IIB 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6441 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
APRIL 27, 2022 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and 
Entrepreneurship 
AN ACT 
To amend the Small Business Act to improve the women’s 
business center program, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Women’s Business 
Centers Improvement Act of 2022’’. 
SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER 
PROGRAM. 
Section 29 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656) 
is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 29. WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) ASSISTANT
ADMINISTRATOR.—The term 
‘Assistant Administrator’ means the Assistant Ad-
ministrator of the Office of Women’s Business Own-
ership established under subsection (k). 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en-
tity’ means— 
‘‘(A) an organization described in section 
501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) 
of such Code; 
‘‘(B) a State, regional, or local economic 
development organization, if the organization 
certifies that grant funds received under this 
section will not be commingled with other 
funds; 
‘‘(C) an institution of higher education (as 
defined in section 101 of the Higher Education 
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Act of 1965), unless such institution is cur-
rently receiving a grant under section 21; 
‘‘(D) a development, credit, or finance cor-
poration chartered by a State, if such corpora-
tion certifies that grant funds received under 
this section will not be commingled with other 
funds; or 
‘‘(E) any combination of entities listed in 
subparagraphs (A) through (D). 
‘‘(3) SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN OWNED AND 
CONTROLLED BY WOMEN.—The term ‘small business 
concern owned and controlled by women’ has the 
meaning given under section 3(n). 
‘‘(4) RESOURCE
PARTNERS.—The term ‘re-
source partners’ means small business development 
centers, chapters of the Service Corps of Retired Ex-
ecutives (established under section 8(b)(1)(B)), and 
Veteran Business Outreach Centers (described under 
section 32). 
‘‘(5) WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER.—The term 
‘women’s business center’ means the location at 
which counseling and training on the management, 
operations (including manufacturing, services, and 
retail), access to capital, international trade, govern-
ment procurement opportunities, and any other mat-
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ter that is needed to start, maintain, or expand a 
small business concern owned and controlled by 
women. 
‘‘(6) WOMEN’S
BUSINESS
CENTER
ASSOCIA-
TION.—The term ‘Women’s Business Center Asso-
ciation’ means a membership organization formed by 
women’s business centers to pursue matters of com-
mon concern. 
‘‘(b) AUTHORITY.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a 
Women’s Business Center Program under which the 
Administrator may enter into a cooperative agree-
ment with an eligible entity to provide a grant to 
such eligible entity to operate one or more women’s 
business centers for the benefit of small business 
concerns owned and controlled by women. 
‘‘(2) USE OF FUNDS.—A women’s business cen-
ter established using funds made available under 
this section shall be designed to provide entrepre-
neurial counseling and training that meets the needs 
of the small business concerns owned and controlled 
by women, especially such concerns owned and con-
trolled by women who are both socially and economi-
cally disadvantaged (as defined under section 8(a)), 
and shall provide— 
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‘‘(A) financial assistance, including coun-
seling and training on how to— 
‘‘(i) apply for and secure business 
credit and investment capital; 
‘‘(ii) prepare and present financial 
statements; and 
‘‘(iii) manage cash flow and other fi-
nancial operations of a small business con-
cern; 
‘‘(B) management assistance, including 
counseling and training on how to plan, orga-
nize, staff, direct, and control each major activ-
ity and function of a small business concern; 
and 
‘‘(C) marketing assistance, including coun-
seling and training on how to— 
‘‘(i) identify and segment domestic 
and international market opportunities; 
‘‘(ii) prepare and execute marketing 
plans; 
‘‘(iii) develop pricing strategies; 
‘‘(iv) locate contract opportunities; 
‘‘(v) negotiate contracts; and 
‘‘(vi) use various public relations and 
advertising techniques. 
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‘‘(3) TYPES OF GRANTS.— 
‘‘(A) INITIAL GRANT.—The amount of an 
initial grant, which shall be for a 5-year term, 
provided under this subsection to an eligible en-
tity shall be not more than $300,000 annually 
(as such amount is annually adjusted by the 
Administrator to reflect the change in infla-
tion). 
‘‘(B) CONTINUATION
GRANTS.—The Ad-
ministrator may award a continuation grant, 
which shall be for a 5-year term, of not more 
than $300,000 annually (as such amount is an-
nually adjusted by the Administrator to reflect 
the change in inflation) to an eligible entity 
that received an initial grant under subpara-
graph (A). There shall be no limitation on the 
number of continuation grants an eligible entity 
may receive under this section. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(1) INITIAL
GRANTS
AND
CONTINUATION 
GRANTS.—To receive an initial grant or continuation 
grant under this section, an eligible entity shall sub-
mit an application to the Administrator in such 
form, in such manner, and containing such informa-
tion as the Administrator may require, including— 
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trepreneurial and small business develop-
ment; and 
‘‘(C) a 5-year plan that— 
‘‘(i) includes information relating to 
the assistance to be provided by each wom-
en’s business center in the area in which 
each such center is located; 
‘‘(ii) describes the ability of the eligi-
ble entity to meet the needs of the market 
to be served by each women’s business cen-
ter; 
‘‘(iii) describes the ability of the eligi-
ble entity to obtain the matching funds re-
quired under subsection (e); and 
‘‘(iv) describes the ability of the eligi-
ble entity to provide entrepreneurial coun-
seling and training described under sub-
section (b)(2), including to a representative 
number of women who are both socially 
and economically disadvantaged. 
‘‘(2) RECORD RETENTION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator 
shall maintain a copy of each application sub-
mitted under this subsection for not less than 
5 years. 
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‘‘(B) PAPERWORK REDUCTION.—The Ad-
ministrator shall take steps to reduce, to the 
maximum extent practicable, the paperwork 
burden associated with carrying out subpara-
graph (A). 
‘‘(d) SELECTION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In selecting recipients of 
initial grants, the Administrator shall consider— 
‘‘(A) the experience of the applicant in pro-
viding entrepreneurial counseling and training; 
‘‘(B) the amount of time needed for the 
applicant to commence operation of a women’s 
business center; 
‘‘(C) in consultation with a Women’s Busi-
ness Center Association, the capacity of the ap-
plicant to meet the accreditation standards es-
tablished under subsection (k)(4) in a timely 
manner; 
‘‘(D) the ability of the applicant to sustain 
operations, including the applicant’s ability to 
obtain matching funds under subsection (e), for 
a 5-year period; 
‘‘(E) the proposed location of a women’s 
business center to be operated by the applicant 
and the location’s proximity to Veteran Busi-
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ness Outreach Centers and to recipients of 
grants under section 8(b)(1) or 21; 
‘‘(F) the population density of the area to 
be served by the women’s business center oper-
ated by the applicant; and 
‘‘(G) the advice and counsel of a Women’s 
Business Center Association to determine areas 
with unmet needs and the likelihood that the 
recipient will become accredited. 
‘‘(2) SELECTION CRITERIA.— 
‘‘(A) RULEMAKING.—The Administrator 
shall issue regulations to specify the criteria for 
review and selection of applicants under this 
subsection. 
‘‘(B) MODIFICATIONS PROHIBITED AFTER 
ANNOUNCEMENT.—With respect to a public an-
nouncement of any opportunity to be awarded 
a grant under this section made by the Admin-
istrator pursuant to subsection (l)(1), the Ad-
ministrator may not modify regulations issued 
pursuant to subparagraph (A) with respect to 
such opportunity unless required to do so by an 
Act of Congress or an order of a Federal court. 
‘‘(C) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing 
in this paragraph may be construed as prohib-
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iting the Administrator from modifying the reg-
ulations issued pursuant to subparagraph (A) 
(after providing an opportunity for notice and 
comment) as such regulations apply to an op-
portunity to be awarded a grant under this sec-
tion that the Administrator has not yet publicly 
announced pursuant to subsection (l)(1). 
‘‘(e) MATCHING REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (5), 
upon approval of an application submitted under 
subsection (c), the eligible entity shall agree to ob-
tain contributions from non-Federal sources— 
‘‘(A) in the first and second year of the 
term of an initial grant, if applicable, 1 non- 
Federal dollar for every 2 Federal dollars; and 
‘‘(B) in each subsequent year of the term 
of an initial grant, if applicable, or for the term 
of a continuation grant, 1 non-Federal dollar 
for each Federal dollar. 
‘‘(2) FORM OF MATCHING FUNDS.—Not more 
than one-half of non-Federal matching funds de-
scribed under paragraph (1) may be in the form of 
in-kind contributions that are budget line items only, 
including office equipment and office space. 
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‘‘(3) 
SOLICITATION.—Notwithstanding 
any 
other provision of law, an eligible entity may— 
‘‘(A) solicit cash and in-kind contributions 
from private individuals and entities to be used 
to operate a women’s business center; and 
‘‘(B) use amounts made available by the 
Administrator under this section for the cost of 
such solicitation and management of the con-
tributions received. 
‘‘(4) DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS.—The Admin-
istrator may disburse an amount not greater than 
25 percent of the total amount of a grant awarded 
to an eligible entity before such eligible entity ob-
tains the matching funds described under paragraph 
(1). 
‘‘(5) FAILURE TO OBTAIN MATCHING FUNDS.— 
If an eligible entity fails to obtain the required 
matching funds described under paragraph (1), the 
eligible entity may not be eligible to receive advance 
disbursements pursuant to paragraph (4) during the 
remainder of the term, if applicable, of an initial 
grant awarded under this section. Before approving 
such eligible entity for a continuation grant under 
this section, the Administrator shall make a written 
determination, including the reasons for such deter-
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mination, of whether the Administrator believes that 
the eligible entity will be able to obtain the requisite 
matching funding under paragraph (1) for such con-
tinuation grant. 
‘‘(6) WAIVER OF NON-FEDERAL SHARE.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Upon request by an 
eligible entity and in accordance with this para-
graph, the Administrator may waive, in whole 
or in part, the requirement to obtain matching 
funds under paragraph (1) for a grant awarded 
under this section for the eligible entity for a 1- 
year term of the grant. 
‘‘(B) CONSIDERATIONS.—In determining 
whether to issue a waiver under this paragraph, 
the Administrator shall consider— 
‘‘(i) the economic conditions affecting 
the eligible entity; 
‘‘(ii) the demonstrated ability of the 
eligible entity to raise non-Federal funds; 
and 
‘‘(iii) the performance of the eligible 
entity under the initial grant. 
‘‘(C) 
LIMITATION.—The 
Administrator 
may not issue a waiver under this paragraph if 
the Administrator determines that granting the 
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waiver would undermine the credibility of the 
Women’s Business Center Program. 
‘‘(7) EXCESS
NON-FEDERAL
DOLLARS.—The 
amount of non-Federal dollars obtained by an eligi-
ble entity that is greater than the amount that is re-
quired to be obtained by the eligible entity under 
this subsection shall not be subject to the require-
ments of part 200 of title 2, Code of Federal Regu-
lations, or any successor thereto, if such amount of 
non-Federal dollars— 
‘‘(A) is not used as matching funds for 
purposes of implementing the Women’s Busi-
ness Center Program; and 
‘‘(B) was not obtained by using funds 
granted under the Women’s Business Center 
Program. 
‘‘(8) CARRYOVER.—An eligible entity may use 
excess non-Federal dollars described in paragraph 
(7) to satisfy the matching funds requirement under 
paragraph (1) for the subsequent 1-year grant term, 
if applicable, except that such amounts shall be sub-
ject to the requirements of part 200 of title 2, Code 
of Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto. 
‘‘(f) OTHER REQUIREMENTS.— 
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‘‘(1) SEPARATION OF FUNDS.—An eligible enti-
ty shall— 
‘‘(A) operate a women’s business center 
under this section separately from other 
projects, if any, of the eligible entity; and 
‘‘(B) separately maintain and account for 
any grant funds received under this section. 
‘‘(2) EXAMINATION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 
‘‘(A) REQUIRED
SITE
VISIT.—Before re-
ceiving an initial grant under this section, each 
applicant shall have a site visit by an employee 
of the Administration, in order to ensure that 
the applicant has sufficient resources to provide 
the services for which the grant is being pro-
vided. 
‘‘(B) ANNUAL REVIEW.—An employee of 
the Administration shall— 
‘‘(i) conduct an annual programmatic 
and financial examination of each eligible 
entity, as described in subsection (g); and 
‘‘(ii) provide the results of such exam-
ination to the eligible entity. 
‘‘(3) REMEDIATION OF PROBLEMS.— 
‘‘(A) PLAN OF ACTION.—If an examination 
of an eligible entity conducted under paragraph 
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(2)(B) identifies any problems, the eligible enti-
ty shall, within 45 calendar days of receiving a 
copy of the results of such examination, provide 
the Assistant Administrator with a plan of ac-
tion, including specific milestones, for cor-
recting such problems. 
‘‘(B) PLAN OF ACTION REVIEW BY THE AS-
SISTANT ADMINISTRATOR.—The Assistant Ad-
ministrator shall review each plan of action sub-
mitted under subparagraph (A) within 30 cal-
endar days of receiving such plan. If the Assist-
ant Administrator determines that such plan— 
‘‘(i) will bring the eligible entity into 
compliance with all the terms of a coopera-
tive agreement described in subsection (b), 
the Assistant Administrator shall approve 
such plan; or 
‘‘(ii) is inadequate to remedy the 
problems identified in the annual examina-
tion to which the plan of action relates, the 
Assistant Administrator shall set forth 
such reasons in writing and provide such 
determination to the eligible entity within 
15 calendar days of such determination. 
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‘‘(C) AMENDMENT TO PLAN OF ACTION.— 
An eligible entity receiving a determination 
under subparagraph (B)(ii) shall have 30 cal-
endar days from the receipt of the determina-
tion to amend the plan of action to satisfy the 
problems identified by the Assistant Adminis-
trator and resubmit such plan to the Assistant 
Administrator. 
‘‘(D) AMENDED PLAN REVIEW BY THE AS-
SISTANT ADMINISTRATOR.—Within 15 calendar 
days of the receipt of an amended plan of ac-
tion under subparagraph (C), the Assistant Ad-
ministrator shall either approve or reject such 
plan and provide such approval or rejection in 
writing to the eligible entity. 
‘‘(E) APPEAL
OF
ASSISTANT
ADMINIS-
TRATOR DETERMINATION.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—If the Assistant 
Administrator rejects an amended plan 
under subparagraph (D), the eligible entity 
shall have the opportunity to appeal such 
decision to the Administrator, who may 
delegate such appeal to an appropriate of-
ficer of the Administration. 
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‘‘(ii) 
OPPORTUNITY
FOR
EXPLA-
NATION.—Any appeal described under 
clause (i) shall provide an opportunity for 
the eligible entity to provide, in writing, an 
explanation of why the eligible entity’s 
amended plan remedies the problems iden-
tified in the annual examination conducted 
under paragraph (2)(B). 
‘‘(iii) NOTICE OF DETERMINATION.— 
The Administrator shall provide to the eli-
gible entity a determination of the appeal, 
in writing, not later than 15 calendar days 
after the eligible entity files an appeal 
under this subparagraph. 
‘‘(iv) EFFECT OF FAILURE TO ACT.— 
If the Administrator fails to act on an ap-
peal made under this subparagraph within 
the 15-day period specified under clause 
(iii), the eligible entity’s amended plan of 
action submitted under subparagraph (C) 
shall be deemed to be approved. 
‘‘(4) TERMINATION OF GRANT.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator 
shall terminate a grant to an eligible entity 
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under this section if the eligible entity fails to 
comply with— 
‘‘(i) a plan of action approved by the 
Assistant Administrator under paragraph 
(3)(B)(i); or 
‘‘(ii) an amended plan of action ap-
proved by the Assistant Administrator 
under paragraph (3)(D) or approved on 
appeal under paragraph (3)(E). 
‘‘(B) APPEAL OF TERMINATION.—An eligi-
ble entity shall have the opportunity to chal-
lenge the termination of a grant under subpara-
graph (A) on the record and after an oppor-
tunity for a hearing. 
‘‘(C) FINAL
AGENCY
ACTION.—A deter-
mination made pursuant to subparagraph (B) 
shall be considered final agency action for the 
purposes of chapter 7 of title 5, United States 
Code. 
‘‘(5) CONSULTATION WITH MAJORITY WOMEN’S 
BUSINESS CENTER ASSOCIATION.—If on the date of 
the enactment of this subsection, a majority of wom-
en’s business centers that are operating pursuant to 
agreements with the Administration are members of 
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an individual Women’s Business Center Association, 
the Administrator shall— 
‘‘(A) recognize the existence and activities 
of such Association; and 
‘‘(B) consult with the Association on, and 
negotiate with the Association in the develop-
ment of documents with respect to— 
‘‘(i) announcing the annual scope of 
activities pursuant to this section; 
‘‘(ii) requesting proposals to deliver 
assistance as provided in this section; and 
‘‘(iii) governing the general operations 
and administration of women’s business 
centers, specifically including the develop-
ment of regulations and a uniform nego-
tiated cooperative agreement for use on an 
annual basis when entering into individual 
cooperative agreements with women’s busi-
ness centers. 
‘‘(6) ENFORCEMENT.— 
‘‘(A) GRANTS.—The Assistant Adminis-
trator shall develop policies and procedures to 
minimize the possibility of awarding a grant to 
an eligible entity that will operate a women’s 
business center that likely will not remain in 
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