Small Business Export Growth Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-25
Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
Introduced: 2015-01-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Competitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficits
Congressional oversight
Executive agency funding and structure
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Small business
State and local government operations
Trade restrictions
Travel and tourism

Summary:
action_date: 2015-01-06
text: 

Small Business Export Growth Act of 2015

 
 Amends the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 to revise the duties of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC).
 
Requires the TPCC to: (1) identify opportunities to consolidate or co-locate offices of federal agencies involved in export promotion and export financing activities; (2) assess the use and coordination of electronic databases among federal agencies in support of such activities; and (3) provide a detailed listing of current and future federal and state-led trade missions, trade fairs, and related activities to ensure better delivery of services to U.S. businesses.
 
Requires the Secretary of Commerce to make available information on federal and state-led trade missions, trade fairs, and related activities on the Export.gov website.
 
Requires the governmentwide strategic plan for federal trade promotion efforts to: (1) clearly identify and explain the role, goals, and objectives of each agency represented on the TPCC with respect its export promotion and export financing activities; (2) include any recommendations of the Comptroller General relating to coordination of the agencies represented on the TPCC; and (3) reflect the recommendations of the U.S. Travel Association (currently, U.S. National Tourism Organization) to the degree considered appropriate by the TPCC.
 
Directs the President to establish a State and Federal Export Promotion Coordination Working Group as a subcommittee of the TPCC to develop a strategy for improving coordination of federal and state resources for small business export promotion and export financing activities.
 
Requires the Inspector General of the Department of Commerce to report annually to Congress on the extent to which the TPCC is successfully carrying out its duties.
 
Requires the Associate Administrator for International Trade of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to report to Congress on recommendations for improving the experience of the Export.gov website as a comprehensive export information resource and a single website for exporters to submit all federally required information on the exportation of articles from the United States.
 
Amends the Small Business Act to require that the nationwide marketing effort of the Associate Administrator, in promoting sales opportunities for the export of small business goods and services, to conduct at least one outreach event each fiscal year in each state.
 
Directs the SBA Administrator, the Secretary of Agriculture, the U.S. Export-Import Bank, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation to establish jointly a Small Business Inter-Agency Task Force on Export Financing.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2015-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate