Small Business Export Enhancement Act of 2010

Bill: 111-hr-5832
Sponsor: Rep. Dahlkemper, Kathleen A. [D-PA-3]
Introduced: 2010-07-22 in the House
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Competitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficits
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal officials
Free trade and trade barriers
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Intergovernmental relations
Manufacturing
Performance measurement
Rural conditions and development
Small Business Administration
Small business
State and local government operations
Trade agreements and negotiations
Women in business

Summary:
action_date: 2010-07-22
text: 
Small Business Export Enhancement Act of 2010 - Amends the Small Business Act to: (1) require the Office of International Trade of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to implement small business export promotion programs that increase the number of small businesses that export as well as the volume of their exports; and (2) establish an Associate Administrator for International Trade as the head of the Office. Grants the SBA Administrator the authority to appoint additional Associate Administrators. 
 
Requires Export Assistance Centers (one-stop shops for U.S. exporters) to aid the Associate Administrator in: (1) maintaining a trade distribution network for trade promotion and trade assistance programs for small businesses; (2) aggressively marketing such programs and disseminate information to small businesses on exporting trends and international prospects for exports; (3) promoting export assistance programs through certain conduits; and (4) giving preference to the hiring of employees fluent in English to the Office. Requires the Associate Administrator to establish annual goals to enhance the export capabilities of small businesses and small manufacturers to compete against foreign entities.
 
Directs the Associate Administrator, in order to provide small businesses access to certain export financing programs, to appoint at least one trade financial specialist within the SBA to oversee international loan programs and assist SBA employees with trade finance issues.
 
Directs the SBA Administrator to establish an export and trade counseling certification program for employees of lead small business development centers and lead women's business centers in providing export assistance to small businesses. 
 
Requires the Associate Administrator to develop performance measures to support export growth goals for Office activities to promote exports by small businesses.
 
Directs the SBA Administrator to carry out a comprehensive program to help small businesses to resolve international trade disputes.
 
Directs the SBA Administrator, in coordination with the Secretary of Commerce, to ensure that the number of export finance specialists assigned to the Export Assistance Centers is at least the number that were assigned on January 1, 2003. Requires at least three specialists in each SBA region.
 
Requires the SBA Administrator to: (1) study and report on small business exporters and high- and low-export volume areas in each state; and (2) report to Congress on rural export promotion programs for small businesses.
 
Requires a small business development center that counsels a small business concern on international trade issues to: (1) consult with state trade agencies and Export Assistance Centers to provide appropriate services to the small business concern; and (2) refer the small business concern to a State trade agency or an Export Assistance Center, as necessary, for further counseling or assistance.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-07-22
text: Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.
action_date: 2010-07-22
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2010-07-22
text: Introduced in House