I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8628 
To support the establishment of small business development centers 
internationally and promote international commerce, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 20, 2020 
Mr. CASTRO of Texas (for himself, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, and Mrs. 
WAGNER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To support the establishment of small business development 
centers internationally and promote international com-
merce, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Global Small Business 
Network Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Small businesses empower citizens of a 
country, strengthen communities, provide employ-
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ment to millions, and form the backbone of the 
United States economy. 
(2) Small business concerns across the United 
States have benefitted from access to technical as-
sistance, regulatory guidance, and educational pro-
grams through small business development centers 
(referred to in this Act as ‘‘SBDC’’) in the United 
States. 
(3) The SBDC model has successfully been 
adopted in Central America, South America, and the 
Caribbean, through assistance from the Small Busi-
ness Network of the Americas’ initiative funded 
through the Department of State. 
(4) The Small Business Network of the Amer-
icas’ initiative is a highly effective program that 
works with host governments in the Americas to es-
tablish small business development centers, primarily 
funded by the host governments. 
(5) SBDC networks outside the United States 
serve as important conduits of commerce with the 
United States, providing important information, 
tools, and regulatory guidance to small businesses 
interested in trading with the United States. 
(6) The establishment of SBDCs in other parts 
of the world promotes opportunities for small busi-
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a foreign country may affiliate with and participate 
in the Global Small Business Network program. 
(4) COORDINATION.—The Secretary of State 
may coordinate with a national or local government 
of a foreign country that agrees to assist with devel-
oping small business development centers in such 
country pursuant to a grant awarded under sub-
section (c). 
(5) DUPLICATION OF EFFORTS.—The Secretary 
of State shall leverage existing programs adminis-
tered by the Department of State, the United States 
Agency for International Development, and other 
United States Government agencies for the purposes 
of the Global Small Business Network program. 
(b) REGIONAL NETWORKS.— 
(1) SMALL BUSINESS NETWORK OF THE AMER-
ICAS.—The Secretary of State may establish a Small 
Business Network of the Americas for purposes of 
allowing national and local governments of a foreign 
country located in Western Hemisphere to partici-
pate in the Global Small Business Network program. 
(2) ASEAN SMALL BUSINESS NETWORK.—The 
Secretary of State may establish an ASEAN Small 
Business Network for purposes of allowing national 
and local governments of a foreign country that is 
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a member state of the Association of Southeast 
Asian Nations to participate in the Global Small 
Business Network program. 
(c) GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State may 
make grants to any qualified entity that submits an 
application in such form, and satisfying such re-
quirements, as the Secretary may require. 
(2) TYPES OF GRANTS.—A qualified entity may 
receive a grant for one or both of the following pur-
poses: 
(A) To assist national and local govern-
ments of a foreign country to develop a small 
business development center, or multiple cen-
ters, in such country, regardless of whether 
such country participates in a regional network 
described in subsection (b). 
(B) To promote economic connectivity be-
tween small business concerns in the United 
States and economies covered by the Global 
Small Business Network, including through an 
internet platform to— 
(i) enhance the ability of small busi-
ness concerns in the United States to take 
part in international commerce; and 
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(ii) facilitate the growth of small busi-
nesses in foreign countries through the de-
velopment of small business development 
centers in foreign countries. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of State 
$2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026, 
in addition to amounts otherwise available for economic 
activities and foreign assistance, to carry out this section. 
With respect to each such fiscal year, the Secretary is au-
thorized to use— 
(1) up to $1,000,000 of such amount to estab-
lish and operate the Small Business Network of the 
Americas; and 
(2) up to $1,000,000 of such amount to estab-
lish and operate the ASEAN Small Business Net-
work. 
(e) REPORT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the date of enactment of this Act and every 
two years thereafter for a period of four years, the 
Secretary of State, in consultation with the Adminis-
trator of the United States Agency for International 
Development and the Administrator of the Small 
Business Administration, shall submit to the Com-
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mittee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives, the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
the Senate, the Committee on Small Business of the 
House of Representatives, and the Committee on 
Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate 
a report on the status of the Global Small Business 
Network program. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—Each report required by para-
graph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) An assessment of support provided to 
small business concerns in the United States 
that have utilized programs through the Global 
Small Business Network, including information 
on the number of businesses supported, the geo-
graphic location of such businesses, the number 
of jobs supported, and the amount of economic 
activity generated. 
(B) A description of methods and strate-
gies to develop small business development cen-
ters in foreign countries for the two years after 
the date of such report. 
(C) A list, and the current status, of all 
operating small business development centers in 
foreign countries that are affiliated with the 
Global Small Business Network program. 
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(D) A list, and the current status, of all 
new small business development centers in for-
eign countries set up through the Global Small 
Business Network program in the two years be-
fore the date of the report, even if no longer af-
filiated with the Global Small Business Network 
program. 
(E) 
A 
description 
of 
the 
estimated 
timelines for national and local governments of 
a foreign country participating in the Small 
Business Network of the Americas and the 
ASEAN Small Business Network to— 
(i) complete the creation of a small 
business development center in such coun-
try; and 
(ii) establish connections between such 
a small business development center with 
small business development centers in the 
United States. 
(F) A description of international commer-
cial activity resulting from participation in the 
Global Small Business Network program. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) QUALIFIED ENTITY.—The term ‘‘qualified 
entity’’ means an entity that is— 
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(A) an institution of higher education (as 
such term is defined in section 102 of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)), 
except that such term does not include institu-
tions described in section 102(a)(1)(c) of such 
Act; 
(B) a consortium of two or more institu-
tions of higher education described in subpara-
graph (A); or 
(C) a nonprofit entity with experience in 
operating or working with small business devel-
opment centers in the United States. 
(2) SMALL
BUSINESS
CONCERN.—The term 
‘‘small business concern’’ has the meaning given the 
term under section 3(a) of the Small Business Act 
(15 U.S.C. 632(a)). 
(3) SMALL
BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT
CEN-
TER.—The term ‘‘small business development cen-
ter’’— 
(A) with respect to a center located in the 
United States— 
(i) has the meaning given such term 
in section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 632); and 
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(ii) includes a women’s business cen-
ter, as such term is used under section 29 
of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
656); and 
(B) with respect to a center located in a 
foreign country, means an entity that— 
(i) provides small business-oriented 
employment or natural resources develop-
ment programs; 
(ii) promotes studies, research, and 
counseling concerning the managing, fi-
nancing, and operation of small businesses; 
(iii) provides management and tech-
nical assistance regarding small business 
participation in international markets and 
international commerce, including with the 
United States; 
(iv) provides delivery or distribution of 
services and information described in this 
subparagraph; or 
(v) provides access to business ana-
lysts who can refer a small business to 
available experts. 
Æ 
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