsection. 
‘‘(E) FEES.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The fee on a vet-
eran participation loan shall be equal to 50
•HRES 921 EH 
percent of the fee otherwise 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 
participation loans; 
‘‘(II) the cost to the Administra-
tion of making loans under this sub-
section 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 re-
duce the cost of making loans under 
this subsection to zero. 
‘‘(iii) EFFECT OF WAIVER.—If the Ad-
ministrator waives the reduction of fees 
under clause (ii), the Administrator— 
‘‘(I) shall not assess or collect fees 
in an amount greater than necessary