Title: Global Small Business Network Act
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Global Small Business Network Act
This bill authorizes the Department of State to establish a Global Small Business Network grant program to facilitate exports by U.S. small businesses.
Specifically, the State Department may award grants to institutions of higher education and nonprofits with experience in operating or working with U.S. small business development centers to (1) assist national and local governments of foreign countries with creating small business development centers, and (2) promote commerce between small businesses in the United States and the foreign economies participating in the program.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8628 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To support the establishment of small business development centers 
   internationally and promote international commerce, 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 ``Global Small Business Network Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Small businesses empower citizens of a country, 
        strengthen communities, provide employment 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 assistance, regulatory 
        guidance, and educational programs 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 Business Network of the Americas' initiative 
        funded through the Department of State.
            (4) The Small Business Network of the Americas' initiative 
        is a highly effective program that works with host governments 
        in the Americas to establish 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 businesses to thrive and 
        engage with the United States economy.

SEC. 3. GLOBAL AND REGIONAL NETWORKS.

    (a) Global Small Business Network.--
            (1) Establishment.--The Secretary of State, in consultation 
        with the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
        International Development and the Administrator of the Small 
        Business Administration, is authorized to establish and 
        administer a Global Small Business Network program.
            (2) Purpose.--The purpose of the Global Small Business 
        Network program is to--
                    (A) enhance the ability of small business concerns 
                in the United States that are affiliated with a small 
                business development center to export to foreign 
                markets and take part in international commerce; and
                    (B) facilitate partners for small business concerns 
                in the United States and resilient business 
                environments in foreign countries through the 
                development of small business development centers in 
                foreign countries.
            (3) Affiliation.--The Secretary of State shall determine if 
        a small business development center in 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 developing small business development 
        centers in such country pursuant to a grant awarded under 
        subsection (c).
            (5) Duplication of efforts.--The Secretary of State shall 
        leverage existing programs administered 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 americas.--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 participate 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 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 requirements, as the Secretary may require.
            (2) Types of grants.--A qualified entity may receive a 
        grant for one or both of the following purposes:
                    (A) To assist national and local governments of a 
                foreign country to develop a small business development 
                center, or multiple centers, in such country, 
                regardless of whether such country participates in a 
                regional network described in subsection (b).
                    (B) To promote economic connectivity between 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 business 
                        concerns in the United States to take part in 
                        international commerce; and
                            (ii) facilitate the growth of small 
                        businesses in foreign countries through the 
                        development 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 authorized to 
use--
            (1) up to $1,000,000 of such amount to establish and 
        operate the Small Business Network of the Americas; and
            (2) up to $1,000,000 of such amount to establish and 
        operate the ASEAN Small Business Network.
    (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 Administrator of the United States Agency for 
        International Development and the Administrator of the Small 
        Business Administration, shall submit to the Committee on 
        Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, 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 paragraph (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 geographic location of such 
                businesses, the number of jobs supported, and the 
                amount of economic activity generated.
                    (B) A description of methods and strategies to 
                develop small business development centers 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.
                    (D) A list, and the current status, of all new 
                small business development centers in foreign countries 
                set up through the Global Small Business Network 
                program in the two years before the date of the report, 
                even if no longer affiliated 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 country; 
                        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 commercial 
                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--
                    (A) an institution of higher education (as such 
                term is defined in section 102 of the Higher Education 
                Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)), except that such term 
                does not include institutions described in section 
                102(a)(1)(c) of such Act;
                    (B) a consortium of two or more institutions of 
                higher education described in subparagraph (A); or
                    (C) a nonprofit entity with experience in operating 
                or working with small business development 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 center.--The term ``small 
        business development center''--
                    (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
                            (ii) includes a women's business center, 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 development 
                        programs;
                            (ii) promotes studies, research, and 
                        counseling concerning the managing, financing, 
                        and operation of small businesses;
                            (iii) provides management and technical 
                        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 analysts 
                        who can refer a small business to available 
                        experts.
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