Women's Business Development Act of 1991
PL 102-191 (H.R.2629), enacted 12/05/1991

PUBLIC LAW 102-191—DEC. 5, 1991 
105 STAT. 1589 
Public Law 102-191 
102d Congress 
An Act 
Dec. 5, 1991 
[H.R. 2629] 
Women's 
Business 
Development 
Act of 1991. 
15 u s e 631 note. 
To amend the Small Business Act to assist the development of small business 
concerns owned and controlled by women, 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 "Women's Business Development Act 
of 1991". 
SEC. 2. WOMEN'S DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS. 
The Small Business Act is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section: 
"SEC. 28. (a) The Administration may provide financial assistance 15 USC 656. 
to private organizations to conduct 3-year demonstration projects for 
the benefit of small business concerns owned and controlled by 
women. The projects shall provide— 
"(1) financial assistance, including training and counseling in 
how to apply for and secure business credit and investment 
capital, preparing and presenting financial statements, and 
managing cash flow and other financial operations of a business 
concern; 
"(2) management assistance, including training and counsel-
ing in how to plan, organize, staff, direct, and control each 
major activity and function of a small business concern; and 
"(3) marketing assistance, including training and counseling 
in identifying and segmenting domestic and international 
market opportunities, preparing and executing marketing 
plans, 
developing 
pricing 
strategies, 
locating 
contract 
opportunities, negotiating contracts, and utilizing varying 
public relations and advertising techniques. 
"(b)(1) As a condition of receiving financial assistance authorized 
by this section, the recipient organization shall agree to obtain, after 
its application has been approved and notice of award has been 
issued, cash contributions from non-Federal sources as follows: 
"(A) If the project first receives its Federal financial assist-
ance prior to fiscal year 1993, an annual amount that is not less 
than the amount of the Federal financial assistance provided 
each year. 
"(B) If the project first receives Federal financial assistance in 
fiscal year 1993, or thereafter, annual amounts equal to— 
"(i) in the first year, 1 non-Federal dollar for each 2 
Federal dollars; 
"(ii) in the second year, 1 non-Federal dollar for each 
Federal dollar; and 
"(iii) in the third and final year, 2 non-Federal dollars for 
each Federal dollar. 
105 STAT. 1590 
PUBLIC LAW 102-191—DEC. 5, 1991 
Appropriation 
authorization. 
Reports. 
"(2) Up to one-half of the non-Federal matching assistance may be 
in the form of in-kind contributions which are budget line items 
only, including but not limited to office equipment and office space. 
"(3) The financial assistance authorized pursuant to this section 
may be made by grant, contract, or cooperative agreement and may 
contain such provision, as necessary, to provide for payments in 
lump sum or installments, and in advance or by way of reimburse-
ment. The Administration may disburse up to 25 percent of each 
year's Federal share awarded to a recipient organization after notice 
of the award has been issued and before the non-Federal matching 
funds are obtained. 
"(4) If any recipient of assistance under this section fails to obtain 
the required non-Federal contribution during any year of any 
project, it shall not be eligible thereafter for advance disbursements 
under paragraph (3) during the remainder of that project, or for any 
other project for which it is or may be funded. In addition, prior to 
approving assistance to such organization for any other projects, the 
Administration shall specifically determine whether the Adminis-
tration believes that the recipient will be able to obtain the requisite 
non-Federal funding and enter a written finding setting forth the 
reasons for making such determination. 
"(c) Each applicant for assistance under this section initially shall 
submit a 3-year plan on proposed fundraising and training activities, 
and may receive financial assistance under this section for a maxi-
mum of 3 years per site. The Administration shall evaluate and 
rank applicants in accordance with predetermined selection criteria 
that shall be stated in terms of relative importance. Such criteria 
and their relative importance shall be made publicly available and 
stated in each solicitation for applications made by the Administra-
tion. The criteria shall include— 
"(1) the experience of the applicant in conducting programs or 
on-going efforts designed to impart or upgrade the business 
skills of women business owners or potential owners; 
"(2) the present ability of the applicant to commence a dem-
onstration project within a minimum amount of time; and 
"(3) the ability of the applicant to provide training and serv-
ices to a representative number of women who are both socially 
and economically disadvantaged. 
"(d) For purposes of this section, the term 'small business concern' 
means a small business concern, either start-up or existing, owned 
and controlled by women, and— 
"(1) which is at least 51 percent owned by 1 or more women; 
and 
"(2) the management and daily business operations of which 
are controlled by 1 or more women. 
"(e) There are authorized to be appropriated $4,000,000 for each 
fiscal year to carry out the demonstration projects authorized by 
this section. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
Administration may use such expedited acquisition methods as it 
deems appropriate to achieve the purposes of this section, except 
that it shall ensure that all eligible sources are provided a reason-
able opportunity to submit proposals. 
"(f) The Administration shall prepare and transmit an annual 
report, beginning February 1, 1992, to the Committees on Small 
Business of the Senate and House of Representatives on the 
effectiveness of all demonstration projects conducted under the 
PUBLIC LAW 102-191—DEC. 5, 1991 
105 STAT. 1591 
authority of this section. Such report shall provide information 
concerning— 
"(1) the number of individuals receiving assistance; 
"(2) the number of start-up business concerns formed; 
"(3) the gross receipts of assisted concerns; 
"(4) increases or decreases in profits of assisted concerns; and 
"(5) the employment increases or decreases of assisted con-
cerns. 
"(g) The Administration shall not provide financial assistance 
under this section to any new project after October 1, 1995, except 
that it may fund projects which commenced prior thereto.". 
SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISION. 
Section 8 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637) is amended by 
15 USC 637 note, 
striking subsection (c) and redesignating subsections (d) through (j) 
as subsections (c) through (k). Projects funded pursuant to the 
provisions of former subsection (c) shall be deemed to be funded 
under and shall be treated as if funded under section 28 of the Small 
Business Act, as added by section 2. 
SEC. 4. PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION OF SMALL LOAN PROGRAM. 
Section 7(a)(19)(B) of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
636(a)(19)(B)) is amended by striking "during fiscal years 1989, 1990, 
and 1991,". 
SEC. 5. NATIONAL WOMEN'S BUSINESS COUNCIL. 
Subparagraph (G) of section 403(b) of the Women's Business 
Ownership Act of 1988 (102 Stat. 2695) is amended to read as follows: 15 USC 631 note. 
"(G) The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the council President. 
shall be designated by the President and may be either a 
representative of the public sector or the private sector, 
except that the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson shall not 
be from the same sector concurrently. Each shall serve for a 
maximum term of 2 years. No person may be designated to 
the same office for 2 consecutive terms, nor may consecu-
, 
tive designees as Chairperson be from the public sector.". 
Approved December 5, 1991. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 2629: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 102-178 (Comm. on Small Business). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 137 (1991): 
Oct. 8, considered and passed House. 
Nov. 20, considered and passed Senate, amended. 
Nov. 21, House concurred in Senate amendment.