Bring our Small Businesses Back Act
Bill: H.R.9370 | Sponsor: Rep. Harder, Josh (D-CA)
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
Bring our Small Businesses Back Act
This bill provides grants for local governments to fund existing consumer voucher matching programs, under which funds contributed by individuals are matched by the local government to assist small businesses affected by COVID-19.

To direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to 
   create a grant program to fund existing consumer voucher matching 
                               programs.

    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 ``Bring our Small Businesses Back 
Act''.

SEC. 2. CONSUMER VOUCHER MATCHING PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Small Business 
Administration shall create a grant program (in this section referred 
to as the ``Program'') under which the Administrator shall, subject to 
appropriations, make grants to eligible entities described in 
subsection (b)(1) for the uses specified under subsection (c).
    (b) Eligible Entities.--
            (1) In general.--For purposes of this Program, an eligible 
        entity is a unit of local government that--
                    (A) has a consumer voucher matching program for 
                small business concerns that have experienced a loss in 
                revenue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic;
                    (B) has within the jurisdiction of such unit of 
                local government, as determined by the Director of the 
                Bureau of the Census in the 2017 Economic Census--
                            (i) total retail sales less than or equal 
                        to $13,000,000; or
                            (ii) total accommodation and food service 
                        sales less than or equal to $2,500,000; and
                    (C) submits an application in accordance with 
                paragraph (2) of this subsection.
            (2) Application.--To be eligible for a grant under the 
        Program, a unit of local government shall submit to the 
        Administrator an application, in such form, at such time, and 
        containing such information as the Administrator determines 
        appropriate, including--
                    (A) a plan that includes information on how such 
                unit of local government will use funds in accordance 
                with subsection (c);
                    (B) information proving that small business 
                concerns within such unit of local government lost 
                revenue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic;
                    (C) the number of individuals such unit of local 
                government expects to serve under the Program; and
                    (D) how the grant will be used to affect the 
                development of small business concerns that were 
                negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
    (c) Eligible Uses.--
            (1) In general.--A unit of local government that receives a 
        grant under this Program shall use grant amounts to fund a 
        consumer voucher matching program.
            (2) Limitation.--Not more than 10 percent of the grant 
        funds received under the Program may be used for the 
        administration of a consumer voucher matching program.
    (d) Reporting Requirements.--Each unit of local government 
receiving a grant under the Program shall, on an annual basis, submit 
to the Administrator of the Small Business Administration a report on--
            (1) which small business concerns participated in a 
        consumer voucher matching program funded by the Program;
            (2) the number of individuals served by a consumer voucher 
        matching program;
            (3) any changes to economic development indicators as a 
        result of the activities supported by the use of grant funds 
        under the Program, including--
                    (A) any increase in the total revenue of small 
                business concerns within such unit of local government; 
                and
                    (B) any increase in the number of small business 
                concerns participating in a consumer voucher matching 
                program; and
            (4) the amount of funds received under the Program used for 
        the administration of a consumer voucher matching program.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator of the Small Business Administration 
$100,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2023 and 2024 to carry out 
this section.
    (f) Definitions.--
            (1) Consumer voucher matching program.--The term ``consumer 
        voucher matching program'' means a program that was established 
        prior to the date of the enactment of this Act under which 
        funds contributed by an individual are matched by a unit of 
        local government for the purpose of expenditure at small 
        business concerns within the jurisdiction of such unit of local 
        government.
            (2) Small business concern.--The term ``small business 
        concern'' has the meaning given such term under section 3 of 
        the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).
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