Title: PROMISE Act
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
Promoting Robust Opportunities for Minority Institutions and Strengthening Entrepreneurship Act or the PROMISE Act
This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to report on various aspects of its relationship with historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), including
In addition, the SBA is directed to promote entrepreneurship and small business opportunities at HBCUs by conducting outreach and providing access to programs, resources, and opportunities offered by the SBA.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2126 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2126

 To require the Small Business Administration to report on assistance 
provided to historically Black colleges or universities, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 16, 2019

Mr. Scott of South Carolina (for himself and Mr. Coons) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                  Small Business and Entrepreneurship

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Small Business Administration to report on assistance 
provided to historically Black colleges or universities, 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 ``Promoting Robust Opportunities for 
Minority Institutions and Strengthening Entrepreneurship Act'' or the 
``PROMISE Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the terms ``Administration'' and ``Administrator'' mean 
        the Small Business Administration and the Administrator 
        thereof, respectively;
            (2) the term ``historically Black college or university'' 
        means a part B institution, as defined in section 322 of the 
        Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061); and
            (3) the term ``institution of higher education'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).

SEC. 3. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ON 
              HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES.

    (a) Entrepreneurial Development Programs.--The Small Business Act 
(15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 21 (15 U.S.C. 648), by adding at the end the 
        following:
    ``(o) Report on Centers at Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities.--
            ``(1) Definition.--In this subsection--
                    ``(A) the term `historically Black college or 
                university' means a part B institution, as defined in 
                section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1061); and
                    ``(B) the term `lead small business development 
                center' means a small business development center 
                described in section 21 that administers and operates a 
                network of small business development centers.
            ``(2) Report.--The Administrator shall annually prepare a 
        report--
                    ``(A) which the Administrator shall make publicly 
                available; and
                    ``(B) that includes--
                            ``(i) the number of small business 
                        development centers and lead small business 
                        development centers that are located at 
                        historically Black colleges or universities;
                            ``(ii) the number of women's business 
                        centers and Veteran Business Outreach Centers 
                        that have partnerships with historically Black 
                        colleges or universities;
                            ``(iii) the number of hours of training and 
                        education provided by a program overseen by the 
                        Office of Entrepreneurial Development of the 
                        Administration to students and graduates of 
                        historically Black colleges or universities;
                            ``(iv) each strategic alliance memorandum 
                        entered into between the Administration and a 
                        historically Black college or university;
                            ``(v) the steps taken to ensure that each 
                        memorandum described in clause (iv) is upheld;
                            ``(vi) the steps taken to partner the 
                        resources provided by the Service Corps of 
                        Retired Executives program authorized by 
                        section 8(b)(1) with students and graduates of 
                        historically Black colleges or universities;
                            ``(vii) for that year, the plan of the 
                        Administration prepared in accordance with 
                        section 2(c) of Executive Order 13779 (82 Fed. 
                        Reg. 12499; relating to promoting excellence 
                        and innovation at historically Black colleges 
                        and universities);
                            ``(viii) the steps taken by the 
                        Administration to ensure that the plan 
                        described in clause (vii) is carried out; and
                            ``(ix) the process by which a historically 
                        Black college or university may apply for a 
                        grant awarded by a small business development 
                        center, women's business center, or Veteran 
                        Business Outreach Center.''; and
            (2) in section 29(j)(2) (15 U.S.C. 656(j)(2))--
                    (A) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (F), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(G) the number of historically Black colleges or 
                universities (as defined in section 21(o)(1)) served by 
                the women's business center, and the hours of training 
                provided to students and graduates of historically 
                Black colleges or universities.''.
    (b) Small Business Administration Programs at Historically Black 
Colleges and Universities.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee 
on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee 
on Small Business of the House of Representatives a report that 
examines the number and scope of programs of the Administration at 
historically Black colleges or universities, as compared with other 
institutions of higher education.

SEC. 4. PROMOTING ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SMALL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AT 
              HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES.

    The Administrator shall--
            (1) on an annual basis, provide to each historically Black 
        college or university a list of each internship or employment 
        opportunity available at the Administration;
            (2) actively promote the programs and resources of the 
        Administration that would be helpful for entrepreneurs who are 
        students at, or graduates of, historically Black colleges or 
        universities;
            (3) work to ensure that the Strategic Alliance Memorandums 
        between the Administration and historically Black colleges or 
        universities are enforced by developing and executing a 
        strategic plan that accomplishes the goals set forth in those 
        memorandums;
            (4) conduct outreach to historically Black colleges or 
        universities to provide awareness with respect to resources, 
        services, and opportunities provided by the Administration; and
            (5) in order to enhance transparency, when describing the 
        efforts of the Administration to strengthen the capacity of 
        historically Black colleges or universities to participate in 
        applicable Federal programs and initiatives in each plan 
        prepared under section 2(c) of Executive Order 13779 (82 Fed. 
        Reg. 12499; relating to promoting excellence and innovation at 
        historically Black colleges and universities), provide 
        rationales for those efforts.
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