[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2359 Engrossed in House (EH)]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2359

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
  To reauthorize programs to assist small business concerns, 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 ``SBA 
Entrepreneurial Development Programs Act of 2007''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
        TITLE I--REVISIONS TO SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS

Sec. 101. Small Business Development Centers operational changes.
                      TITLE II--GRANT INITIATIVES

Sec. 201. Capital Access Initiative.
Sec. 202. Disaster Recovery Program.
Sec. 203. Innovation and Competitiveness Services to Manufacturers 
                            Initiative.
Sec. 204. Mature Entrepreneurs Assistance Program.
Sec. 205. Small Business Sustainability Initiative.
Sec. 206. Grants to small business development centers to provide 
                            assistance in securing affordable health 
                            insurance.
Sec. 207. National regulatory assistance.
Sec. 208. Report.
                            TITLE III--SCORE

Sec. 301. Repeal of Active Corporation of Executives.
Sec. 302. Increasing the proportion of SCORE volunteers from socially 
                            and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Sec. 303. Benchmark reporting.

        TITLE I--REVISIONS TO SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS

SEC. 101. SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS OPERATIONAL CHANGES.

    (a) Accreditation Requirement.--Section 21(a)(1) of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648(a)(1)) is amended--
            (1) in the proviso, by inserting before ``institution'' the 
        following: ``accredited'';
            (2) in the sentence beginning ``The Administration shall'', 
        by inserting before ``institutions'' the following: 
        ``accredited''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``As 
        used in this paragraph, the term `accredited institution of 
        higher education' means an institution that is accredited as 
        described in section 101(a)(5) of the Higher Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)(5)).''
    (b) Program Negotiations.--Section 21(a)(3) of the Small Business 
Act (15 U.S.C. 648(a)(3)) is amended, in the matter before subparagraph 
(A), by inserting before ``agreed'' the following: ``mutually''.
    (c) Contract Negotiations.--Section 21(a)(3)(A) of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648(a)(3)(A)) is amended by inserting after 
``uniform negotiated'' the following: ``mutually agreed to''.
    (d) No SBA Interference in SBDC Hiring.--Section 21(c)(2)(A) of 
that Act (15 U.S.C. 648(c)(2)(A)) is amended by inserting after ``full-
time staff'' the following: ``, the hiring of which is carried out by 
the center without interference from, and without influence by, any 
officer or employee of the Administration,''.
    (e) Content of Consultations Covered by Privacy Requirements.--
Section 21(a)(7)(A) of that Act (15 U.S.C. 648(a)(7)(A)) is amended by 
inserting after ``under this section'' the following: ``, or the 
content of any consultation with such an individual or small business 
concern,''.
    (f) Repeal of Authority To Use Authorized Amounts for 
Administrative Expenses.--Section 21(a)(4)(C)(v) of that Act (15 U.S.C. 
648(a)(4)(C)(v)) is amended by amending subclause (I) to read as 
follows:
                                    ``(I) In general.--Of the amounts 
                                made available in any fiscal year to 
                                carry out this section, not more than 
                                $500,000 may be used by the 
                                Administration to pay expenses 
                                enumerated in subparagraphs (B) through 
                                (D) of section 20(a)(1).''.
    (g) No Cap on Non-Matching Portability Grants in the Event of a 
Disaster.--Section 21(a)(4)(C)(viii) of that Act (15 U.S.C. 
648(a)(4)(C)(viii)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
``However, in the event of a disaster, the dollar limitation in the 
preceding sentence does not apply.''.
    (h) Definition of SBDC.--Section 21(a) of that Act (15 U.S.C. 
648(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(8) Definition.--For the purposes of this section, a Small 
Business Development Center is--
            ``(A) the entity selected by the Administrator to receive 
        funds pursuant to the funding formula set forth in paragraph 
        (4); or
            ``(B) the site at which the services specified by this 
        section are delivered.''.
    (i) Limitation on Distribution to SBDCs.--Section 21(b) of that Act 
(15 U.S.C. 648(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(4) Limitation on Distribution to Small Business Development 
Centers.--
            ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in this paragraph, 
        the Administrator shall not distribute funds to a Small 
        Business Development Center if the State in which the Small 
        Business Development Center is located is served by more than 
        one Small Business Development Center. For purposes of this 
        limitation, the term Small Business Development Center shall 
        have the meaning set forth in subsection (a)(8).
            ``(B) Unavailability exception.--The Administrator may 
        distribute funds to two Small Business Development Centers, as 
        that term is defined in subsection (a)(8)(A), if no applicant 
        has applied to serve the entire State. Except as provided in 
        subparagraph (C), the Administrator is prohibited from 
        distributing funds to more than two Small Business Development 
        Centers.
            ``(C) Grandfather clause.--The limitations in this 
        paragraph shall not apply for any State in which more than one 
        Small Business Development Center received funding prior to 
        January 1, 2007.''.
    (j) Reporting of Broadband Service Purchases.--Section 21(c) of 
that Act (15 U.S.C. 648(c)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
            ``(9) Reporting of broadband service purchases.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Pursuant to policies adopted by 
                the Administrator, Small Business Development Centers 
                shall report information to the Administrator by nine-
                digit zip code--
                            ``(i) whether the individual seeking 
                        counseling purchases broadband service at the 
                        address reported to the Small Business 
                        Development Center;
                            ``(ii) if the reported address is different 
                        than the business address, whether broadband 
                        service is purchased at the business address; 
                        and
                            ``(iii) if broadband service is not 
                        purchased at the addresses set forth in clauses 
                        (i) and (ii).
                    ``(B) Reporting.--The Administrator shall aggregate 
                data by nine-digit zip code reporting such information 
                to the Federal Communications Commission and the 
                National Telecommunication and Information 
                Administration.''.

                      TITLE II--GRANT INITIATIVES

SEC. 201. CAPITAL ACCESS INITIATIVE.

    Section 21 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
    ``(n) Capital Access Initiative.--
            ``(1) In general.--A lead Small Business Development Center 
        may apply for an additional grant to carry out a capital access 
        initiative program.
            ``(2) Elements of program.--Under a program under paragraph 
        (1), the Center shall--
                    ``(A) provide capital education by creating a model 
                template to assist individuals in preparing for a broad 
                range of capital offerings;
                    ``(B) assess company potential by conducting 
                company assessments, which shall include, at a minimum, 
                risk analysis and mapping of best capital 
                opportunities;
                    ``(C) prepare individuals to request capital by 
                advising on the various aspects of such a request, 
                including the business plan, the financials, the 
                projections, the presentation, and the approach;
                    ``(D) provide education on the rules of access 
                engagement, organizations involved and available, and 
                approaches that maximize successful requests; and
                    ``(E) deliver ongoing assistance once capital is 
                secured.
            ``(3) Support.--In carrying out this subsection, the 
        Administrator shall obtain support from national associations 
        and from organizations such as regional development groups and 
        `angel' groups founded by Small Business Development Centers.
            ``(4) Minimum amount.--Each grant under this subsection 
        shall be for at least $100,000.
            ``(5) Maximum amount.--No applicant may receive more than 
        $300,000 in grants under this subsection in a fiscal year.
            ``(6) Funding.--Subject to amounts approved in advance in 
        appropriations Acts and separate from amounts approved to carry 
        out section 21(a)(1), the Administrator may make grants or 
        enter into cooperative agreements to carry out this 
        subsection.''.

SEC. 202. DISASTER RECOVERY PROGRAM.

    Section 21 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648), as amended by 
this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(o) Disaster Recovery Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--A lead Small Business Development Center 
        may apply for an additional grant to carry out a disaster 
        recovery program.
            ``(2) Elements of program.--Under a program under paragraph 
        (1), the Center shall--
                    ``(A) serve, in partnership with the 
                Administration's disaster center response teams, as a 
                locally based resource for first responders by--
                            ``(i) rotating personnel into a disaster 
                        area for immediate response on the ground, 
                        processing applications, developing an 
                        evaluating recovery business models, and 
                        distributing accurate information; and
                            ``(ii) providing continued interaction, 
                        over time, with businesses that are recovering 
                        from a disaster;
                    ``(B) participate in ongoing national disaster 
                training;
                    ``(C) develop specific State-level disaster 
                response plans; and
                    ``(D) form a network with other Centers to serve as 
                a platform for sharing disaster expertise, training, 
                and human resources.
            ``(3) Minimum amount.--Each grant under this subsection 
        shall be for at least $50,000.
            ``(4) Funding.--Subject to amounts approved in advance in 
        appropriations Acts and separate from amounts approved to carry 
        out section 21(a)(1), the Administrator may make grants or 
        enter into cooperative agreements to carry out this 
        subsection.''.

SEC. 203. INNOVATION AND COMPETITIVENESS SERVICES TO MANUFACTURERS 
              INITIATIVE.

    Section 21 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648), as amended by 
this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(p) Innovation and Competitiveness Services to Manufacturers 
Initiative.--
            ``(1) In general.--A lead Small Business Development Center 
        may apply for an additional grant to carry out an innovation 
        and competitiveness services to manufacturers initiative 
        program.
            ``(2) Elements of program.--Under a program under paragraph 
        (1), the Center shall--
                    ``(A) participate in national training institutes 
                to provide training to all programs of the Center to 
                assist those programs to qualify for technology 
                accreditation designation;
                    ``(B) develop, disseminate, and regularly update 
                best practices `toolkits' that include best practices 
                for resources, training programs, consultative 
                approaches, and support services;
                    ``(C) recruit and engage significant local assets 
                and resources (such as colleges, universities, economic 
                development organizations, and trade associations) in 
                each State;
                    ``(D) launch nationally a locally based but common 
                themed marketing program, targeted at small 
                manufacturers;
                    ``(E) undertake aggressive outreach to increase the 
                levels of innovation and competitiveness, focusing on 
                business advisement and training for manufacturers;
                    ``(F) provide ongoing professional development to 
                personnel of the Center and of other resource partners; 
                and
                    ``(G) develop and report performance, using common 
                evaluation metrics and outcome measurements.
            ``(3) Minimum amount.--Each grant under this subsection 
        shall be for at least $150,000.
            ``(4) Maximum amount.--A grant under this subsection may 
        not exceed $500,000.
            ``(5) Funding.--Subject to amounts approved in advance in 
        appropriations Acts and separate from amounts approved to carry 
        out section 21(a)(1), the Administrator may make grants or 
        enter into cooperative agreements to carry out this 
        subsection.''.

SEC. 204. MATURE ENTREPRENEURS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

    Section 21 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648), as amended by 
this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(q) Mature Entrepreneurs Assistance Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--A lead Small Business Development Center 
        may apply for an additional grant to carry out a mature 
        entrepreneurs assistance program.
            ``(2) Elements of program.--Under a program under paragraph 
        (1), the Center shall--
                    ``(A) provide advisors and training resources to 
                assist business owners in recognizing and developing 
                transition plans, including by--
                            ``(i) providing training and educational 
                        screening processes on the potential benefits 
                        and hazards of self-employment; and
                            ``(ii) developing courses, consulting 
                        processes, and highly targeted resource 
                        materials, and deploying them throughout the 
                        Small Business Development Center network;
                    ``(B) link business owners with additional resource 
                service providers to prepare businesses for transition, 
                including by increasing partnership opportunities, 
                particularly with the Service Corps of Retired 
                Executives (SCORE);
                    ``(C) identify business opportunities for those 
                interested in acquiring businesses;
                    ``(D) help individuals identify and acquire 
                financing for acquisition; and
                    ``(E) provide continuing support once transition 
                has occurred.
            ``(3) Minimum amount.--Each grant under this subsection 
        shall be for at least $175,000.
            ``(4) Maximum amount.--A grant under this subsection may 
        not exceed $350,000.
            ``(5) Funding.--Subject to amounts approved in advance in 
        appropriations Acts and separate from amounts approved to carry 
        out section 21(a)(1), the Administrator may make grants or 
        enter into cooperative agreements to carry out this 
        subsection.''.

SEC. 205. SMALL BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE.

    Section 21 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648), as amended by 
this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(r) Small Business Sustainability Initiative.--
            ``(1) In general.--A lead Small Business Development Center 
        may apply for an additional grant to carry out a small business 
        sustainability initiative program.
            ``(2) Elements of program.--Under a program under paragraph 
        (1), the Center shall--
                    ``(A) provide necessary support to smaller and 
                medium-sized businesses to--
                            ``(i) evaluate energy efficiency and green 
                        building opportunities;
                            ``(ii) understand the cost benefits of 
                        energy efficiency and green building 
                        opportunities;
                            ``(iii) secure financing to achieve energy 
                        efficiency or to construct green buildings; and
                            ``(iv) empower management to implement 
                        energy efficiency projects;
                    ``(B) assist entrepreneurs with clean technology 
                development and technology commercialization through--
                            ``(i) technology assessment;
                            ``(ii) intellectual property;
                            ``(iii) Small Business Innovation Research 
                        submissions;
                            ``(iv) strategic alliances;
                            ``(v) business model development; and
                            ``(vi) preparation for investors; and
                    ``(C) help small business improve environmental 
                performance by shifting to less hazardous materials and 
                reducing waste and emissions at the source, including 
                by providing assistance for businesses to adapt the 
                materials they use, the processes they operate, and the 
                products and services they produce.
            ``(3) Minimum amount.--Each grant under this subsection 
        shall be for at least $150,000.
            ``(4) Maximum amount.--A grant under this subsection may 
        not exceed $300,000.
            ``(5) Funding.--Subject to amounts approved in advance in 
        appropriations Acts and separate from amounts approved to carry 
        out section 21(a)(1), the Administrator may make grants or 
        enter into cooperative agreements to carry out this 
        subsection.''.

SEC. 206. GRANTS TO SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS TO PROVIDE 
              ASSISTANCE IN SECURING AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE.

    (a) Grant Authority.--The Administrator of the Small Business 
Administration (hereafter in this section referred to as the 
Administrator) may award a grant under this section to a lead small 
business development center (as described under section 21 of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648)).
    (b) Use of Funds.--A recipient of a grant under this section shall 
use the grant only for the purpose of providing to the owner of a small 
business concern assistance in identifying and securing affordable 
health insurance for their business and employees. A recipient of such 
a grant shall identify Federal, State, and local initiatives designed 
to assist small businesses and provide such education information to 
small business concerns seeking assistance on obtaining health 
insurance. A recipient of such a grant shall also work with health 
insurance providers in the area to identify premiums charged on health 
insurance for small business. A recipient of such a grant shall also 
attempt to negotiate lower health insurance premiums for small business 
concerns that seek the assistance of the recipient.
    (c) Minimum Grant Amount.--A grant under this section may not be in 
an amount less than $200,000.
    (d) Application.--Each applicant for a grant under this section 
shall submit to the Administrator an application in such form as the 
Administrator may require. The application shall include information 
regarding the applicant's goals and objectives for helping address 
entrepreneur's concerns with health insurance costs.
    (e) Report to Administrator.--As a condition of receiving a grant 
under this section, the Administrator shall require the recipient of a 
grant to submit to the Administrator, not later than 18 months after 
the date on which the grant is received, a report describing how the 
grant funds were used.
    (f) Cooperative Agreements and Contracts.--The Administrator may 
enter into a cooperative agreement or contract with the recipient of a 
grant under this section to provide additional assistance that furthers 
the purposes of this section.
    (g) Applicability of Grant Requirements.--An applicant for a grant 
under this section shall comply with all of the requirements applicable 
to a grantee under section 21 of the Small Business Act, except that 
the matching funds requirements of such section shall not apply.
    (h) Evaluation of Program.--Not later than March 31, 2009, the 
Administrator shall submit to Congress a report that contains an 
evaluation of the grant program under this section.
    (i) Funding.--Subject to amounts approved in advance in 
appropriations Acts and separate from amounts approved to carry out 
section 21(a)(1), the Administrator may make grants or enter into 
cooperative agreements to carry out this subsection.

SEC. 207. NATIONAL REGULATORY ASSISTANCE.

    The Small Business Act is amended by inserting after section 21 (15 
U.S.C. 648) the following:

``SEC. 21A. SMALL BUSINESS REGULATORY ASSISTANCE.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions 
apply:
            ``(1) Association.--The term `Association' means the 
        association recognized by the Administrator of the Small 
        Business Administration under section 21(a)(3)(A).
            ``(2) Participating small business development center.--The 
        term `participating Small Business Development Center' means a 
        Small Business Development Center participating in the program.
            ``(3) Program.--The term `program' means the regulatory 
        assistance program established under this section.
            ``(4) Regulatory compliance assistance.--The term 
        `regulatory compliance assistance' means assistance provided by 
        a Small Business Development Center to a small business concern 
        to enable the concern to comply with Federal regulatory 
        requirements.
            ``(5) Small business development center.--The term `Small 
        Business Development Center' means a lead Small Business 
        Development Center described in section 21.
            ``(6) State.--The term `State' means each of the several 
        States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
        Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.
    ``(b) Authority.--In accordance with this section, the 
Administrator shall establish a program to provide regulatory 
compliance assistance to small business concerns through selected Small 
Business Development Centers, the Association of Small Business 
Development Centers, and Federal compliance partnership programs.
    ``(c) Small Business Development Centers.--
            ``(1) In general.--In carrying out the program, the 
        Administrator shall enter into arrangements with selected Small 
        Business Development Centers under which such Centers shall 
        provide--
                    ``(A) access to information and resources, 
                including current Federal and State nonpunitive 
                compliance and technical assistance programs similar to 
                those established under section 507 of the Clean Air 
                Act (42 U.S.C. 7661f);
                    ``(B) training and educational activities;
                    ``(C) confidential, free-of-charge, one-on-one, in-
                depth counseling to the owners and operators of small 
                business concerns regarding compliance with Federal and 
                State regulations, as long as such counseling is not 
                considered to be the practice of law in a State in 
                which a Small Business Development Center is located or 
                in which such counseling is conducted;
                    ``(D) technical assistance;
                    ``(E) referrals to experts and other providers of 
                compliance assistance who meet such standards for 
                educational, technical, and professional competency as 
                are established by the Administrator; and
                    ``(F) access to the Internet and training on 
                Internet use, including the use of the Internet website 
                established by the Administrator under subsection 
                (d)(1)(C).
            ``(2) Reports.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Each selected Small Business 
                Development Center shall transmit to the Administrator 
                a quarterly report that includes--
                            ``(i) a summary of the regulatory 
                        compliance assistance provided by the center 
                        under the program; and
                            ``(ii) any data and information obtained by 
                        the center from a Federal agency regarding 
                        regulatory compliance that the agency intends 
                        to be disseminated to small business concerns.
                    ``(B) Electronic form.--Each report required under 
                subparagraph (A) shall be transmitted in electronic 
                form.
                    ``(C) Interim reports.--A participating Small 
                Business Development Center may transmit to the 
                Administrator such interim reports as the Center 
                considers appropriate.
                    ``(D) Limitation on disclosure requirements.--The 
                Administrator shall not require a Small Business 
                Development Center to disclose the name or address of 
                any small business concern that received or is 
                receiving assistance under the program, except that the 
                Administrator shall require such a disclosure if 
                ordered to do so by a court in any civil or criminal 
                action.
    ``(d) Data Repository and Clearinghouse.--
            ``(1) In general.--In carrying out the program, the 
        Administrator shall--
                    ``(A) act as the repository of and clearinghouse 
                for data and information submitted by Small Business 
                Development Centers;
                    ``(B) submit to the President, the Committee on 
                Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate, and 
                the Committee on Small Business of the House of 
                Representatives an annual report that includes--
                            ``(i) a description of the types of 
                        assistance provided by participating Small 
                        Business Development Centers under the program;
                            ``(ii) data regarding the number of small 
                        business concerns that contacted participating 
                        Small Business Development Centers regarding 
                        assistance under the program;
                            ``(iii) data regarding the number of small 
                        business concerns assisted by participating 
                        Small Business Development Centers under the 
                        program;
                            ``(iv) data and information regarding 
                        outreach activities conducted by participating 
                        Small Business Development Centers under the 
                        program, including any activities conducted in 
                        partnership with Federal agencies;
                            ``(v) data and information regarding each 
                        case known to the Administrator in which one or 
                        more Small Business Development Centers offered 
                        conflicting advice or information regarding 
                        compliance with a Federal or State regulation 
                        to one or more small business concerns;
                            ``(vi) any recommendations for improvements 
                        in the regulation of small business concerns; 
                        and
                            ``(vii) a list of regulations identified by 
                        the Administrator, after consultation with the 
                        Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the 
                        Administration, who shall review such list, and 
                        the Small Business and Agriculture Regulatory 
                        Enforcement Ombudsman, as being most burdensome 
                        to small business concerns, and recommendations 
                        to reduce or eliminate the burdens of such 
                        regulations; and
                    ``(C) establish an Internet website that--
                            ``(i) provides access to Federal, State, 
                        academic, and industry association Internet 
                        websites containing industry-specific 
                        regulatory compliance information that the 
                        Administrator deems potentially useful to small 
                        businesses attempting to comply with Federal 
                        regulations; and
                            ``(ii) arranges such Internet websites in 
                        industry-specific categories.
    ``(e) Review of Burdensome Regulations and Petition for Agency 
Review.--
            ``(1) Transmission of list of regulations to chief counsel 
        for advocacy.--The Administrator shall transmit to the Chief 
        Counsel for Advocacy of the Administration a copy of the list 
        of regulations submitted under subsection (d)(1)(B) as part of 
        the annual report required by that subsection.
            ``(2) Review of list of regulations.--The Chief Counsel for 
        Advocacy shall review the list of regulations transmitted under 
        paragraph (1) and identify any regulation that--
                    ``(A) is eligible for review in accordance with 
                section 610 of title 5, United States Code;
                    ``(B) has a significant impact on a substantial 
                number of small business concerns that is substantially 
                different from the impact indicated in the final 
                regulatory flexibility analysis for that regulation, as 
                published with the final regulation in the Federal 
                Register; or
                    ``(C) has a significant impact on a substantial 
                number of small business concerns and for which no 
                final regulatory flexibility analysis was ever 
                performed.
            ``(3) Notification and agency review.--With respect to any 
        regulation identified under paragraph (2) the Chief Counsel for 
        Advocacy shall--
                    ``(A) notify the appropriate Federal rulemaking 
                agency and the Office of Information and Regulatory 
                Affairs of the Office of Management of the 
                identification of such rule or regulation; and
                    ``(B) request the review of such regulation--
                            ``(i) in accordance with section 610 of 
                        title 5, United States Code; or
                            ``(ii) for any impact it has on small 
                        business concerns.
            ``(4) Annual report.--The Chief Counsel for Advocacy shall 
        publish an annual report containing a list of any regulation 
        identified under paragraph (2) and the disposition by the 
        appropriate agency.
    ``(f) Eligibility.--
            ``(1) In general.--A Small Business Development Center 
        shall be eligible to receive assistance under the program only 
        if the center is certified under section 21(k)(2).
            ``(2) Waiver.--With respect to a Small Business Development 
        Center seeking assistance under the program, the Administrator 
        may waive the certification requirement set forth in paragraph 
        (1) if the Administrator determines that the center is making a 
        good faith effort to obtain such certification.
    ``(g) Selection of Participating State Programs.--
            ``(1) Establishment of program.--In consultation with the 
        Association and giving substantial weight to the Association's 
        recommendations, the Administrator shall select the Small 
        Business Development Center programs of 2 States from each of 
        the following groups of States to participate in the program:
                    ``(A) Group 1: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, 
                Connecticut, Vermont, and Rhode Island.
                    ``(B) Group 2: New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, 
                and the Virgin Islands.
                    ``(C) Group 3: Pennsylvania, Maryland, West 
                Virginia, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and 
                Delaware.
                    ``(D) Group 4: Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, 
                South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Kentucky, and 
                Tennessee.
                    ``(E) Group 5: Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, 
                Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
                    ``(F) Group 6: Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, 
                Oklahoma, and Louisiana.
                    ``(G) Group 7: Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and 
                Kansas.
                    ``(H) Group 8: Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota, 
                South Dakota, Montana, and Utah.
                    ``(I) Group 9: California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, 
                and Arizona.
                    ``(J) Group 10: Washington, Alaska, Idaho, and 
                Oregon.
            ``(2) Deadline for initial selections.--The Administrator 
        shall make selections under paragraph (1) not later than 60 
        days after promulgation of regulations under subsection (k).
            ``(3) Additional selections.--Not earlier than the date 3 
        years after the date of the enactment of this paragraph, the 
        Administrator may select Small Business Development Center 
        programs of States in addition to those selected under 
        paragraph (1). The Administrator shall consider the effect on 
        the programs selected under paragraph (1) before selecting 
        additional programs under this paragraph.
            ``(4) Coordination to avoid duplication with other 
        programs.--In selecting programs under this subsection, the 
        Administrator shall give a preference to Small Business 
        Development Center programs that have a plan for consulting 
        with Federal and State agencies to ensure that any assistance 
        provided under this section is not duplicated by an existing 
        Federal or State program.
    ``(h) Matching Not Required.--Subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 
21(a)(4) shall not apply to assistance made available under the 
program.
    ``(i) Distribution of Grants.--
            ``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
        each State program selected to receive a grant under subsection 
        (g) in a fiscal year shall be eligible to receive a grant in an 
        amount not to exceed the product obtained by multiplying--
                    ``(A) the amount made available for grants under 
                this section for the fiscal year; and
                    ``(B) the ratio that the population of the State 
                bears to the population of all the States with programs 
                selected to receive grants under subsection (g) for the 
                fiscal year.
            ``(2) Minimum amount.--The minimum amount that a State 
        program selected to receive a grant under subsection (g) shall 
        be eligible to receive under this section for any fiscal year 
        shall be $200,000. The Administrator shall reduce the amount 
        described in paragraph (1) as appropriate to carry out the 
        purposes of this paragraph and subsection (j)(2).
    ``(j) Evaluation and Report.--Not later than 3 years after the 
establishment of the program, the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct an evaluation of the program and shall transmit to 
the Administrator, the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship 
of the Senate, and the Committee on Small Business of the House of 
Representatives a report containing the results of the evaluation along 
with any recommendations as to whether the program, with or without 
modification, should be extended to include the participation of all 
Small Business Development Centers.
    ``(k) Promulgation of Regulations.--After providing notice and an 
opportunity for comment and after consulting with the Association (but 
not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
section), the Administrator shall promulgate final regulations to carry 
out this section, including regulations that establish--
            ``(1) priorities for the types of assistance to be provided 
        under the program;
            ``(2) standards relating to educational, technical, and 
        support services to be provided by participating Small Business 
        Development Centers;
            ``(3) standards relating to any national service delivery 
        and support function to be provided by the Association under 
        the program;
            ``(4) standards relating to any work plan that the 
        Administrator may require a participating Small Business 
        Development Center to develop; and
            ``(5) standards relating to the educational, technical, and 
        professional competency of any expert or other assistance 
        provider to whom a small business concern may be referred for 
        compliance assistance under the program.
    ``(l) Funding.--Subject to amounts approved in advance in 
appropriations Acts and separate from amounts approved to carry out 
section 21(a)(1), the Administrator may make grants or enter into 
cooperative agreements to carry out this section.''.

SEC. 208. REPORT.

    Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall 
submit to Congress a report evaluating the effectiveness of the new 
Small Business Development Center programs added by the amendments made 
by this title.

                            TITLE III--SCORE

SEC. 301. REPEAL OF ACTIVE CORPORATION OF EXECUTIVES.

    Section 8(b)(1)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
637(b)(1)(B)) is amended by striking ``and an Active Corps of Executive 
(ACE)''.

SEC. 302. INCREASING THE PROPORTION OF SCORE VOLUNTEERS FROM SOCIALLY 
              AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS.

    Section 8(b)(1) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(b)(1)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(H) The Service Corps of Retired Executives 
                (SCORE) established under subparagraph (B) shall carry 
                out a plan to increase the proportion of mentors who 
                are from socially or economically disadvantaged 
                backgrounds. SCORE shall, on an annual basis, report to 
                the Administrator on the implementation of this 
                subparagraph.''.

SEC. 303. BENCHMARK REPORTING.

    Section 8(b)(1) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(b)(1)), as 
amended by section 202, is further amended by adding at the end the 
following:
                    ``(I) The Service Corps of Retired Executives 
                (SCORE) established under subparagraph (B) shall, in 
                consultation with the Administrator, establish 
                benchmarks for use in evaluating the performance of its 
                activities and the performance of its volunteers. The 
                benchmarks shall include benchmarks relating to the 
                demographic characteristics and the geographic 
                characteristics of persons assisted by SCORE, 
                benchmarks relating to the hours spent mentoring by 
                volunteers, and benchmarks relating to the performance 
                of the persons assisted by SCORE. SCORE shall, on an 
                annual basis, report to the Administrator on the extent 
                to which the benchmarks established under this 
                subparagraph are being attained.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives June 20, 2007.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
110th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 2359

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

  To reauthorize programs to assist small business concerns, and for 
                            other purposes.