SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Women’s Business 
Centers Improvements Act of 2018’’. 
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 (l). 
‘‘(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, so long as the orga-
nization certifies that grant funds received 
under this section will not be co-mingled with 
other funds; 
‘‘(C) an institution of higher education (as 
defined in section 101 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), unless such in-
stitution is currently receiving a grant under 
section 21; 
‘‘(D) a development, credit, or finance cor-
poration chartered by a State, so long as the 
corporation certifies that grant funds received 
under this section will not be comingled 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) 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-
ter that is needed to start, maintain, or expand a 
small business concern owned and controlled by 
women. 
‘‘(b) AUTHORITY.—
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a 
Women’s Business Center Program under which the 
Administrator may provide a grant to any eligible 
entity to operate one or more women’s business cen-
ters for the benefit of small business concerns owned 
and controlled by women. 
‘‘(2) USE OF FUNDS.—The women’s business 
centers shall be designed to provide counseling and 
training that meets the needs of the small business 
concerns owned and controlled by women, especially 
socially or economically disadvantaged women, and 
shall provide— 
‘‘(A) financial assistance, including train-
ing and counseling in how to apply for and se-
cure business credit and investment capital, 
preparing and presenting financial statements, 
and managing cash flow and other financial op-
erations of a small business concern; 
‘‘(B) management assistance, including 
training and counseling in 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 train-
ing and counseling in identifying and seg-
menting domestic and international market op-
portunities, preparing and executing marketing 
plans, developing pricing strategies, locating 
contract opportunities, negotiating contracts, 
and utilizing varying public relations and adver-
tising techniques. 
‘‘(3) TYPES OF GRANTS.— 
‘‘(A) INITIAL GRANT.—The amount of an 
initial grant provided under this subsection to 
an eligible entity shall be not more than 
$185,000 (as such amount is annually adjusted 
by the Administrator to reflect the change in 
inflation). 
‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL GRANTS.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—With respect to an 
eligible entity that has received a grant, 
the Administrator may award an additional 
grant of up to $65,000, to be dispersed 
after the expiration of the term of the ini-
tial grant under this subsection if the Ad-
ministrator determines that the eligible en-
tity— 
‘‘(I) has agreed to obtain, after 
its application has been approved and 
notice of award has been issued, cash
contributions 
from 
non-Federal 
sources of 1 non-Federal dollar for 
each Federal dollar; 
‘‘(II) is in good standing with the 
Women’s Business Center Program; 
and 
‘‘(III) has met performance goals 
for grant term of the initial grant, if 
applicable. 
‘‘(ii) 
LIMITATIONS.—The 
Adminis-
trator may only award additional grants 
under clause (i)— 
‘‘(I) during the 3rd and 4th 
quarters of the grant term of the ini-
tial grant; and 
‘‘(II) from unobligated amounts 
made available to the Administrator 
to carry out this section. 
‘‘(C) CONTINUATION
GRANTS.—The Ad-
ministrator may award a continuation grant of 
up to $150,000 to an eligible entity that re-
ceived an initial grant under subparagraph (A). 
There shall be no limitation on the number of 
continuation grants an eligible entity may re-
ceive 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— 
‘‘(A) a certification that the eligible enti-
ty— 
‘‘(i) has designated an executive direc-
tor or program manager, who may be com-
pensated using grant funds awarded under 
this section or other sources, to manage 
the women’s business center for which a 
grant under subsection (b) is sought; and 
‘‘(ii) meets the accounting and report-
ing requirements established under guid-
ance issued by the Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget for the eligible 
entity; 
‘‘(B) information demonstrating the expe-
rience and effectiveness of the eligible entity 
in— 
‘‘(i) provide counseling and training 
described under subsection (b)(2);
‘‘(ii) providing training and services to 
a representative number of women who are 
socially or economically disadvantaged; and 
‘‘(iii) working with resource partners 
of the Administration and other entities; 
and 
‘‘(C) a 5-year plan that— 
‘‘(i) includes information relating to 
the assistance to be provided by the wom-
en’s business center in the area in which 
the women’s business center is located; 
‘‘(ii) describes the ability of the eligi-
ble entity to meet the needs of the market 
to be served by the women’s business cen-
ter, including the ability to fundraise to ob-
tain the matching funds required under 
subsection (e); and 
‘‘(iii) describes the ability of the eligi-
ble entity to provide counseling and train-
ing described under subsection (b)(2), in-
cluding to a representative number of 
women who are socially or 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. 
‘‘(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 training; 
‘‘(B) the amount of time needed for the 
applicant to commence operation of a women’s 
business center; 
‘‘(C) the capacity of the applicant to meet 
the accreditation standards established under 
subsection (l)(4) in a timely manner; 
‘‘(D) the ability of the applicant to sustain 
operations, including its ability to obtain suffi-
cient non-Federal funds, for a 5-year period; 
‘‘(E) the proposed location of a women’s 
business center to be operated by the applicant
eligible entity and its proximity to Veteran 
Business Outreach Centers and to recipients of 
grants under section 8(b)(1) or 21; and 
‘‘(F) the population density of the area to 
be served by the women’s business center oper-
ated by the applicant eligible entity. 
‘‘(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 (j)(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 clause may be construed as prohibiting 
the Administrator from modifying the regula-
tions 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 (j)(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 each 2 Federal dollars; and 
‘‘(B) in each year of the term of an initial 
grant, if applicable, 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. 
‘‘(3) 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 non-Federal matching funds described 
under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(4) 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 (3) during the 
remainder of the term, if applicable, of a grant 
awarded under this section. Before approving such 
eligible entity for an additional grant or continuation 
grant under this section, the Administrator shall 
make a written determination, including the reasons 
for such determination, of whether the Adminis-
trator believes that the eligible entity will be able to 
obtain the requisite funding under paragraph (1) for 
such additional grant or continuation grant. 
‘‘(5) 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 non-Fed-
eral matching funds for a grant awarded under 
this section for the eligible entity for a fiscal 
year. The Administrator may not issue such a
and for-profit organizations to maximize 
utilization of taxpayer dollars and reduce 
(or eliminate) any duplication among the 
programs overseen by the Office of Wom-
en’s Business Ownership and those of 
other entities that provide similar services 
to women entrepreneurs. 
‘‘(iv) Maintain a clearinghouse to pro-
vide for the dissemination and exchange of 
information between women’s business cen-
ters. 
‘‘(v) Serve as the vice chairperson of 
the Interagency Committee on Women’s 
Business Enterprise and as the liaison for 
the National Women’s Business Council. 
‘‘(3) MISSION.—The mission of the Office of 
Women’s Business Ownership shall be to assist 
women entrepreneurs to start, grow, and compete in 
global markets by providing quality support with ac-
cess to capital, access to markets, job creation, 
growth, and counseling by— 
‘‘(A) fostering participation of women en-
trepreneurs in the economy by overseeing a net-
work of women’s business centers throughout 
States and territories;
‘‘(B) creating public-private partnerships 
to support women entrepreneurs and conduct 
outreach and education to small business con-
cerns owned and controlled by women; and 
‘‘(C) working with other programs of the 
Administrator to— 
‘‘(i) ensure women are well-rep-
resented in those programs and being 
served by those programs; and 
‘‘(ii) identify gaps where participation 
by women in those programs could be in-
creased. 
‘‘(4) ACCREDITATION PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(A) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 
270 days after the date of enactment of this 
paragraph, the Administrator shall publish 
standards for a program to accredit eligible en-
tities that receive a grant under this section. 
‘‘(B) PUBLIC
COMMENT; TRANSITION.— 
Before publishing the standards under subpara-
graph (A), the Administrator— 
‘‘(i) shall provide a period of not less 
than 60 days for public comment on such 
standards; and