Bring our Small Businesses Back Act

Bill: 117-hr-9370
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-10]
Introduced: 2022-11-30
Policy area: Commerce
Latest action: action_date: 2022-11-30
text: Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-11-30
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Bring our Small Businesses Back Act</b></p> <p>This bill provides grants for local governments to fund existing consumer voucher matching programs, under which funds contributed by individuals are matched by the local government to assist small businesses affected by COVID-19.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 9370 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 30, 2022 Mr. Harder of California introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Small Business A BILL To direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to create a grant program to fund existing consumer voucher matching programs.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Bring our Small Businesses Back Act . 2. Consumer voucher matching program (a) In general Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall create a grant program (in this section referred to as the Program ) under which the Administrator shall, subject to appropriations, make grants to eligible entities described in subsection (b)(1) for the uses specified under subsection (c). (b) Eligible entities (1) In general For purposes of this Program, an eligible entity is a unit of local government that— (A) has a consumer voucher matching program for small business concerns that have experienced a loss in revenue as a result of the COVID–19 pandemic; (B) has within the jurisdiction of such unit of local government, as determined by the Director of the Bureau of the Census in the 2017 Economic Census— (i) total retail sales less than or equal to $13,000,000; or (ii) total accommodation and food service sales less than or equal to $2,500,000; and (C) submits an application in accordance with paragraph (2) of this subsection. (2) Application To be eligible for a grant under the Program, a unit of local government shall submit to the Administrator an application, in such form, at such time, and containing such information as the Administrator determines appropriate, including— (A) a plan that includes information on how such unit of local government will use funds in accordance with subsection (c); (B) information proving that small business concerns within such unit of local government lost revenue as a result of the COVID–19 pandemic; (C) the number of individuals such unit of local government expects to serve under the Program; and (D) how the grant will be used to affect the development of small business concerns that were negatively affected by the COVID–19 pandemic. (c) Eligible uses (1) In general A unit of local government that receives a grant under this Program shall use grant amounts to fund a consumer voucher matching program. (2) Limitation Not more than 10 percent of the grant funds received under the Program may be used for the administration of a consumer voucher matching program. (d) Reporting requirements Each unit of local government receiving a grant under the Program shall, on an annual basis, submit to the Administrator of the Small Business Administration a report on— (1) which small business concerns participated in a consumer voucher matching program funded by the Program; (2) the number of individuals served by a consumer voucher matching program; (3) any changes to economic development indicators as a result of the activities supported by the use of grant funds under the Program, including— (A) any increase in the total revenue of small business concerns within such unit of local government; and (B) any increase in the number of small business concerns participating in a consumer voucher matching program; and (4) the amount of funds received under the Program used for the administration of a consumer voucher matching program. (e) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the Small Business Administration $100,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2023 and 2024 to carry out this section. (f) Definitions (1) Consumer voucher matching program The term consumer voucher matching program means a program that was established prior to the date of the enactment of this Act under which funds contributed by an individual are matched by a unit of local government for the purpose of expenditure at small business concerns within the jurisdiction of such unit of local government. (2) Small business concern The term small business concern has the meaning given such term under section 3 of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 632 ).