[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2389 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2389

To authorize funding for the National Women's Business Council, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 3, 1997

    Ms. Millender-McDonald introduced the following bill; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Small Business

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize funding for the National Women's Business Council, 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 ``National Women's Business Council 
Reauthorization Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 409 of the Women's Business Ownership Act of 1988 (15 
U.S.C. 631 note) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``1995 through 1997'' and inserting ``1998 
        through 2000''; and
            (2) by striking ``$350,000'' and inserting ``$400,000''.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL WOMEN'S BUSINESS COUNCIL RESEARCH PROJECTS.

    (a) In General.--The Women's Business Ownership Act of 1988 (15 
U.S.C. 631 note) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 410. NATIONAL WOMEN'S BUSINESS COUNCIL RESEARCH PROJECTS.

    ``(a) Procurement Project.--
            ``(1) Federal procurement study.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Council shall conduct a 
                study on the award of Federal prime contracts and 
                subcontracts to women-owned businesses, which study 
                shall include--
                            ``(i) an analysis of data collected by 
                        Federal agencies on contract awards to women-
                        owned businesses;
                            ``(ii) a determination of the degree to 
                        which individual Federal agencies are in 
                        compliance with the 5 percent women-owned 
                        business procurement goal established by 
                        section 15(g)(1) of the Small Business Act (15 
                        U.S.C. 644(g)(1));
                            ``(iii) a determination of the types and 
                        amounts of Federal contracts characteristically 
                        awarded to women-owned businesses; and
                            ``(iv) other relevant information relating 
                        to participation of women-owned businesses in 
                        Federal procurement.
                    ``(B) Submission of results.--Not later than 
                October 1, 1999, the Council shall submit to the 
                Committees on Small Business of the House of 
                Representatives and the Senate, and to the President, 
                the results of the study conducted under subparagraph 
                (A).
            ``(2) Best practices report.--Not later than March 1, 2000, 
        the Council shall submit to the Committees on Small Business of 
        the House of Representatives and the Senate, and to the 
        President, a report, which shall include--
                    ``(A) an analysis of the most successful practices 
                in attracting women-owned businesses as prime 
                contractors and subcontractors by--
                            ``(i) Federal agencies (as supported by 
                        findings from the study required under 
                        subsection (a)(1)) in Federal procurement 
                        awards; and
                            ``(ii) the private sector; and
                    ``(B) recommendations for policy changes in Federal 
                procurement practices, including an increase in the 
                Federal procurement goal for women-owned businesses, in 
                order to maximize the number of women-owned businesses 
                performing Federal contracts.
    ``(b) Survey of Women Business Owners.--
            ``(1) Development.--Not later than 60 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Council shall develop an 
        annual survey to determine issues of significance to women 
        business owners.
            ``(2) Dissemination.--For a period of 3 years, the Council 
        shall disseminate the survey to women business owners 
        throughout the Nation who are representative of the diversity 
        of women business owners.
            ``(3) Submission of results.--The Council shall submit to 
        the Committees on Small Business of the House of 
        Representatives and the Senate, and to the President, on an 
        annual basis, the results of the surveys conducted pursuant to 
        this subsection.
    ``(c) Contracting Authority.--In carrying out this section, the 
Council may contract with 1 or more public or private entities.
    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, $200,000 for each of fiscal 
years 1998 through 2000.''.
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