Interagency Committee on Women’s Business Enterprise Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.3875 | Sponsor: Rep. Meng, Grace (D-NY)
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
Interagency Committee on Women's Business Enterprise Act of 2021
This bill revises the duties, membership, and reporting requirements of the Interagency Committee on Women's Business Enterprise.
These changes include striking a requirement that the committee develop and promote new public sector programs and plans to foster women's business enterprise and, instead, requiring it to monitor the plans, programs, and operations of federal government departments and agencies to identify barriers to new business formation by women entrepreneurs.

To reauthorize the Interagency Committee on Women's Business 
                  Enterprise, 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 ``Interagency Committee on Women's 
Business Enterprise Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON WOMEN'S BUSINESS ENTERPRISE.

    Title IV of the Women's Business Ownership Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 
7101 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 402 (15 U.S.C. 7102)--
                    (A) in subsection (a)--
                            (i) by striking paragraphs (2) and (5);
                            (ii) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and 
                        (4) as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively; 
                        and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) monitor the plans, programs, and operations of the 
        departments and agencies of the Federal Government to identify 
        barriers to new business formation by women entrepreneurs, or 
        barriers experienced by women-led startups in accessing and 
        participating in the plans, programs, and operations of the 
        departments and agencies of the Federal Government.'';
                    (B) in subsection (b), by inserting after the first 
                sentence the following: ``In addition to the meetings 
                described in the preceding sentence, the Interagency 
                Committee shall meet at the call of the executive 
                director of the Council or the chairperson of the 
                Interagency Committee.''; and
                    (C) in subsection (c), in the first sentence, by 
                inserting ``, including through the use of research and 
                policy developed by the Council'' after ``Council'';
            (2) in section 403 (15 U.S.C. 7103)--
                    (A) in subsection (a)--
                            (i) in paragraph (1)--
                                    (I) in the matter preceding 
                                subparagraph (A), by inserting ``the 
                                executive director of the Council and'' 
                                before ``1 representative''; and
                                    (II) by adding at the end the 
                                following:
                    ``(K) The National Aeronautics and Space 
                Administration.
                    ``(L) The Environmental Protection Agency.
                    ``(M) The Office of Management and Budget.
                    ``(N) The Bureau of Labor Statistics.
                    ``(O) The Department of Homeland Security.
                    ``(P) The Department of Veterans Affairs.''; and
                            (ii) in paragraph (2)--
                                    (I) in subparagraph (A), by 
                                striking ``Small Business 
                                Administration Reauthorization Act of 
                                1997'' and inserting ``Interagency 
                                Committee on Women's Business 
                                Enterprise Act of 2021''; and
                                    (II) in subparagraph (B)--
                                            (aa) by striking ``Small 
                                        Business''; and
                                            (bb) by striking ``National 
                                        Women's Business Council 
                                        established under section 405'' 
                                        and inserting ``Council''; and
                    (B) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
    ``(b) Appointment.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 45 days after the date of 
        enactment of the Interagency Committee on Women's Business 
        Enterprise Act of 2021, the President, in consultation with the 
        Administrator, shall appoint one of the members of the 
        Interagency Committee to serve as chairperson.
            ``(2) Vacancy.--In the event that a chairperson is not 
        appointed during the 45-day period described in paragraph (1), 
        the Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration 
        shall serve as acting chairperson of the Interagency Committee 
        until a chairperson is appointed under paragraph (1).''; and
            (3) in section 404 (15 U.S.C. 7104)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                striking ``1995'' and inserting ``2021'';
                    (B) in paragraph (1), by adding ``and'' at the end;
                    (C) in paragraph (2), by striking ``; and'' and 
                inserting a period; and
                    (D) by striking paragraph (3).
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