Title: Ensuring Access to Counseling and Training for All Small Businesses Act of 2019
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
Ensuring Access to Counseling and Training for All Small Businesses Act of 2019
This bill prohibits a small business development center, women's business center, or Veteran Business Outreach Center from declining to provide services to an otherwise eligible small business solely because it is a cannabis-related legitimate business or service provider.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3543 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3543

  To ensure that certain entrepreneurial development services of the 
 Small Business Administration are made available to cannabis-related 
  legitimate businesses and service providers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 27, 2019

  Mr. Golden introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Small Business

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To ensure that certain entrepreneurial development services of the 
 Small Business Administration are made available to cannabis-related 
  legitimate businesses and service providers, 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 ``Ensuring Access to Counseling and 
Training for All Small Businesses Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS RELATING TO CANNABIS-RELATED LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES 
              AND SERVICE PROVIDERS.

    Section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(ff) Definitions Relating to Cannabis-Related Legitimate 
Businesses and Service Providers.--In this Act:
            ``(1) Cannabis.--The term `cannabis' has the meaning given 
        the term `marihuana' in section 102 of the Controlled 
        Substances Act.
            ``(2) Cannabis product.--The term `cannabis product' means 
        any article which contains cannabis, including an article which 
        is a concentrate, an edible, a tincture, a cannabis-infused 
        product, or a topical.
            ``(3) Cannabis-related legitimate business.--The term 
        `cannabis-related legitimate business' means a manufacturer, 
        producer, or any person or company that is a small business 
        concern and that--
                    ``(A) engages in any activity described in 
                subparagraph (B) pursuant to a law established by a 
                State or a political subdivision of a State, as 
                determined by such State or political subdivision; and
                    ``(B) participates in any business or organized 
                activity that involves handling cannabis or cannabis 
                products, including cultivating, producing, 
                manufacturing, selling, transporting, displaying, 
                dispensing, distributing, or purchasing cannabis or 
                cannabis products.
            ``(4) Manufacturer.--The term `manufacturer' means a person 
        who manufactures, compounds, converts, processes, prepares, or 
        packages cannabis or cannabis products.
            ``(5) Producer.--The term `producer' means a person who 
        plants, cultivates, harvests, or in any way facilitates the 
        natural growth of cannabis.
            ``(6) Service provider.--The term `service provider'--
                    ``(A) means a business, organization, or other 
                person that--
                            ``(i) sells goods or services to a 
                        cannabis-related legitimate business; or
                            ``(ii) provides any business services, 
                        including the sale or lease of real or any 
                        other property, legal or other licensed 
                        services, or any other ancillary service, 
                        relating to cannabis; and
                    ``(B) does not include a business, organization, or 
                other person that participates in any business or 
                organized activity that involves handling cannabis or 
                cannabis products, including cultivating, producing, 
                manufacturing, selling, transporting, displaying, 
                dispensing, distributing, or purchasing cannabis or 
                cannabis products.
            ``(7) State.--The term `State' means each of the several 
        States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and any 
        territory or possession of the United States.''.

SEC. 3. ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FOR CANNABIS-RELATED 
              LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS.

    (a) Small Business Development Centers.--Section 21(c) of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648(c)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph:
            ``(9) Services for cannabis-related legitimate businesses 
        and service providers.--A small business development center may 
        not decline to provide services to an otherwise eligible small 
        business concern under this section solely because such concern 
        is a cannabis-related legitimate business or service 
        provider.''.
    (b) Women's Business Centers.--Section 29 of the Small Business Act 
(15 U.S.C. 656) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
    ``(p) Services for Cannabis-Related Legitimate Businesses and 
Service Providers.--A women's business center may not decline to 
provide services to an otherwise eligible small business concern under 
this section solely because such concern is a cannabis-related 
legitimate business or service provider.''.
    (c) SCORE.--Section 8(b)(1)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
637(b)(1)(B)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
sentence: ``The head of the SCORE program established under this 
subparagraph may not decline to provide services to an otherwise 
eligible small business concern solely because such concern is a 
cannabis-related legitimate business or service provider.''.
    (d) Veteran Business Outreach Centers.--Section 32 of the Small 
Business Act is amended (15 U.S.C. 657b) is amended by adding at the 
end the following new subsection:
    ``(h) Services for Cannabis-Related Legitimate Businesses and 
Service Providers.--A Veteran Business Outreach Center may not decline 
to provide services to an otherwise eligible small business concern 
under this section solely because such concern is a cannabis-related 
legitimate business or service provider.''.
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