zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Small Agriculture Producer Size Standards Improvements Act of 2015

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Small Business Act to specify that the agricultural enterprises it covers are small business concerns.

(Sec. 3) The Act shall cover any small farm regardless of whether its annual receipts, including those of any affiliates, exceed $750,000.

(Sec. 4) The Small Business Administration shall, by rule, establish size standards for agricultural enterprises, which shall be subject to rolling review procedures under the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010.

Date: 2015-10-08
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Improving Opportunities for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses Act of 2015

 This bill amends the Small Business Act to expand the definition of "small business concern owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans" for purposes of federal agencies awarding small business contracts pursuant to Small Business Administration (SBA) programs to include:

 a small business concern not less than 51% of which is owned by one or more veterans with service-connected disabilities that are permanent and total who are unable to manage the daily business operations of such concern; or in the case of a publicly owned business, a small business concern not less than 51% of the stock of which is owned by one or more such veterans. (Currently, such veterans with permanent and total disabilities are provided for in a separate small business program under veterans' benefits laws carried out by the Department of Veterans Affairs [VA].) The VA definition of "small business concern owned and controlled by veterans" is revised to be the same as the SBA definition of such term, thereby making the eligibility requirements for participation in veteran-owned small business contracting programs consistent for both SBA programs and VA programs.

 The VA, when listing small businesses in the database of small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans and the veteran owners of such business concerns, must use SBA regulations with respect to a concern's small business status and the ownership and control of it.

 If the VA does not verify a concern for inclusion in its database based on its status as a small business or its ownership or control, the concern may appeal the denial to the SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals, whose decision shall be considered a final agency action.

 The VA shall reimburse the SBA for fiscal year costs incurred by the Office of Hearings and Appeals for actions taken pursuant to this Act.

Date: 2015-11-05
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Veteran Small Business Tax Credit Act of 2015

This bill allows a new business-related tax credit for the start-up expenses of a veteran-owned small business. The allowable amount of such credit is 15% of start-up expenditures that do not exceed $80,000. The credit is allowed to any individual (or the surviving spouse of such individual) who: (1) has served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, (2) was stationed outside the United States, and (3) was not discharged or released under dishonorable conditions.

Date: 2015-11-05
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Taxation
Women's Small Business Ownership Act of 2015

 This bill amends the Small Business Act to direct the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Women's Business Ownership to address issues concerning specified disciplines required for starting, operating, and increasing a small business.

The Office must work with SBA officials and collaborate with non-SBA entities to ensure that the work of the women's business center program:

 maximizes taxpayer dollars, and coordinates effectively with and is not duplicative of other federal and private sector programs. The mission of the Office is to assist women entrepreneurs in starting, growing, and competing in global markets by providing quality support with access to capital, access to markets, job creation, growth, counseling, and training in a specified manner.

The SBA must:

 provide annual programmatic and financial examination training for women's business center representatives, award grants or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements related to the training, and develop plans for a professional development training program for women's business centers and for a women's business center accreditation program. The SBA may provide up to $250,000 per project year of financial assistance to eligible entities to conduct projects designed to provide training and counseling meeting the needs of women, especially socially and economically disadvantaged women.

The SBA, upon request by a recipient organization, may waive for a fiscal year (but no more than two consecutive fiscal years) the requirement to obtain matching non-federal funds for the organization's technical assistance and counseling activities carried out using financial assistance under the program.

Date: 2015-11-17
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Veteran Small Business Tax Credit Act of 2015

This bill allows a new business-related tax credit for the start-up expenses of a veteran-owned small business. The allowable amount of such credit is 15% of start-up expenditures that do not exceed $80,000. The credit is allowed to any individual (or the surviving spouse of such individual) who: (1) has served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, and (2) has not been discharged or released from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions.

Date: 2015-11-17
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Taxation
Promote Startups Act of 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the maximum tax deduction for business start-up expenditures from $5,000 to $15,000 and to increase the deduction for the organizational expenditures of corporations from $5,000 to $10,000. The bill also increases the ceilings for such expenditures over which the amount of the tax deduction is reduced.

Date: 2015-11-18
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Taxation
HUBZone Equity Act

This bill amends the Small Business Act to redefine "Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) small business concern" as a small business concern that is at least 51% owned and controlled by U.S. citizens (as under current law) or lawful permanent residents of the United States.

Date: 2015-12-02
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Small Business Capital Formation Enhancement Act

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Small Business Investment Incentive Act of 1980 with respect to the annual government-business forum of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to review the current status of problems and programs relating to small business capital formation.

The SEC shall review each of the forum's findings and recommendations and issue a public statement promptly assessing it and disclosing the action, if any, the SEC intends to take with respect to it.

Date: 2015-12-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Commercial Market Representatives Clarification Act

This bill amends the Small Business Act to specify the principal duties of Commercial Market Representatives, government contracting staff stationed at area Small Business Administration (SBA) offices and reporting to specified senior SBA officers.

 Such duties shall include:

 helping prime federal government contractors to find small business concerns capable of performing subcontracts; counseling such contractors on their responsibility to maximize subcontracting opportunities for small business concerns; instructing such contractors on methods and tools to identify potential subcontractors that are small business concerns; assisting such constractors to increase awards to small business subcontractors through visits, training, and reviews of past performance; giving counseling on how a small business concern may promote its capacity to such contractors; and conducting periodic reviews of such contractors to assess compliance with required subcontracting plans regarding small business subcontractors.

Date: 2015-12-09
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Promoting Reliable Subcontractors Act of 2016 or the PROS Act of 2016

This bill amends the Small Business Act with respect to small businesses performing as first tier subcontractors under federal contracts whose prime contractor must develop a subcontracting plan.

The Small Business Administration shall establish a pilot program for such a small business to request a past performance rating in the system used by the federal government to monitor and record contractor past performance.

Date: 2016-01-05
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Mentor-Protege Cooperation Reform Act of 2016

This bill amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991 to revise the no-affiliation requirement in the eligibility criteria under the Mentor-Protege Program of the Department of Defense (DOD) for a mentor firm to receive the award of a federal contract and enter into an agreement with one or more protege firms to provide them certain assistance.

The bill establishes procedures for the Small Business Administration (SBA) or DOD to determine that no affiliation between mentor and protege exists.

The bill amends the Small Business Act to bar DOD from carrying out a Mentor-Protege Program for a small business unless: (1) it submits a plan to the SBA, and (2) the SBA approves that plan.

Date: 2016-01-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Unifying Small Business Terminology Act of 2016

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Small Business Act to revise the range of the anticipated value of federal procurement contracts that must be reserved exclusively for small businesses.

The range shall be between the micro-purchase threshold ($3,000) and the simplified acquisition threshold ($100,000). (Currently the range of the anticipated value must be between $2,500 and $100,000.)

Date: 2016-01-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Small and Disadvantaged Business Enhancement Act of 2016

( Sec. 2) This bill amends the Small Business Act to allow for the management of each Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) to be vested in an individual whose primary responsibilities were for the functions and duties of: (1) the procurement program for small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, and (2) the HUBZone program.

The OSDBU of each federal agency with procurement powers shall review agency purchases that are greater than the micro-purchase threshold ($3,000) and less than the simplified acquisition threshold ($100,000) to ensure that the purchases have been made to comply with the Act and have been properly recorded in the Federal Procurement Data System, if the method of payment is a purchase card issued by the Department of Defense or by an executive agency head.

Each OSDBU must cite in its annual report to Congress any failure to comply with such a program.

Date: 2016-01-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Transparency in Small Business Goaling Act of 2016

This bill amends the Small Business Act to revise requirements for federal procurement contracts awarded to small businesses.

The total value of federal procurement contract awards for a fiscal year may not be determined in a manner that excludes the value of a contract based on:

 where the contract is awarded; where it is performed; whether the contract is required by federal law to be performed by an entity other than a small business; whether funding for the contract is made available in an appropriations Act, if the contract is subject to requirements for civilian procurement planning and solicitation or military procurement as well as the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR); or whether the contract is otherwise subject to the FAR.

Date: 2016-01-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Improving Contract Procurement for Small Businesses through More Accurate Reporting Act of 2016

This bill amends the Small Business Act to require the Small Business Administration to report to the President and Congress an analysis of the number and dollar amount of prime contracts awarded by federal agencies each fiscal year to small business concerns, including those:

 owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans; located in qualified HUBZones; owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals; owned by an Indian tribe, an Alaska Native Corporation, or a Native Hawaiian Organization; or owned and controlled by women. The analyses shall cover all such small business concerns:

 that were purchased by another entity after the initial contract was awarded and as a result would no longer be deemed to be small business concerns for purposes of the initial contract, and that were awarded using a procurement method that restricted competition to the kinds of small business concerns listed here or a subset of any of them.

Date: 2016-01-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Small Business Easy Contract Compliance Enhancement and List Act of 2016 or the Small Business ECCEL Act 

This bill amends the Small Business Act to require each Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to assist a small business concern awarded a federal contract or subcontract under the Act, or under military or civilian procurement law, in finding resources for education and training on compliance with contracting regulations (including the Federal Acquisition Regulation [FAR]) after such an award.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991 is amended to require agreements under the Mentor-Protege Program of Department of Defense (DOD) to include, if applicable, the assistance the mentor firm will give the protege firm in understanding contract regulations of the federal government and the DOD (including the FAR and the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement) after the award of a subcontract.

The Small Business Act is amended to require the SBA to give small business development centers and entities participating in the Procurement Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, and make available on the SBA website, a list of resources for small business concerns seeking education and assistance on post-award compliance with contracting regulations.

Each procurement center representative may assist small business concerns in finding such education and training resources.

The SBA, with respect to a non-DOD mentor-protege program, shall issue regulations to address the extent to which assistance to improve the ability of proteges to compete for federal prime contracts and subcontracts complies with post-award federal contracting requirements.

Date: 2016-01-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Maximizing Small Business Competition Act of 2016

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Small Business Act to authorize a procurement center representative to review any solicitation for a contract or task order without regard to whether:

 it is set aside for small businesses, one or more contract or task order awards are reserved for small businesses under a multiple award contract, or the solicitation would or would not result in a bundled or consolidated contract or a bundled or consolidated task order.

Date: 2016-01-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Education for Contracting Personnel Improvement Act of 2016

This bill amends the Small Business Act to require the Small Business Administration (SBA) at least annually to provide to the Defense Acquisition University, the Federal Acquisition Institute, the individual responsible for mandatory training and education of the acquisition workforce of each executive agency, small business development centers, and entities participating in the Procurement Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program:

 a list of all changes made in the prior year to regulations promulgated by the SBA that affect federal acquisition, and by the Federal Acquisition Council that implement changes to the Act; and any materials the SBA has developed to explain, train, or assist federal agencies or departments or small businesses to comply with such regulations.

Date: 2016-01-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Improving Small Business Advocacy Act of 2016

This bill amends the Small Business Act to declare that the exclusive duties of a Business Opportunity Specialist reporting to the senior official (or designee) appointed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) with certain SBA loan responsibilities, including the procurement program for small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans and the Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program, shall be to implement specified SBA loan programs, and complete other duties related to contracting programs.

Such duties shall include:

 performing specified functions with respect to small business concerns eligible to receive federal contracts and subcontracts; reviewing and monitoring compliance with mentor-protege agreements; representing the interests of the SBA and small business concerns in the award, modification, and administration of contracts and subcontracts awarded pursuant to the Act; and reporting fraud or abuse.

Date: 2016-01-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
SAVE for Small Businesses Act or the Savings Accounts for a Variable Economy for Small Businesses Act 

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) provide for tax-exempt small business savings accounts, and (2) allow tax deductible contributions to such accounts of not more than 10% of the gross profits of an eligible small business (a business employing an average of 50 or fewer full-time employees) for the preceding taxable year.

The bill excludes qualified distributions from such accounts from gross income for income tax purposes. A "qualified distribution" is: (1) any amount that is distributed from a small business savings account during a specified period of economic hardship, and (2) the distribution of which is certified as being part of a plan that provides for the reinvestment of such distribution for the funding of worker hiring or financial stabilization for the purposes of job retention or creation.

The Secretary of the Treasury shall: (1) establish minimum standards for small business savings accounts that seek to minimize fees and risk of loss of principal, and (2) ensure a range of investment risk options available to account beneficiaries.

Date: 2016-02-24
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Taxation
Main Street Jobs and Opportunity Act of 2016

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) repeal the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes, and (2) make permanent the maximum 35% gift tax rate and the lifetime gift tax exemption, with adjustments for inflation.

The Paperwork Reduction Act is amended to direct federal agency heads not to impose civil fines for first-time paperwork violations by small businesses unless specified criteria are met.

The Department of Labor shall study the effects of occupational licensing requirements to determine how they may affect public safety and the service quality of certain occupations, and impose barriers to entry for establishing small businesses, among other negative effects.

The Internal Revenue Code is further amended to revise the formula for counting the hours of service of non-full-time employees in determining whether an employer is a large employer for health coverage purposes.

An individual or an eligible small business may enter into an agreement with the Department of the Treasury to establish in a bank or other eligible trust a small business start-up savings account for tax-deductible annual contributions by the account beneficiary.

The sanctions requirements of Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are revised to require the court to impose an appropriate sanction on any attorney, law firm, or party that has violated, or is responsible for the violation of, the rule with regard to representations to the court. Requires any sanction to compensate parties injured by the conduct in question.

The Internal Revenue Code is further amended to:

 allow businesses with average annual gross receipts of not more than $50 million that prevail to recover their costs in any administrative or court proceeding involving the determination, collection, or refund of tax, interest, or penalty; increase the amount of civil damages against Internal Revenue Service officers or employees for reckless, intentional, or negligent disregard of internal revenue laws, and extend the statute of limitations for bringing a claim; and increase the penalties against federal officers or employees for unlawful acts in connection with internal revenue laws and for unauthorized disclosures or inspections of tax returns.

Date: 2016-04-14
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Small Business Lending Assistance Act of 2016

This bill amends the Small Business Act with respect to guarantee fees for small business loans.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) shall have discretion not to collect a guarantee fee for a loan repayable in one year or less.

The SBA may not, however, collect a guarantee fee in connection with a loan repayable in one year or less if it is made to a borrower that resides in a county with an annual unemployment rate for the preceding calendar year of at least one percentage point greater than the national annual unemployment rate for that year.

Date: 2016-04-21
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Improving Small Business Cyber Security Act of 2016

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Small Business Act to authorize the Small Business Administration (SBA) to make grants to small business development centers (SBDCs) in furtherance of a Small Business Development Center Cyber Strategy to be developed by the SBA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issues a report that reviews federal cybersecurity resources aimed at assisting small businesses.

SBDCs shall have access to cybersecurity specialists to counsel their small business clients.

(Sec. 3) The Homeland Security Act of 2002 and the Small Business Act are amended to allow DHS and other federal agencies coordinating with DHS to leverage SBDCs to disseminate cybersecurity risk information and other homeland security information to help small businesses in developing cybersecurity infrastructure, threat awareness, and employee training programs.

(Sec. 5) The GAO's cyber resources report must include: (1) an accounting, description, and assessment of the utilization of federal programs that provide cybersecurity assistance to small businesses; and (2) an assessment of whether the resources are duplicative of other programs or accessible to small businesses.

The strategy must include:

 plans for leveraging SBDCs into existing federal cyber programs to assist small businesses; methods for the provision of counsel and assistance to improve small businesses' cyber security infrastructure, threat awareness, and training programs for employees, including agreements with Information Sharing and Analysis Centers to gain awareness of actionable threat information that may be beneficial to small businesses; and an analysis of how SBDCs can leverage federal programs and develop partnerships with federal, state, and local governments and private entities to improve cyber support services to small businesses. The SBA's and DHS's strategy must be developed in consultation with entities representing SBDC concerns and submitted to Congress.

Date: 2016-04-26
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Investing in America's Small Businesses Act of 2016

 This bill amends the Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994 to require the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund to make grants to community development financial institutions to enable such institutions to establish a loan-loss reserve fund to defray the costs of a small business loan program.

The bill defines "small business loan program" as a program in which a community development financial institution offers loans to small businesses that: (1) are made in amounts up to $50,000, (2) have no prepayment penalty, and (3) meet any affordability requirements established by Administrator of the Fund.

A community development financial institution must provide non-federal matching funds equal to 50% of the amount of any grant received.

The bill prohibits the use of such grants to make direct loans to small businesses.

A community development financial institution may use such a grant to: (1) help recapture a portion or all of a defaulted loan made under its small business loan program, and (2) designate and utilize a fiscal agent for services the agent normally provides.

The Fund shall make technical assistance grants to community development financial institutions to create, support, or maintain such a program.

Date: 2016-04-28
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Small Business Access to Capital Act of 2016 This bill amends the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 to extend for an additional eight fiscal years the State Small Business Credit Initiative to assist participating states to give collateral support and other innovative credit access and guarantee initiatives for small business concerns and manufacturers.

The bill prescribes allocations of federal funds to participating states.

Treasury may award, on a competitive basis, up to a total of $1 billion in two tranches, according to specified criteria, to participating states and consortiums of participating states for use: (1) for making federal contributions to, or for the account of, an approved state program; or (2) as collateral for a qualifying loan or swap funding facility.

The State Small Business Credit Initiative Act of 2010 is amended to revise minimum program requirements for state capital access programs.

Treasury may not approve any state capital access program that fails to include a plan that promotes a fair share of federal contributions to be used to strengthen and increase economic opportunities for small business concerns in low-and moderate-income, minority, and other underserved communities and women- and minority-owned small business concerns.

In making a determination that a state other credit support program is eligible for federal contributions to, or for the account of, the state program, Treasury shall take into account the extent to which the state plans to use these contributions to provide access to capital for small business concerns in low- and moderate-income, minority, and other underserved communities and to women- and minority-owned small businesses, and the extent to which resulting small business lending will expand economic opportunities for such communities and such concerns.

The bill revises the mandatory contents of each participating state's annual report to Treasury on its capital access program.

Treasury shall:

 consult with the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) of the Departmental Offices of Treasury, among others, on the administration of the state capital access program; and ensure adequate oversight of the approved state programs to ensure efforts to expand economic opportunity for minority- and women-owned small business concerns. Treasury shall also:

 consult with the OMWI in issuing such regulations and other guidance to implement the Act; and in issuing these regulations, seek public input from community, civil rights, consumer advocates, small business advocates, and other interested or affected parties.

Date: 2016-07-07
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Strengthening Technical Assistance, Resources, and Training to Unleash the Potential of Veterans Act of 2016 or the STARTUP Vets Act of 2016

This bill amends the Small Business Act to require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to make two-year renewable grants to create and operate incubators and accelerators that provide technical assistance and training to covered individuals on how to become successful entrepreneurs and form small business concerns.

Such program shall be considered an SBA management and technical assistance training program.

Program outreach materials shall be made available at local Department of Veterans Affairs facilities.

"Covered individual" means:

 a member of the Armed Forces, without regard to whether he or she participates in the Transition Assistance Program of the Department of Defense; an individual who is participating in the Transition Assistance Program; an individual who served on active duty in any branch of the Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves, and was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable; and a spouse or dependent.

Date: 2016-07-08
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Small Business Start-up Savings Accounts Act of 2016

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for tax-preferred Small Business Start-up Savings Accounts to pay for trade or business expenses, including the purchase of equipment or facilities, marketing, training, incorporation, and accounting fees. The bill allows annual nondeductible contributions to such accounts of up to $10,000, subject to a $150,000 limit on total contributions to the account and adjustments for inflation after 2017. The bill sets forth rules for the tax treatment of contributions to and rollovers or distributions from the accounts, similar to rules governing individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Qualified distributions from the accounts are excluded from gross income.

Date: 2016-07-14
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Taxation
Mom and Pop SHOP Act of 2016 or the Mom and Mom SHOP Act of 2016 or the Pop and Pop SHOP Act of 2016

This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to make eligible for the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP health insurance exchange) an individual (and his or her spouse or domestic partner) who owns, or is a partner in, a business that has no employees.

Date: 2016-07-14
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Health
Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2015

Amends the Paperwork Reduction Act to direct agency heads not to impose civil fines for first-time paperwork violations by small businesses unless there is potential for serious harm to the public interest, the detection of criminal activity would be impaired, the violation is not corrected within six months, the violation is a violation of internal revenue law or a law concerning the assessment or collection of any tax, debt, revenue, or receipt, or the violation presents a danger to the public health or safety. Permits an agency to determine that a fine should not be imposed for a violation that presents a danger to public health or safety if the violation is corrected within 24 hours after receipt by the small business owner of notification of the violation.

Makes this Act inapplicable to any violation by a small business of a requirement regarding the collection of information by an agency if the small business previously violated any requirement concerning the collection of information by that agency.

Date: 2015-01-07
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Transparency in Small Business Assistance Act

 Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to collect, for specified periods, information from small businesses that receive SBA assistance, including a loan, loan guarantee, grant, or counseling services.

Requires such information to include: (1) the operational status of the small business and, if it is no longer operational, the reason for closure; (2) the number of part- and full-time employees; and (3) the number of referrals that SBA makes to another federal assistance program if it is unable to provide assistance to the business.

Date: 2015-01-07
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Small Business Health Relief Act of 2015

Repeals provisions of the Internal Revenue Code that: (1) impose fines on large employers (those with 50 or more full-time employees) who fail to offer their full-time employees the opportunity to enroll in minimum essential health insurance coverage, and (2) require large employers to file a report with the Department of the Treasury on health insurance coverage provided to their full-time employees.

Repeals provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that: (1) limit the annual deductible on health plans offered in the small group market, (2) deem catastrophic plans to meet essential health benefits coverage requirements for certain individuals, and (3) impose an annual fee on health insurance entities.

Deems high deductible health plans to meet essential health benefits coverage requirements if the enrollee has established a health savings account.

Amends the Public Health Service Act to repeal the limitation on premium rate variance by age in the individual or small group market.

Repeals the prohibitions on payments for over-the-counter medications from health savings accounts, medical savings accounts, and health flexible spending arrangements.

Repeals the $2,500 annual limit on employee contributions by salary reduction to a health flexible spending arrangement under a cafeteria plan.

Allows a health plan to maintain its status as a grandfathered health plan regardless of any modification to cost-sharing, employer contribution rates, or covered benefits. Makes this allowance effective as if included in PPACA.

Date: 2015-01-26
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Health
Start-up Jobs and Innovation Act

 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the increase to $500,000 of the expensing allowance for business assets, including computer software, and the treatment of qualified real property as depreciable business property; (2) make permanent the 100% exclusion from gross income of gain from the sale or exchange of small business stock; (3) increase and equalize the tax deduction for business start-up expenses and organizational expenditures; (4) increase from $5 million to $10 million the gross receipt test used to determine the eligibility of small businesses to use simplified cash accounting and inventory rules; and (5) exempt from passive loss rules any research activity carried on by a high technology research small business pass-thru entity.

Date: 2015-02-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Taxation
Small Business Investment Company Capital Act of 2015

 (Sec. 2) Amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to increase from $225 million to $350 million the maximum amount of outstanding leverage to be made available by the Small Business Administration to two or more commonly controlled small business investment companies not under capital impairment.

Date: 2015-02-24
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Small Business Regulatory Sunset Act of 2015

Requires each federal agency to establish a plan for the periodic review (every nine years) of: (1) its rules that have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities, and (2) any small entity compliance guide required to be published by an agency. Sets forth criteria for review of a rule, including the continued need for the rule, the complexity of the rule, and the economic impact of the rule on small entities. Requires: (1) each agency to publish in the Federal Register and on the agency website a list of the rules and small entity compliance guides to be reviewed under the plan, and (2) the agency Inspector General to determine whether the agency has conducted the required review.

Provides that each covered rule (i.e., any rule for which an agency is required to prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis and which is a major rule) promulgated by an agency shall cease to have effect seven years after the final version of such rule is published unless renewed by the agency using the notice and comment rulemaking process.

Date: 2015-03-24
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Small Business Disaster Reform Act of 2015

 Amends the Small Business Act with respect to obtaining the best available collateral for a disaster loan of up to $200,000 relating to damage to or destruction of the property of, or economic injury to, a small business. Prohibits the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), in obtaining such collateral, from requiring the small business owner to use the owner's primary residence as collateral if the owner has other assets with a value equal to or greater than the loan amount that could be used.

Allows the Administrator to authorize a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to provide assistance to small businesses outside the state of that SBDC, without regard to geographical proximity, if the small business is in a declared major disaster area.

Expresses the sense of Congress that the Administrator shall ensure that a SBDC is appropriately reimbursed for any legitimate expenses in carrying out such assistance.

Directs the Administrator to increase oversight of small businesses receiving economic injury disaster loans, including random site visits and random reviews of loan usage. Expresses the sense of Congress that no additional federal funds shall be made available for such increased oversight.

Expresses the sense of Congress that the Administrator should: (1) reduce paperwork burdens on small businesses applying for SBA disaster assistance loans; and (2) ensure that the application for such assistance facilitates deterring and detecting potential instances of waste, fraud, and abuse. Requires the Administrator to take steps to reduce such paperwork.

Requires a report from the Administrator to specified congressional committees relating to the creation of a web portal to track the status of applications for SBA disaster assistance.

Date: 2015-04-15
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Small Business Fairness Act

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Small Business Act to revise requirements with respect to solicitation of offers for bundled contracts issued by the head of a federal agency that allows a small business to submit an offer (bid) that provides for the use of a particular team of subcontractors for the performance of the contract.

The small business may now also bid on a bundled or consolidated contract that provides for the use of a joint venture of small businesses.

The Small Business Administration (SBA), with respect to either a single or a multiple contract award, must evaluate teams and joint ventures of small business concerns by considering their prior experience and past performance as well as (according to current law) their capabilities.

For certain federal procurement contracts awarded to a team of small business prime contractors and subcontractors or a joint venture of small businesses, the contracting officer must certify annually to the SBA, for each year the contract is in effect, that each small business member of the team or joint venture has the same status of a small business, small business owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, qualified HUBZone small business, small business owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, or small business owned and controlled by women, as applicable, that it had at the time the contract was awarded.

This requirement shall not apply to a contract awarded to a joint venture of small businesses that is a protege under a SBA approved mentor-protege program.

Date: 2015-04-15
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Small Business Innovation Impact Act

This bill requires the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration to submit an analysis, using existing resources, to specified congressional committees on:

 the investment of small businesses in developing new and useful inventions and obtaining patents on them; the importance of university technology transfer to small businesses; the use of patent licensing arrangements by them; the impact of patent ownership for small businesses on attracting outside investment, creating new jobs, protecting against foreign infringing goods, and competing against larger businesses; and the impact on small businesses from patent-related demand letters and civil actions arising under federal law relating to patent infringement.

Date: 2015-04-15
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Commercial Real Estate and Economic Development Act of 2015 or the CREED Act of 2015

 (Sec. 2) Reinstates the authority for Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest refinancing of small business debt not involving business expansion under the SBA's local development business loan program, effective:

 on and after enactment of this Act, and during any fiscal year in which the federal government's cost in making loan guarantees under such program is zero. Repeals a provision of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 that terminated such authority as of September 27, 2012.

Date: 2015-04-15
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Communicating Lender Activity Reports from the Small Business Administration Act or the CLEAR SBA Act

(Sec. 2) Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Small Business Administration (SBA) to make publicly available a user-friendly database of information relating to lenders making loans under such Act or the Small Business Investment Act of 1958.

Requires the SBA to: (1) include in the database information on such loans made during FY2009-FY2015, and (2) incorporate information relating to such loans on an ongoing basis.

Prohibits the SBA from requiring lenders to submit additional information or to otherwise increase burdens on lenders in order to comply with this Act.

Expresses the sense of Congress that no additional funds should be made available to carry out this Act.

Date: 2015-04-15
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
Small Business Development Centers Improvement Act of 2015

 (Sec. 2) Amends the Small Business Act with respect to the authority of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to use certain SBA programs, including the small business development center (SBDC) program, to provide grants, financial assistance, loans, export assistance, and subcontracting opportunities on federal contracts to specified small businesses, organizations, state governments, universities, companies, and other entities that assist smaller enterprises.

Declares that the SBA shall only use such programs to deliver entrepreneurial development services, entrepreneurial education, support for the development and maintenance of clusters, or business training.

 Makes such program requirements inapplicable to:

 services provided to assist small businesses owned by an Indian tribe; activities and programs in support of members of the Armed Forces (including the Army National Guard, the Army Reserve, the Navy Reserve, the Marine Corps Reserve, the Air National Guard, the Air Force Reserve, and the Coast Guard), a veteran, or a spouse of a member of the Armed Forces or a veteran; or the Microenterprise Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Program, the State Trade and Export Promotion Grant Program, and the Federal and State Technology Partnership Program. (Sec. 3) Bars the SBA from prohibiting grant recipients under the SBDC program from marketing and advertising their services to individuals and small businesses.

(Sec. 4) Directs the SBA to consult with SBDC associations to develop documents governing data collection activities related to grant recipients.

(Sec. 5) Prohibits participation in private partnerships and cosponsorships with the SBA from limiting SBDCs from collecting fees or other income related to the operation of such partnerships and cosponsorships.

(Sec. 6) Removes a limitation on the amount of funds the SBA may use to pay the examination expenses of the SBDC accreditation program.

(Sec. 7) Authorizes the SBA to permit a SBDC to provide advice, information, and assistance to small businesses outside the SBDC's state, without regard to geographic proximity, if the small business is in a declared major disaster area.

(Sec. 8) Revises privacy requirements under the program to specify that SBDCs (including consortia and affiliated contractors or agents) are prohibited, subject to existing exceptions, from disclosing certain identifying information of any individual or small business receiving assistance to any state, local, or federal agency or third party.

(Sec. 9) Prohibits the SBA from awarding grants (including contracts and cooperative agreements) under the SBDC program to any entity other than those that: (1) received such grants before September 30, 2015; and (2) seek to renew them after such date. Exempts not-for-profit institutions of higher education from such prohibition.

Date: 2015-04-16
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce
SCORE for Small Business Act of 2015

 (Sec. 2) Amends the Small Business Act to reauthorize the SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) program for FY2015-FY2018 for Small Business Administration (SBA) grants or cooperative agreements that do not exceed a total of $10.5 million in each such fiscal year.

Requires a SCORE program volunteer, based on business experience and knowledge, to:

 provide at no cost to individuals who own, or aspire to own, small businesses personal counseling, mentoring, and coaching relating to the process of starting, expanding, managing, buying, and selling a business; facilitate low-cost education workshops for these individuals; and use appropriate tools, resources, and expertise of other organizations to carry out the SCORE program. Directs the SBA to ensure that the SCORE program and each of its chapters develop and implement plans and goals to more effectively and efficiently provide services to individuals in rural areas, economically disadvantaged communities, and other traditionally underserved communities, including plans for electronic initiatives, web-based initiatives, chapter expansion, partnerships, and development of new skills by SCORE program volunteers.

Bars the SBA and the SCORE Association from disclosing certain personal identifying information on any individual or small business receiving SCORE Association's assistance without the individual's or small business's consent, unless the SBA:

 is ordered to make such a disclosure by a court in any civil or criminal enforcement action initiated by a federal or state agency; or determines such a disclosure to be necessary to conduct a financial audit of the SCORE program, in which case the disclosure shall be limited to the information necessary for the audit. Exempts from these privacy requirements SBA access to program activity data or SBA use of client information to conduct client surveys.

Prohibits the SBA, in carrying out the Entrepreneurship Education Program during each of FY2016-FY2018, from obligating: (1) more than $5 million, and (2) less than $2.5 million to carry out the Emerging Leaders Initiatives.

Date: 2015-04-16
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Small Businesses)
Subject: Commerce