Title: Revitalizing Small and Local Businesses Act
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
Revitalizing Small and Local Businesses Act
This bill establishes a competitive grant program, administered by the Economic Development Administration, for national nonprofit organizations to partner with local organizations to provide specialized technical assistance, capacity building, and related services that support small businesses and business district revitalization in low-income, rural, and minority communities.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3340 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3340

   To establish a competitive grant program to provide assistance to 
 support small businesses and business district revitalization in low-
    income, rural, and minority communities, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 8, 2021

Mr. Padilla (for himself and Mr. Wicker) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 
                              Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish a competitive grant program to provide assistance to 
 support small businesses and business district revitalization in low-
    income, rural, and minority communities, 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 ``Revitalizing Small and Local 
Businesses Act''.

SEC. 2. REVITALIZING BUSINESS DISTRICTS PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Title II of the Public Works and Economic 
Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3141 et seq.) is amended by adding 
at the end the following:

``SEC. 219. REVITALIZING BUSINESS DISTRICTS PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) National nonprofit organization.--The term `national 
        nonprofit organization' means a nonprofit organization that--
                    ``(A) operates in each geographic area served by a 
                regional office of the Economic Development 
                Administration; and
                    ``(B) has experience and expertise in providing 
                technical assistance and capacity building programs in 
                support of community-based organizations that focus on 
                revitalizing business districts and commercial 
                corridors, including through support of underserved 
                small businesses.
            ``(2) Nonprofit organization.--The term `nonprofit 
        organization' means an organization that is--
                    ``(A) described in paragraph (3), (4), (5), or (6) 
                of section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; 
                and
                    ``(B) exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of 
                that Code.
    ``(b) Program.--The Secretary shall establish a national program 
under which the Secretary shall award grants on a competitive basis to 
national nonprofit organizations to carry out place-based programs, in 
partnership with locally-based nonprofit or public community and 
economic development partners, to provide specialized technical 
assistance, capacity building, and related services that support small 
businesses and business district revitalization in low-income, rural, 
and minority communities.
    ``(c) Application.--A national nonprofit organization seeking a 
grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary 
at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the 
Secretary may require.
    ``(d) Partnerships.--In order to receive a grant under this 
section, a national nonprofit organization shall demonstrate a track 
record of, and a strategy for, supporting local business district 
organizations or similar place-based business or economic development 
organizations and serving disadvantaged businesses or communities that 
are socially and economically disadvantaged, including rural 
communities.
    ``(e) Prioritization.--Notwithstanding section 206, in selecting 
grant recipients under this section, the Secretary shall give priority 
to an applicant--
            ``(1) that would serve communities that are socially and 
        economically disadvantaged, including rural communities; and
            ``(2) that has the demonstrated capacity to serve multiple 
        States, and multiple geographies within a State.
    ``(f) Administration.--The Secretary shall carry out this section 
through the headquarters office of the Economic Development 
Administration.
    ``(g) Federal Share.--
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) and 
        notwithstanding section 204 or any other provision of law, the 
        Federal share of the cost of a project carried out with 
        assistance under this section shall be not more than 80 
        percent.
            ``(2) Use of other federal funds.--A grant recipient may 
        use other Federal funds provided to the grant recipient to 
        increase the Federal share under paragraph (1) up to 100 
        percent, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
            ``(3) Waiver.--The Secretary may increase the Federal share 
        under paragraph (1) up to 100 percent if the Secretary 
        determines that the grant recipient is unable to pay, or would 
        experience significant financial hardship if required to pay, 
        the non-Federal share.
    ``(h) Administrative Costs.--Of the amounts made available to carry 
out this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary may use not more than 
2 percent for the administrative costs of carrying out this section.
    ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 
through 2026, to remain available until expended, to carry out this 
section.''.
    (b) Direct Expenditure or Redistribution by Recipient.--Section 
217(a) of the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 
U.S.C. 3154c(a)) is amended by striking ``or 207'' and inserting ``207, 
or 219''.
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