Reaching America's Rural Minority Businesses Act of 2021
Bill: S.1749 | Sponsor: Sen. Wicker, Roger F. (R-MS)
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
Reaching America's Rural Minority Businesses Act of 2021
This bill authorizes the Minority Business Development Agency to establish rural business centers at historically Black colleges and universities to assist rural minority businesses with issues such as broadband adoption, advanced manufacturing, and entrepreneurship.

To authorize the Minority Business Development Agency of the Department 
    of Commerce to establish business centers at historically Black 
           colleges and universities, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Reaching America's Rural Minority 
Businesses Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

            (1) Agency.--The term ``Agency'' means the Minority 
        Business Development Agency of the Department of Commerce.
            (2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation of the Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Small Business and 
                Entrepreneurship of the Senate;
                    (C) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
                House of Representatives; and
                    (D) the Committee on Small Business of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a historically Black college or university; or
                    (B) a consortium of institutions of higher 
                education that is led by a historically Black college 
                or university.
            (4) Historically black college or university.--The term 
        ``historically Black college or university'' has the meaning 
        given the term ``part B institution'' in section 322 of the 
        Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
            (5) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            (6) MBDA center.--The term ``MBDA center'' means any 
        business center established by the Agency.
            (7) MBDC agreement.--The term ``MBDC agreement'' means a 
        collaborative agreement entered into between the Agency and an 
        eligible entity under section 3(b)(2).
            (8) Minority business enterprise.--The term ``minority 
        business enterprise'' has the meaning given the term in section 
        1108(a) of the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9007(a)).
            (9) Rural area.--The term ``rural area'' means an area 
        located outside a metropolitan statistical area (as designated 
        by the Office of Management and Budget).
            (10) Rural business center.--The term ``rural business 
        center'' means an MBDA center with the functions described in 
        section 3(c).
            (11) Rural minority business enterprise.--The term ``rural 
        minority business enterprise'' means a minority business 
        enterprise located in a rural area.

SEC. 3. BUSINESS CENTERS.

    (a) In General.--The Agency may establish not more than 10 rural 
business centers.
    (b) Partnership.--
            (1) In general.--The agency shall establish each rural 
        business center in partnership with an eligible entity in 
        accordance with paragraph (2).
            (2) MBDC agreement.--
                    (A) In general.--With respect to each rural 
                business center established by the Agency, the Agency 
                shall enter into a collaborative agreement with an 
                eligible entity that provides that--
                            (i) the eligible entity shall provide 
                        space, facilities, and staffing for the rural 
                        business center;
                            (ii) the Agency shall provide funding for, 
                        and oversight with respect to, the rural 
                        business center; and
                            (iii) subject to subparagraph (B), the 
                        eligible entity shall match 20 percent of the 
                        amount of the funding provided by the Agency 
                        under clause (ii), which may be calculated to 
                        include the costs of providing the space, 
                        facilities, and staffing under clause (i).
                    (B) Lower match requirement.--Based on the 
                available resources of an eligible entity, the Agency 
                may enter into a collaborative agreement with the 
                eligible entity that provides that the eligible entity 
                shall match less than 20 percent of the amount of the 
                funding provided by the Agency under subparagraph 
                (A)(ii).
            (3) Term.--The term of an MBDC agreement shall be 5 years.
            (4) Renewal.--The Agency and an eligible entity may agree 
        to extend the term of an MBDC agreement with respect to a rural 
        business center for an additional 5 years.
    (c) Functions.--A rural business center shall--
            (1) primarily serve clients that are--
                    (A) rural minority business enterprises; or
                    (B) minority business enterprises that are located 
                more than 50 miles from an MBDA center (other than that 
                rural business center);
            (2) focus on issues relating to--
                    (A) the adoption of broadband internet access 
                service (as defined in section 8.1(b) of title 47, Code 
                of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation), 
                digital literacy skills, and e-commerce by rural 
                minority business enterprises;
                    (B) advanced manufacturing;
                    (C) the promotion of manufacturing in the United 
                States;
                    (D) ways in which rural minority business 
                enterprises can meet gaps in the supply chain of 
                critical supplies and essential goods and services for 
                the United States;
                    (E) improving the connectivity of rural minority 
                business enterprises through transportation and 
                logistics;
                    (F) promoting trade and export opportunities by 
                rural minority business enterprises;
                    (G) securing financial capital; and
                    (H) facilitating entrepreneurship in rural areas; 
                and
            (3) provide education, training, and technical assistance 
        to minority business enterprises.
    (d) Applications.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Agency shall issue a request for 
        applications from eligible entities that desire to enter into 
        MBDC agreements with the Agency.
            (2) Criteria and priority.--In selecting an eligible entity 
        with which to enter into an MBDC agreement, the Agency shall--
                    (A) select an eligible entity that demonstrates--
                            (i) the ability to collaborate with 
                        governmental and private sector entities to 
                        leverage capabilities of minority business 
                        enterprises through public-private 
                        partnerships;
                            (ii) the research and extension capacity to 
                        support minority business enterprises;
                            (iii) knowledge of the community that the 
                        eligible entity serves and the ability to 
                        conduct effective outreach to that community to 
                        advance the goals of a rural business center;
                            (iv) the ability to provide innovative 
                        business solutions, including access to 
                        contracting opportunities, markets, and 
                        capital;
                            (v) the ability to provide services that 
                        advance the development of science, technology, 
                        engineering, and math jobs within minority 
                        business enterprises;
                            (vi) the ability to leverage resources from 
                        within the eligible entity to advance a rural 
                        business center;
                            (vii) that the mission of the eligible 
                        entity aligns with the mission of the Agency; 
                        and
                            (viii) the ability to leverage 
                        relationships with rural minority business 
                        enterprises; and
                    (B) give priority to an eligible entity located in 
                a State or region that lacks an MBDA center, as of the 
                date of enactment of this Act.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Agency to establish rural business centers under 
this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Agency shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
report that includes--
            (1) a summary of the efforts of the Agency to provide 
        services to minority business enterprises located in States 
        that lack an MBDA center, as of the date of enactment of this 
        Act, and especially in those States that have significant 
        minority populations; and
            (2) recommendations for extending the outreach of the 
        Agency to underserved areas.

SEC. 5. STUDY AND REPORT.

    (a) In General.--The Agency, in coordination with the Administrator 
of the Small Business Administration, shall conduct a study on the ways 
in which minority business enterprises can meet gaps in the supply 
chain of the United States, with a particular focus on the supply chain 
of advanced manufacturing and essential goods and services.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Agency shall submit to Congress a report that includes--
            (1) the results of the study conducted under subsection 
        (a); and
            (2) recommendations on the ways in which minority business 
        enterprises can meet gaps in the supply chain of the United 
        States.
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