[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1442 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1442

To preserve the political independence of the National Women's Business 
                                Council.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                July 22 (legislative day, July 21), 2003

 Ms. Landrieu introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
    referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To preserve the political independence of the National Women's Business 
                                Council.

    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 
Independence Preservation Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The National Women's Business Council provides an 
        independent source of advice and policy recommendations 
        regarding women's business development and the needs of women 
        entrepreneurs in the United States to--
                    (A) the President;
                    (B) Congress;
                    (C) the Interagency Committee on Women's Business 
                Enterprise; and
                    (D) the Administrator of the Small Business 
                Administration.
            (2) The members of the National Women's Business Council 
        are small business owners, representatives of business 
        organizations, and representatives of women's business centers.
            (3) The chair and ranking member of the Committee on Small 
        Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee 
        on Small Business of the House of Representatives make 
        recommendations to the Administrator to fill 8 of the positions 
        on the National Women's Business Council. Four of the positions 
        are reserved for small business owners who are affiliated with 
        the political party of the President and four of the positions 
        are reserved for small business owners who are not affiliated 
        with the political party of the President. This method of 
        appointment ensures that the National Women's Business Council 
        will provide Congress with non-partisan, balanced, and 
        independent advice.
            (4) In order to maintain the independence of the National 
        Women's Business Council and to ensure that the Council 
        continues to provide Congress with advice on a non-partisan 
        basis, it is essential that the Council maintain the bipartisan 
        balance established under section 407 of the Women's Business 
        Ownership Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 7107).

SEC. 3. MAINTAINING THE POLITICAL INDEPENDENCE OF THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S 
              BUSINESS COUNCIL.

    Section 407(f) of the Women's Business Ownership Act of 1988 (15 
U.S.C. 7107(f)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``A vacancy'' and inserting the following:
            ``(1) In general.--A vacancy''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Partisan balance.--When filling vacancies under 
        paragraph (1), the Administrator shall, to the extent 
        practicable, ensure that there are an equal number of members 
        on the Council from each of the 2 major political parties.
            ``(3) Accountability.--If a vacancy is not filled within 
        the 30-day period required under paragraph (1) or if there 
        exists an imbalance of party-affiliated members on the Council 
        for a period exceeding 30 days, the Administrator shall submit 
        a report, not later than 10 days after the respective 30-day 
        deadline, to the Committee on Small Business and 
        Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small 
        Business of the House of Representatives, that explains why the 
        respective deadline was not met and provides an estimated date 
        on which any vacancies will be filled.''.
                                 <all>