Small Business Export Opportunity Development Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-1208
Sponsor: Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2009-06-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Competitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficits
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal officials
Free trade and trade barriers
Government lending and loan guarantees
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
Small Business Administration
Small business
Trade agreements and negotiations

Summary:
action_date: 2009-06-08
text: 
Small Business Export Opportunity Development Act of 2009 - Amends the Small Business Act to establish within the Small Business Administration (SBA) an Office of Export Development and Promotion (Office), headed by an Associate Administrator for Export Development and Promotion, to undertake specified activities with respect to the development and promotion of small business goods and services abroad. Requires the Associate Administrator to: (1) develop a program through which SBA export finance specialists, regional and local loan officers, and small business development center (SBDC) personnel facilitate the access of small businesses to relevant export financing programs of the Export-Import Bank and to export and pre-export financing programs available through the SBA and the private sector; (2) provide international trade counseling for small businesses; (3) set up export assistance programs within each SBDC; (4) establish an export development grant program for small businesses; (5) develop performance measures to support Office export growth goals; and (6) discharge SBA export promotion responsibilities.
 
Directs the SBA Administrator to fill certain vacant positions at Export Assistance Centers (as established under the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988).
 
Allows the Administrator to guarantee small business loans of up to $5 million for the purpose of developing foreign markets.
 
Makes eligible under the SBA's Preferred Lenders Program any lender participating in the Delegated Authority Lender Program of the Export-Import Bank.
 
Authorizes the Administrator to guarantee the timely payment of an express (expedited) loan of up to $500,000 made to a small business for an export development activity.
 
Increases the maximum amount of small business international trade loans.
 
Directs the Administrator to expand the network of lenders participating in export loan programs.
 
Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to establish within the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) the position of Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Small Business, with specified duties.
 
Directs the Administrator to carry out a program to provide technical assistance, counseling, and reference materials to small businesses relating to resources, procedures, and requirements for mechanisms to resolve international trade disputes or address unfair international trade practices under international trade agreements or federal law.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-06-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6268-6271)
action_date: 2009-06-08
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6267-6268)
action_date: 2009-06-08
text: Introduced in Senate