[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3659 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3659

    To reauthorize and improve the women's small business ownership 
 programs of the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 13, 2006

 Ms. Snowe (for herself and Mr. Kerry) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business 
                          and Entrepreneurship

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To reauthorize and improve the women's small business ownership 
 programs of the Small Business Administration, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Women's Small 
Business Ownership Programs Act of 2006''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Office of Women's Business Ownership.
Sec. 3. Women's Business Center Program.
Sec. 4. National Women's Business Council.
Sec. 5. Interagency Committee on Women's Business Enterprise.
Sec. 6. Preserving the independence of the National Women's Business 
                            Council.

SEC. 2. OFFICE OF WOMEN'S BUSINESS OWNERSHIP.

    Section 29(g) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656(g)) is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (B)(i), by striking ``in the 
                areas'' and all that follows through the end of 
                subclause (I), and inserting the following: ``to 
                address issues concerning management, operations, 
                manufacturing, technology, finance, retail and product 
                sales, international trade, and other disciplines 
                required for--
                                    ``(I) starting, operating, and 
                                growing a small business concern;''; 
                                and
                    (B) in subparagraph (C), by inserting before the 
                period at the end the following: ``, the National 
                Women's Business Council, and any association of 
                women's business centers'' ; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Programs and services for women-owned small 
        businesses.--The Assistant Administrator, in consultation with 
        the National Women's Business Council, the Interagency 
        Committee on Women's Business Enterprise, and 1 or more 
        associations of women's business centers, shall develop 
        programs and services for women-owned businesses (as defined in 
        section 408 of the Women's Business Ownership Act of 1988 (15 
        U.S.C. 631 note)) in business areas, which may include--
                    ``(A) manufacturing;
                    ``(B) technology;
                    ``(C) professional services;
                    ``(D) retail and product sales;
                    ``(E) travel and tourism;
                    ``(F) international trade; and
                    ``(G) Federal Government contract business 
                development.
            ``(4) Training.--The Administrator shall provide annual 
        programmatic and financial oversight training for women's 
        business ownership representatives and district office 
        technical representatives of the Administration to enable 
        representatives to carry out their responsibilities under this 
        section.
            ``(5) Grant program improvement.--The Administrator shall 
        improve the women's business center grant proposal process and 
        the programmatic and financial oversight process by--
                    ``(A) providing notice to the public of each 
                women's business center grant announcement for an 
                initial and renewal grant, not later than 6 months 
                before awarding such grant;
                    ``(B) providing notice to grant applicants and 
                recipients of program evaluation criteria, not later 
                than 12 months before any such evaluation;
                    ``(C) reducing paperwork and reporting requirements 
                for grant applicants and recipients;
                    ``(D) standardizing the oversight and review 
                process of the Administration; and
                    ``(E) providing to each women's business center, 
                not later than 30 days after the completion of a site 
                visit at that center, a copy of site visit reports and 
                evaluation reports prepared by district office 
                technical representatives or Administration 
                officials.''.

SEC. 3. WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTER PROGRAM.

    (a) Women's Business Center Grants Program.--Section 29 of the 
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (2), (3), and (4), 
                as paragraphs (3), (4), and (5), respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
            ``(2) the term `association of women's business centers' 
        means an organization that represents not fewer than 30 percent 
        of the women's business centers that are participating in a 
        program under this section, and whose primary purpose is to 
        represent women's business centers;''; and
            (2) by striking subsections (b) through (f) and inserting 
        the following:
    ``(b) Grants Authorized.--
            ``(1) In general.--
                    ``(A) Issuance.--The Administrator may award 
                initial and renewal grants of not more than $150,000 
                per year, which shall be known as `women's business 
                center grants', to private nonprofit organizations to 
                conduct projects for the benefit of small business 
                concerns owned and controlled by women.
                    ``(B) Renewals.--At the end of the initial 4-year 
                grant period, and every 3 years thereafter, the grant 
                recipient may apply to renew the grant in accordance 
                with this subsection and subsection (e)(2).
                    ``(C) Equal allocations.--In the event that the 
                Administration has insufficient funds to provide grants 
                of $150,000 for each eligible women's business center, 
                available funds shall be allocated equally to eligible 
                centers, unless any center requests a lower amount than 
                the allocable amount.
            ``(2) Cooperative agreement authority.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Administrator may enter into 
                Federal cooperative agreements with grant recipients 
                under this subsection to perform the services described 
                under paragraph (3), only to the extent and in the 
                amount provided by appropriated funds.
                    ``(B) Termination.--
                            ``(i) In general.--If any grant recipient 
                        under this subsection does not fulfill its 
                        grant obligations, after advanced notification, 
                        during the period of the grant, the 
                        Administrator may terminate the grant.
                            ``(ii) Exception.--Notwithstanding a 
                        violation by a grant recipient of a grant 
                        obligation under this subsection, the 
                        Administrator may continue to fund the grant, 
                        if the grant recipient is making a good faith 
                        effort to comply with such obligation.
            ``(3) Use of funds.--Grants awarded under this subsection 
        may be used to provide training and counseling in the areas 
        of--
                    ``(A) pre-business, business startup, and business 
                operations;
                    ``(B) financial planning assistance;
                    ``(C) procurement assistance;
                    ``(D) management assistance;
                    ``(E) marketing assistance; and
                    ``(F) international trade.
            ``(4) Matching requirement.--
                    ``(A) Women's business center grants.--As a 
                condition of receiving financial assistance under this 
                subsection, the grant recipient shall agree to obtain, 
                after its application has been approved and notice of 
                award has been issued, cash contributions from non-
                Federal sources as follows:
                            ``(i) In the first and second years, 1 non-
                        Federal dollar for each 2 Federal dollars 
                        provided under the 4-year grant.
                            ``(ii) In the third and fourth years, 1 
                        non-Federal dollar for each Federal dollar 
                        provided under the 4-year grant.
                            ``(iii) In each renewal period, 1 non-
                        Federal dollar for each Federal dollar provided 
                        under the 3-year grant.
                    ``(B) Form of non-federal contributions.--Not more 
                than \1/2\ of the non-Federal sector matching 
                assistance may be in the form of in-kind contributions 
                that are budget line items only, including office 
                equipment and office space.
                    ``(C) Failure to obtain non-federal funding.--
                            ``(i) Advance disbursements.--If any grant 
                        recipient fails to obtain the required non-
                        Federal contribution during any project year, 
                        it shall not be eligible for advance 
                        disbursements under subparagraph (D) during the 
                        remainder of that project year.
                            ``(ii) Ability to obtain non-federal 
                        funding.--Before approving assistance to a 
                        grant recipient that has failed to obtain the 
                        required non-Federal contribution for any other 
                        projects under this Act, the Administrator 
                        shall require the grant recipient to certify 
                        that it will be able to obtain the requisite 
                        non-Federal funding and enter a written finding 
                        setting forth the reasons for making such 
                        determination.
                    ``(D) Form of federal contributions.--The financial 
                assistance authorized under this subsection may be made 
                by grant or cooperative agreement and may contain such 
                provisions, as necessary, to provide for payments in 
                lump sum or installments, and in advance or by way of 
                reimbursement. The Administrator may disburse not more 
                than 25 percent of the Federal share awarded to a grant 
                recipient for each year after notice of the award has 
                been issued and before the non-Federal sector matching 
                funds are obtained.
            ``(5) Application for an initial grant.--Each organization 
        desiring an initial grant under this subsection, shall submit 
        to the Administrator an application that contains--
                    ``(A) a certification that the applicant--
                            ``(i) is a private nonprofit organization;
                            ``(ii) has designated an executive director 
                        or program manager, who may be compensated from 
                        grant funds or other sources, to manage the 
                        center; and
                            ``(iii) as a condition of receiving a grant 
                        under this subsection, agrees--
                                    ``(I) to receive a site visit as 
                                part of the final selection process;
                                    ``(II) to undergo an annual 
                                programmatic and financial examination; 
                                and
                                    ``(III) to the maximum extent 
                                practicable, to remedy any problems 
                                identified pursuant to the site visit 
                                or examination under subclauses (I) and 
                                (II);
                    ``(B) information demonstrating that the applicant 
                has the ability and resources to meet the needs of the 
                market to be served by the women's business center site 
                for which an initial grant is sought, including the 
                ability to comply with the matching requirement under 
                paragraph (4);
                    ``(C) information relating to assistance to be 
                provided by the women's business center site for which 
                an initial grant is sought in the area in which the 
                site is located;
                    ``(D) information demonstrating the effective 
                experience of the applicant in--
                            ``(i) conducting financial, management, and 
                        marketing assistance programs, as described 
                        under paragraph (3), which are designed to 
                        teach or upgrade the business skills of women 
                        who are business owners or potential business 
                        owners;
                            ``(ii) providing training and services to a 
                        representative number of women who are both 
                        socially and economically disadvantaged; and
                            ``(iii) using resource partners of the 
                        Administration and other entities, such as 
                        universities;
                    ``(E) a 4-year plan that projects the ability of 
                the women's business center site for which an initial 
                grant is sought--
                            ``(i) to serve women who are business 
                        owners or potential owners in the future by 
                        improving training and counseling activities; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) to provide training and services to 
                        a representative number of women who are both 
                        socially and economically disadvantaged; and
                    ``(F) any additional information that the 
                Administrator may reasonably require.
            ``(6) Review and approval of applications for an initial 
        grant.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Administrator shall--
                            ``(i) review each application submitted 
                        under paragraph (5), based on the information 
                        described in such paragraph and the criteria 
                        set forth under subparagraph (B) of this 
                        paragraph; and
                            ``(ii) as part of the final selection 
                        process, conduct a site visit at each women's 
                        business center for which an initial grant is 
                        sought.
                    ``(B) Selection criteria.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The Administrator shall 
                        evaluate applicants in accordance with 
                        predetermined selection criteria that shall be 
                        stated in terms of relative importance. Such 
                        criteria and their relative importance shall be 
                        made publicly available and stated in each 
                        solicitation for applications made by the 
                        Administrator.
                            ``(ii) Required criteria.--The selection 
                        criteria for an initial grant under clause (i) 
                        shall include--
                                    ``(I) the experience of the 
                                applicant in conducting programs or 
                                ongoing efforts designed to teach or 
                                upgrade the business skills of women 
                                who are business owners or potential 
                                owners;
                                    ``(II) the ability of the applicant 
                                to commence a project within a minimum 
                                amount of time;
                                    ``(III) the ability of the 
                                applicant to provide training and 
                                services to a representative number of 
                                women who are both socially and 
                                economically disadvantaged; and
                                    ``(IV) the location for the women's 
                                business center site proposed by the 
                                applicant.
                    ``(C) Record retention.--The Administrator shall 
                maintain a copy of each application submitted under 
                this paragraph for not less than 7 years.
            ``(7) Application for a renewal grant.--Each organization 
        desiring a renewal grant under this subsection, shall submit to 
        the Administrator, not later than 3 months before the 
        expiration of an existing grant under this subsection, an 
        application that contains--
                    ``(A) a certification that the applicant--
                            ``(i) is a private nonprofit organization;
                            ``(ii) has designated an executive director 
                        or program manager to manage the center; and
                            ``(iii) as a condition of receiving a grant 
                        under this subsection, agrees--
                                    ``(I) to receive a site visit as 
                                part of the final selection process;
                                    ``(II) to submit, for the preceding 
                                2 years, annual programmatic and 
                                financial examination reports or 
                                certified copies of the applicant's 
                                compliance supplemental audits under 
                                OMB Circular A-133; and
                                    ``(III) to the maximum extent 
                                practicable, to remedy any problems 
                                identified pursuant to the site visit 
                                or examination under subclauses (I) and 
                                (II);
                    ``(B) information demonstrating that the applicant 
                has the ability and resources to meet the needs of the 
                market to be served by the women's business center site 
                for which a renewal grant is sought, including the 
                ability to comply with the matching requirement under 
                paragraph (4);
                    ``(C) information relating to assistance to be 
                provided by the women's business center site for which 
                a renewal grant is sought in the area in which the site 
                is located;
                    ``(D) information demonstrating the utilization of 
                resource partners of the Administration and other 
                entities;
                    ``(E) a 3-year plan that projects the ability of 
                the women's business center site for which a renewal 
                grant is sought--
                            ``(i) to serve women who are business 
                        owners or potential owners in the future by 
                        improving training and counseling activities; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) to provide training and services to 
                        a representative number of women who are both 
                        socially and economically disadvantaged; and
                    ``(F) any additional information that the 
                Administrator may reasonably require.
            ``(8) Review and approval of applications for a renewal 
        grant.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Administrator shall--
                            ``(i) review each application submitted 
                        under paragraph (7), based on the information 
                        described in such paragraph and the criteria 
                        set forth under subparagraph (B) of this 
                        paragraph; and
                            ``(ii) as part of the final selection 
                        process, conduct a site visit at each women's 
                        business center for which a renewal grant is 
                        sought.
                    ``(B) Selection criteria.--The Administrator shall 
                evaluate applicants in accordance with predetermined 
                selection criteria that shall be stated in terms of 
                relative importance. Such criteria and their relative 
                importance shall be made publicly available and stated 
                in each solicitation for applications made by the 
                Administrator.
                    ``(C) Conditions for continued funding.--In 
                determining whether to renew a grant or cooperative 
                agreement with a women's business center, the 
                Administrator--
                            ``(i) shall consider the results of the 
                        most recent evaluation of the center, and, to a 
                        lesser extent, previous evaluations; and
                            ``(ii) may withhold such renewal, if the 
                        Administrator determines that the center has 
                        failed to provide the information required to 
                        be provided under this subsection, or the 
                        information provided by the center is 
                        inadequate.
                    ``(D) Continuing grant and cooperative agreement 
                authority.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The authority of the 
                        Administrator to enter into grants or 
                        cooperative agreements under this subsection 
                        shall be in effect for each fiscal year only to 
                        the extent and in the amounts as are provided 
                        in advance in appropriations Acts.
                            ``(ii) Renewal.--After the Administrator 
                        has entered into a grant or cooperative 
                        agreement with any women's business center 
                        under this subsection, the Administrator shall 
                        not suspend, terminate, or fail to renew or 
                        extend any such grant or cooperative agreement, 
                        unless the Administrator provides the center 
                        with written notification setting forth the 
                        reasons therefore and affords the center an 
                        opportunity for a hearing, appeal, or other 
                        administrative proceeding under chapter 5 of 
                        title 5, United States Code.
                    ``(E) Record retention.--The Administrator shall 
                maintain a copy of each application submitted under 
                this paragraph for not less than 7 years.
            ``(9) Data collection.--Consistent with the annual report 
        to Congress under subsection (g), each women's business center 
        site that is awarded an initial or renewal grant under this 
        subsection shall collect information relating to--
                    ``(A) the number of individuals counseled or 
                trained;
                    ``(B) the number of hours of counseling provided;
                    ``(C) the number of workshops conducted;
                    ``(D) the number of startup small business concerns 
                formed; and
                    ``(E) the number of jobs created or maintained at 
                assisted small business concerns.
            ``(10) Privacy requirements.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A women's business center may 
                not disclose the name, address, or telephone number of 
                any individual or small business concern receiving 
                assistance under this subsection without the consent of 
                such individual or small business concern, unless--
                            ``(i) the Administrator 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
                            ``(ii) the Administrator considers such a 
                        disclosure to be necessary for the purpose of 
                        conducting a financial audit of a women's 
                        business center, but a disclosure under this 
                        clause shall be limited to the information 
                        necessary for such audit.
                    ``(B) Administration use of information.--This 
                subsection shall not--
                            ``(i) restrict Administration access to 
                        program activity data; or
                            ``(ii) prevent the Administration from 
                        using client information (other than the 
                        information described in subparagraph (A)) to 
                        conduct client surveys.
                    ``(C) Regulations.--The Administrator shall issue 
                regulations to establish standards for requiring 
                disclosures during a financial audit under subparagraph 
                (A)(ii).
            ``(11) Transition rules.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other 
                provision of law, a grant or cooperative agreement that 
                was awarded as an eligible sustainability grant, from 
                amounts appropriated for fiscal year 2006, to operate a 
                women's business center, shall remain in full force and 
                effect under the terms, and for the duration, of such 
                agreement, subject to the grant limitation in paragraph 
                (1).
                    ``(B) Extension.--If the sustainability grant under 
                subparagraph (A) is scheduled to expire not later than 
                June 30, 2007, a 1-year extension shall be granted 
                without any interruption of funding, subject to the 
                grant limitation in paragraph (1).
                    ``(C) Effect on certain existing projects and 
                renewal authority.--A project being conducted by a 
                women's business center under this subsection on the 
                day before the date of enactment of the Women's Small 
                Business Ownership Programs Act of 2006--
                            ``(i) as a 5-year project, shall remain in 
                        full force and effect under the terms and for 
                        the duration of that agreement; and
                            ``(ii) shall be eligible to apply for a 3-
                        year renewal grant funded at a level equal to 
                        not more than $150,000 per year.
            ``(12) Coordination of services.--Small business 
        development centers and women's business centers shall, to the 
        extent possible, coordinate services to avoid duplication of 
        programmatic efforts.
    ``(c) Associations of Women's Business Centers.--
            ``(1) Recognition.--The Administrator shall recognize the 
        existence and activities of any association of women's business 
        centers established to address matters of common concern.
            ``(2) Consultation.--The Administrator shall consult with 
        each association of women's business centers to develop--
                    ``(A) a training program for the staff of the 
                women's business centers and the Administration; and
                    ``(B) recommendations to improve the policies and 
                procedures for governing the general operations and 
                administration of the Women's Business Center Program, 
                including grant program improvements under subsection 
                (e)(5).''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 29 of the Small Business Act 
(15 U.S.C. 656) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (g), (h), (i), (j), and 
        (k) as subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), and (h), respectively;
            (2) in subsection (e)(2), as redesignated by paragraph (1) 
        of this subsection, by striking ``to award a contract (as a 
        sustainability grant) under subsection (l) or'';
            (3) in subsection (g)(1), as redesignated by paragraph (1) 
        of this subsection, by striking ``The Administration'' and 
        inserting ``Not later than November 1st of each year, the 
        Administrator'';
            (4) in subsection (h), as redesignated by paragraph (1) of 
        this subsection--
                    (A) by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) and 
                inserting the following:
            ``(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
        to the Administration to carry out this section, to remain 
        available until expended--
                    ``(A) $16,500,000 for fiscal year 2007, of which 
                $500,000 may be used to provide supplemental 
                sustainability grants to women's business centers, 
                except that no such center may receive more than a 
                total of $125,000 in grant funding for the grant period 
                beginning on July 1, 2006 and ending on June 30, 2007;
                    ``(B) $17,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; and
                    ``(C) $17,500,000 for fiscal year 2009.
            ``(2) Use of amounts.--Amounts made available under this 
        subsection may only be used for grant awards and may not be 
        used for costs incurred by the Administration in connection 
        with the management and administration of the program under 
        this section.''; and
                    (B) by striking paragraph (4); and
            (5) by striking subsection (l).

SEC. 4. NATIONAL WOMEN'S BUSINESS COUNCIL.

    (a) Cosponsorship Authority.--Section 406 of the Women's Business 
Ownership Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 7106) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:
    ``(f) Cosponsorship Authority.--The Council is authorized to enter 
into agreements as a cosponsor with public and private entities, in the 
same manner as is provided in section 8(b)(1)(A) of the Small Business 
Act (15 U.S.C. 637(b)(1)(A)), to carry out its duties under this 
section.''.
    (b) Membership.--Section 407(f) of the Women's Business Ownership 
Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 7107(f)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
            ``(3) Representation of member organizations.--
        Notwithstanding subsection (b), a national women's business 
        organization or small business concern that is represented on 
        the Council may, in consultation with the chairperson of the 
        Council, replace its representative member on the Council at 
        any time during the service term to which that member was 
        appointed.''.
    (c) Establishment of Committees.--Title IV of the Women's Business 
Ownership Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) is amended by inserting 
after section 410, the following new section:

``SEC. 411. COMMITTEES.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There are established within the Council--
            ``(1) the Committee on Manufacturing, Technology, and 
        Training and Professional Services;
            ``(2) the Committee on Travel, Tourism, Product and Retail 
        Sales, and International Trade; and
            ``(3) the Committee on Federal Procurement and Contracting.
    ``(b) Duties.--The Committees established under subsection (a) 
shall perform such duties as the chairperson shall direct.''.
    (d) Clearinghouse for Historical Documents.--Section 409 of the 
Women's Business Ownership Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 7109) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) Clearinghouse for Historical Documents.--The Council shall 
serve as a clearinghouse for information on small businesses owned and 
controlled by women, including research conducted by other 
organizations and individuals relating to ownership by women of small 
business concerns in the United States.''.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 410(a) of the Women's 
Business Ownership Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 7110(a)) is amended by 
striking ``2001 through 2003, of which $550,000'' and inserting ``2007 
through 2009, of which not less than 30 percent''.

SEC. 5. INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON WOMEN'S BUSINESS ENTERPRISE.

    (a) Chairperson.--Section 403(b) of the Women's Business Ownership 
Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 7103(b)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``Not later'' and inserting the following:
            ``(1) In general.--Not later''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Vacancy.--In the event that a chairperson is not 
        appointed under paragraph (1), the Deputy Administrator of the 
        Small Business Administration shall serve as acting chairperson 
        of the Interagency Committee until a chairperson is appointed 
        under paragraph (1).''.
    (b) Policy Advisory Group.--Section 401 of the Women's Business 
Ownership Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 7101) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``There'' and inserting the following:
    ``(a) In General.--There''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Policy Advisory Group.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--There is established a Policy 
        Advisory Group to assist the chairperson in developing policies 
        and programs under this Act.
            ``(2) Membership.--The Policy Advisory Group shall be 
        composed of 7 policy making officials, of whom--
                    ``(A) 1 shall be a representative of the Small 
                Business Administration;
                    ``(B) 1 shall be a representative of the Department 
                of Commerce;
                    ``(C) 1 shall be a representative of the Department 
                of Labor;
                    ``(D) 1 shall be a representative of the Department 
                of Defense;
                    ``(E) 1 shall be a representative of the Department 
                of the Treasury; and
                    ``(F) 2 shall be representatives of the Council.''.
    (c) Establishment of Subcommittees.--Section 401 of the Women's 
Business Ownership Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 7101), as amended by 
subsection (b), is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) Subcommittees.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--There are established--
                    ``(A) the Subcommittee on Manufacturing, 
                Technology, and Training and Professional Services;
                    ``(B) the Subcommittee on Travel, Tourism, Product 
                and Retail Sales, and International Trade; and
                    ``(C) the Subcommittee on Federal Procurement and 
                Contracting.
            ``(2) Duties.--The Subcommittees established under 
        paragraph (1) shall perform such duties as the chairperson 
        shall direct.
            ``(3) Meetings.--The Subcommittees established under 
        paragraph (1) shall meet not less frequently than 3 times each 
        year to--
                    ``(A) plan activities for the new fiscal year;
                    ``(B) track year-to-date agency contracting goals; 
                and
                    ``(C) evaluate the progress during the fiscal year 
                and prepare an annual report.''.

SEC. 6. PRESERVING THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S BUSINESS 
              COUNCIL.

    (a) 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.
            (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 4 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 nonpartisan, 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 nonpartisan 
        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).
    (b) Maintenance of Partisan Balance.--Section 407(f) of the Women's 
Business Ownership Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 7107(f)), as amended by this 
Act, is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) 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.
            ``(5) 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 expiration of either 
        such 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, as applicable.''.
                                 <all>