[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4078 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4078

      To increase funding for the Women's Business Center Program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 18, 1998

 Ms. Velazquez (for herself, Mr. Goode, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. 
   LaFalce, Mr. Davis of Illinois, and Mr. Hinojosa) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Small Business

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To increase funding for the Women's Business Center Program.

    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 Small Business Expansion Act 
of 1998''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Women are changing the face of America's economy. 
        Women-owned businesses are increasing in number, range, 
        diversity and earning power. As women business owners expand 
        their companies, they contribute to the economic success of our 
        national economy.
            (2) In 1996, nearly 8 million women-owned businesses in the 
        United States employed over 18.5 million people and generated 
        close to $2.3 trillion in sales.
            (3) 13 percent of women-owned businesses in the United 
        States are owned by minority women; the 1,067,000 minority 
        women-owned firms employ 1,694,300 people and generate $184.2 
        billion in sales.
            (4) There is a need to increase the authorization level for 
        the women's business centers because they are the only 
        organizations nationally that focus exclusively on 
        entrepreneurial training programs for women.
            (5) Increased funding would allow for new centers and 
        subcenters to be established, and continued funding for 
        existing centers, including the on-line women's business 
        center.
            (6) Increased funding will ensure that the Small Business 
        Administration achieves the goal of establishing and sustaining 
        at least one women's business center in each State.

SEC. 3. INCREASE IN AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE WOMEN'S 
              BUSINESS CENTER PROGRAM.

    Section 29(k)(1) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656(k)(1) is 
amended by striking ``8,000,000'' and inserting ``9,000,000''.
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