Supporting Small Business and Career and Technical Education Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.3366 | Sponsor: Rep. Williams, Roger (R-TX)
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
Supporting Small Business and Career and Technical Education Act of 2021
This bill includes within the responsibilities of Small Business Development Centers and Women's Business Centers the provision of assistance to small businesses in hiring graduates from career and technical education programs and to graduates of such programs in starting small businesses.

To amend the Small Business Act to include requirements relating to 
  graduates of career and technical education programs or programs of 
   study for small business development centers and women's business 
                    centers, 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 ``Supporting Small Business and Career 
and Technical Education Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense Congress that--
            (1) career and technical education provides individuals 
        with coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging 
        academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills 
        needed to prepare for further education and careers in current 
        or emerging professions;
            (2) career and technical education provides technical skill 
        proficiency, an industry-recognized credential, a certificate, 
        or an associate degree;
            (3) career and technical education includes competency-
        based applied learning which contributes to the academic 
        knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, 
        work attitudes, general employability skills, technical skills, 
        occupation-specific skills, and knowledge of all aspects of an 
        industry, including entrepreneurship, of an individual;
            (4) employment opportunities provided through recognized 
        postsecondary credentials (as defined in section 3 of the 
        Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102)) are 
        as important to the advancement of the economy of the United 
        States as any other domestic business sector;
            (5) career and technical professions are desirable and 
        often high-skill, high-wage occupations; and
            (6) career and technical education provides individuals 
        with just as competitive and practical of a career path as 
        attending a traditional four-year college or university.

SEC. 3. INCLUSION OF CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

    (a) Definition.--Section 3 of the Small Business Act is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(gg) Career and Technical Education.--The term `career and 
technical education' has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the 
Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 
2302).''.
    (b) Small Business Development Centers.--Section 21(c)(3) of the 
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648(c)(1)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (T), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in clause (v) of the first subparagraph (U) (relating 
        to succession planning), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting a semicolon;
            (3) in second subparagraph (U) (relating to training on 
        domestic and international intellectual property protections)--
                    (A) in clause (ii)(II), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting a semicolon; and
                    (B) by redesignating such subparagraph as 
                subparagraph (V); and
            (4) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
                    ``(W) assisting small businesses in hiring 
                graduates from career and technical education programs 
                or programs of study; and
                    ``(X) assisting graduates of career and technical 
                education programs or programs of study in starting up 
                a small business concern.''.
    (c) Women's Business Centers.--Section 29(b) of the Small Business 
Act (15 U.S.C. 656(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting a semicolon; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
            ``(4) assistance for small business concerns to hire 
        graduates from career and technical education programs or 
        programs of study; and
            ``(5) assistance for graduates of career and technical 
        education programs or programs of study to start up a small 
        business concern.''.
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