[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 396 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 396

To provide for national quadrennial summits on small business and State 
  summits on small business, to establish the White House Quadrennial 
         Commission on Small Business, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 27, 2001

  Mr. Bond (for himself and Mr. Kerry) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for national quadrennial summits on small business and State 
  summits on small business, to establish the White House Quadrennial 
         Commission on Small Business, 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 ``White House Quadrennial Small 
Business Summit Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of 
        the Small Business Administration;
            (2) the term ``Chief Counsel'' means the Chief Counsel for 
        Advocacy of the Small Business Administration;
            (3) the term ``Small Business Commission'' means the 
        national White House Quadrennial Commission on Small Business 
        established under section 6;
            (4) the term ``Small Business Summit''--
                    (A) means the White House Quadrennial Summit on 
                Small Business conducted under section 3(a); and
                    (B) includes the last White House Conference on 
                Small Business occurring before 2002;
            (5) the term ``small business'' has the meaning given the 
        term ``small business concern'' in section 3 of the Small 
        Business Act;
            (6) the term ``State'' means any of the 50 States of the 
        United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
        Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands; and
            (7) the term ``State Summit'' means a State Summit on Small 
        Business conducted under section 3(b).

SEC. 3. NATIONAL AND STATE QUADRENNIAL SUMMITS ON SMALL BUSINESS.

    (a) Quadrennial Summits.--There shall be a national White House 
Quadrennial Summit on Small Business once every 4 years, to be held 
during the second year following each Presidential election, to carry 
out the purposes set forth in section 4.
    (b) State Summits.--Each Small Business Summit referred to in 
subsection (a) shall be preceded by a State Summit on Small Business, 
with not fewer than 1 such summit held in each State, and with not 
fewer than 2 such summits held in any State having a population of more 
than 10,000,000.

SEC. 4. PURPOSES OF SMALL BUSINESS SUMMITS.

    The purposes of each Small Business Summit shall be--
            (1) to increase public awareness of the contribution of 
        small business to the national economy;
            (2) to identify the problems of small business;
            (3) to examine the status of minorities and women as small 
        business owners;
            (4) to assist small business in carrying out its role as 
        the Nation's job creator;
            (5) to assemble small businesses to develop such specific 
        and comprehensive recommendations for legislative and 
        regulatory action as may be appropriate for maintaining and 
        encouraging the economic viability of small business and 
        thereby, the Nation; and
            (6) to review the status of recommendations adopted at the 
        immediately preceding Small Business Summit.

SEC. 5. SUMMIT PARTICIPANTS.

    (a) In General.--To carry out the purposes set forth in section 4, 
the Small Business Commission shall conduct Small Business Summits and 
State Summits to bring together individuals concerned with issues 
relating to small business.
    (b) Summit Delegates.--
            (1) Qualification.--Only individuals who are owners or 
        officers of a small business shall be eligible for appointment 
        or election as delegates (or alternates) to the Small Business 
        Summit, or be eligible to vote in the selection of delegates at 
        the State Summits pursuant to this subsection.
            (2) Appointed delegates.--Two months before the date of the 
        first State Summit, there shall be--
                    (A) 1 delegate (and 1 alternate) appointed by the 
                Governor of each State;
                    (B) 1 delegate (and 1 alternate) appointed by each 
                Member of the House of Representatives, from the 
                congressional district of that Member;
                    (C) 1 delegate (and 1 alternate) appointed by each 
                Member of the Senate from the home State of that 
                Member; and
                    (D) 53 delegates (and 53 alternates) appointed by 
                the President, 1 from each State.
            (3) Elected delegates.--The participants at each State 
        Summit shall elect 3 delegates and 3 alternates to the Small 
        Business Summit for each congressional district within the 
        State, or part of the State represented at the Summit, or not 
        fewer than 9 delegates, pursuant to rules developed by the 
        Small Business Commission.
            (4) Powers and duties.--Delegates to each Small Business 
        Summit shall--
                    (A) attend the State summits in his or her 
                respective State;
                    (B) elect a delegation chairperson, vice 
                chairperson, and other leadership as may be necessary;
                    (C) conduct meetings and other activities at the 
                State level before the date of the Small Business 
                Summit, subject to the approval of the Small Business 
                Commission; and
                    (D) direct such State level summits, meetings, and 
                activities toward the consideration of the purposes set 
                forth in section 4, in order to prepare for the next 
                Small Business Summit.
            (5) Alternates.--Alternates shall serve during the absence 
        or unavailability of the delegate.
    (c) Role of the Chief Counsel.--The Chief Counsel shall, after 
consultation and in coordination with the Small Business Commission, 
assist in carrying out the Small Business Summits and State Summits 
required by this Act by--
            (1) preparing and providing background information and 
        administrative materials for use by participants in the 
        summits;
            (2) distributing issue information and administrative 
        communications, electronically where possible through an 
        Internet web site and e-mail, and in printed form if requested;
            (3) maintaining an Internet web site and regular e-mail 
        communications after each Small Business Summit to inform 
        delegates and the public of the status of recommendations and 
        related governmental activity; and
            (4) maintaining, between summits, an active interim 
        organization of delegate representatives from each region of 
        the Administration, to advise the Chief Counsel on each of the 
        major small business issue areas, and monitor the progress of 
        the Summits' recommendations.
    (d) Expenses.--Each delegate (and alternate) to each Small Business 
Summit and State Summit--
            (1) shall be responsible for the expenses of that delegate 
        related to attending the summits; and
            (2) shall not be reimbursed either from funds made 
        available pursuant to this section or the Small Business Act.
    (e) Advisory Committee.--
            (1) In general.--The Small Business Commission shall 
        appoint a Summit Advisory Committee, which shall be composed of 
        10 individuals who were participants at the most recently 
        preceding Small Business Summit, to advise the Small Business 
        Commission on the organization, rules, and processes of the 
        Summits.
            (2) Preference.--Preference for appointment under this 
        subsection shall be given to individuals who have been active 
        participants in the implementation process following the most 
        recently preceding Small Business Summit.
    (f) Public Participation.--Small Business Summits and State Summits 
shall be open to the public, and no fee or charge may be imposed on any 
attendee, other than an amount necessary to cover the cost of any meal 
provided, plus, with respect to State Summits, a registration fee to 
defray the expense of meeting rooms and materials of not to exceed $20 
per person.

SEC. 6. WHITE HOUSE QUADRENNIAL COMMISSION ON SMALL BUSINESS.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established the White House 
Quadrennial Commission on Small Business.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Appointment.--The Small Business Commission shall be 
        composed of 9 members, including--
                    (A) the Chief Counsel;
                    (B) 4 members appointed by the President;
                    (C) 1 member appointed by the Majority Leader of 
                the Senate;
                    (D) 1 member appointed by the Minority Leader of 
                the Senate;
                    (E) 1 member appointed by the Majority Leader of 
                the House of Representatives; and
                    (F) 1 member appointed by the Minority Leader of 
                the House of Representatives.
            (2) Selection.--Members of the Small Business Commission 
        described in subparagraphs (B) through (F) of paragraph (1) 
        shall be selected from among distinguished individuals noted 
        for their knowledge and experience in fields relevant to the 
        issue of small business and the purposes set forth in section 
        4.
            (3) Time of appointment.--The appointments required by 
        paragraph (1)--
                    (A) shall be made not later than 18 months before 
                the opening date of each Small Business Summit; and
                    (B) shall expire 6 months after the date on which 
                each Small Business Summit is convened.
    (c) Election of Chairperson.--At the first meeting of the Small 
Business Commission, a majority of the members present and voting shall 
elect a member of the Small Business Commission to serve as the 
Chairperson.
    (d) Powers and Duties of Commission.--The Small Business 
Commission--
            (1) may enter into contracts with public agencies, private 
        organizations, and academic institutions to carry out this Act;
            (2) shall consult, coordinate, and contract with an 
        independent, nonpartisan organization that--
                    (A) has both substantive and logistical experience 
                in developing and organizing conferences and forums 
                throughout the Nation with elected officials and other 
                government and business leaders;
                    (B) has experience in generating private resources 
                from multiple States in the form of event sponsorships; 
                and
                    (C) can demonstrate evidence of a working 
                relationship with Members of Congress from the majority 
                and minority parties, and at least 1 Federal agency; 
                and
            (3) shall prescribe such financial controls and accounting 
        procedures as needed for the handling of funds from fees and 
        charges and the payment of authorized meal, facility, travel, 
        and other related expenses.
    (e) Planning and Administration of Summits.--In carrying out the 
Small Business Summits and State Summits, the Small Business Commission 
shall consult with--
            (1) the Chief Counsel;
            (2) Congress; and
            (3) such other Federal agencies as the Small Business 
        Commission determines to be appropriate.
    (f) Reports Required.--Not later than 6 months after the date on 
which each Small Business Summit is convened, the Small Business 
Commission shall submit to the President and to the Chairpersons and 
Ranking Members of the Committees on Small Business of the Senate and 
the House of Representatives a final report, which shall--
            (1) include the findings and recommendations of the Small 
        Business Summit and any proposals for legislative action 
        necessary to implement those recommendations; and
            (2) be made available to the public.
    (g) Quorum.--Four voting members of the Small Business Commission 
shall constitute a quorum for purposes of transacting business.
    (h) Meetings.--The Small Business Commission shall meet not later 
than 20 calendar days after the appointment of the initial members of 
the Small Business Commission, and not less frequently than every 30 
calendar days thereafter.
    (i) Vacancies.--Any vacancy on the Small Business Commission shall 
not affect its powers, but shall be filled in the manner in which the 
original appointment was made.
    (j) Executive Director and Staff.--The Small Business Commission 
may appoint and compensate an Executive Director and such other 
personnel to conduct the Small Business Summits and State Summits as 
the Small Business Commission may determine to be advisable, without 
regard to title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the 
competitive service, and without regard to chapter 51 and subchapter 
III of chapter 53 of such title, relating to classification and General 
Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of pay for the Executive 
Director and other personnel may not exceed the rate payable for level 
V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such title.
    (k) Funding.--Members of the Small Business Commission shall be 
allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence at 
rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of 
chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes 
or regular places of business in the performance of services for the 
Small Business Commission.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out each Small Business Summit and the State 
Summits required by this Act, $5,000,000, which shall remain available 
until expended. New spending authority or authority to enter contracts 
as provided in this title shall be effective only to such extent and in 
such amounts as are provided in advance in appropriations Acts.
    (b) Specific Earmark.--No amount made available to the Small 
Business Administration may be made available to carry out this title, 
other than amounts made available specifically for the purpose of 
conducting the Small Business Summits and State Summits.
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