[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2992 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2992

  To amend the Small Business Act to improve trade programs, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 11, 2007

   Mr. Hall of New York (for himself, Mr. Sestak, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. 
 Lipinski, Mr. Cuellar, and Ms. Clarke) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Small Business

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Small Business Act to improve trade programs, 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 Trade 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--SMALL BUSINESS TRADE POLICY

Sec. 101. Develop and implement small business trade policies.
Sec. 102. Establish an annual small business trade strategy.
Sec. 103. Track small business exports and trade resource utilization.
                  TITLE II--TRADE COMPLIANCE PROGRAMS

Sec. 201. Trade Remedy and Dispute Assistance Initiative.
Sec. 202. Patent Assistance and Intellectual Property Protections 
                            Initiative.
      TITLE III--TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Sec. 301. Trade Adjustment Assistance Financing Initiative.
Sec. 302. Technical resources for trade adjustment assistance.
                      TITLE IV--EXPORT ASSISTANCE

Sec. 401. Increase Small Business Administration participation at 
                            Export Assistance Centers.
Sec. 402. Increase access to capital for small and medium-sized 
                            exporters.
Sec. 403. Clerical amendment.
                TITLE V--AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS

Sec. 501. Authorization of appropriations.

                  TITLE I--SMALL BUSINESS TRADE POLICY

SEC. 101. DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT SMALL BUSINESS TRADE POLICIES.

    Section 22 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
    ``(h) Role in Trade Policy.--
            ``(1) Recommendations.--The director of the Office shall 
        present recommendations regarding small business exporters to 
        trade negotiators.
            ``(2) Development of trade policies.--The director of the 
        Office shall develop trade policies that support small 
        businesses in domestic and foreign markets.
            ``(3) Implementation of trade policies.--The director of 
        the Office shall implement trade policies through relationships 
        developed with Federal trade policymakers, particularly the 
        United States Trade Representative, and transnational 
        organizations, such as the Organization for Economic Co-
        operation and Development.
            ``(4) Small exporter promotion programs.--The director of 
        the Office shall establish programs that will boost the exports 
        of entrepreneurs and encourage transnational organizations, 
        such as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and 
        Development, small exporter organizations, and ministries of 
        foreign governments to support and publicize these programs.
            ``(5) Strategic alliances.--
                    ``(A) Congressional notification.--The director of 
                the Office shall notify the Committee on Small Business 
                of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
                Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate of 
                pending strategic alliances.
                    ``(B) Follow-up activities.--The director of the 
                Office shall ensure that planned and documented follow-
                up activities for strategic alliances benefit small 
                businesses.
                    ``(C) Strategic alliance defined.--In this 
                paragraph, the term `strategic alliance' means a 
                working relationship, entered into between the Small 
                Business Administration and foreign national ministries 
                representing small business concerns, for the purpose 
                of strengthening trade between United States small 
                businesses and foreign small businesses by establishing 
                overseas networks and buyers.''.

SEC. 102. ESTABLISH AN ANNUAL SMALL BUSINESS TRADE STRATEGY.

    Section 22 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649), as amended by 
this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(i) Annual Small Business Trade Strategy.--
            ``(1) In general.--The director of the Office shall develop 
        and maintain a small business trade strategy that includes at 
        least the following components:
                    ``(A) Strategies to increase small business 
                exports, including priority markets and industries.
                    ``(B) Recommendations to increase the 
                competitiveness of domestic small business industries 
                in the global economy.
                    ``(C) Recommendations to protect small businesses 
                from unfair trade practices, including intellectual 
                property violations and import dumping.
                    ``(D) Strategies to expand small business 
                representation in United States trade policy formation 
                and implementation.
                    ``(E) Coordination efforts with the Trade Promotion 
                Coordinating Committee of the Department of Commerce, 
                as well as with Federal agencies that also provide 
                trade financing to small businesses, such as the 
                Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the Export-
                Import Bank.
            ``(2) Report.--At the beginning of each fiscal year, the 
        director shall submit to the Committee on Small Business of the 
        House of Representatives and the Committee on Small Business 
        and Entrepreneurship of the Senate a report on the small 
        business trade strategy required by paragraph (1). The report 
        shall cover, at a minimum, each of the components required by 
        paragraph (1) and shall include specific policies and 
        objectives and timelines to implement those policies and 
        objectives.''.

SEC. 103. TRACK SMALL BUSINESS EXPORTS AND TRADE RESOURCE UTILIZATION.

    Section 22 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649), as amended by 
this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(j) Tracking System.--
            ``(1) In general.--The director of the Office shall develop 
        a system to track small business exports and the use by small 
        businesses of Federal trade promotion resources. The director 
        shall ensure that the system is consistent through each Federal 
        agency member of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee.
            ``(2) Design emphasis.--The director shall give particular 
        attention, in designing the system, to the tracking of data on 
        the trade of services by small exporters, in consultation with 
        the Department of Commerce.
            ``(3) Implementation.--The director shall work in 
        consultation with members of the Trade Promotion Coordinating 
        Committee to ensure that the system is implemented and that the 
        results of the system are reported annually in the National 
        Export Strategy conducted by the Trade Promotion Coordinating 
        Committee.''.

                  TITLE II--TRADE COMPLIANCE PROGRAMS

SEC. 201. TRADE REMEDY AND DISPUTE ASSISTANCE INITIATIVE.

    Section 22 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649), as amended by 
this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(k) Trade Remedy and Dispute Assistance Initiative.--The director 
of the Office shall design, and the district offices of the 
Administration shall implement, a program that provides technical 
assistance, counseling services, and reference materials to assist 
small businesses navigate the trade dispute and remedy processes. The 
program shall include--
            ``(1) information on available resources, procedures, and 
        requirements for trade remedy investigations;
            ``(2) an approach for district office staff to provide one-
        on-one assistance to small businesses involved in these 
        activities; and
            ``(3) an identification of legal resources and other tools 
        to ensure small businesses can navigate the trade dispute and 
        remedy processes affordably.''.

SEC. 202. PATENT ASSISTANCE AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTIONS 
              INITIATIVE.

    Section 22 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649), as amended by 
this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(l) Patent Assistance and Intellectual Property Protections 
Initiative.--In consultation with the United States Patent and 
Trademark Office and the United States Copyright Office, the Office 
shall design counseling services, including identifying legal 
resources, to small businesses taking legal action to secure their 
rights to domestic patents, including copyright, trademark, and service 
mark rights, in foreign countries. To implement the program, the Office 
shall collaborate with district office staff to provide on-on-one 
assistance to small businesses involved in these activities.''.

      TITLE III--TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

SEC. 301. TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE FINANCING INITIATIVE.

    Section 7(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)) is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)(D) by inserting after ``paragraph 
        (14)(A),'' the following: ``or to participate in a loan made 
        under paragraph (16),''; and
            (2) in paragraph (16)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (D) by striking clauses (i) and 
                (ii) and inserting the following:
                            ``(i) is impacted by--
                                    ``(I) increased competition with 
                                foreign firms in the relevant market;
                                    ``(II) unfair trade practices, 
                                particularly intellectual property 
                                violations;
                                    ``(III) an influx of imports below 
                                the average United States production 
                                costs; or
                                    ``(IV) imported products 
                                benefitting from currency devaluation 
                                practices by foreign governments; and
                            ``(ii) is injured by such impacts.''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) Outreach and marketing.--The Administration 
                shall increase outreach and marketing of international 
                trade loans to district offices and private lenders.''.

SEC. 302. TECHNICAL RESOURCES FOR TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE.

    Section 22 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649), as amended by 
this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(m) Technical Resources for Trade Adjustment Assistance.--
            ``(1) In general.--The director of the Office shall 
        establish a comprehensive set of services to assist small 
        business readjustment, including access to training, 
        technology, marketing assistance, and research and information 
        on domestic and global markets.
            ``(2) Implementation.--The Administrator shall, by 
        regulation, establish such requirements as may be necessary to 
        carry out paragraph (1).
            ``(3) Outreach.--The Office shall work with the district 
        offices and the outreach business assistance centers of the 
        Administration, including Small Business Development Centers, 
        Women's Business Centers, and SCORE, to offer the set of 
        services established under paragraph (1) to small businesses in 
        their local communities.''.

                      TITLE IV--EXPORT ASSISTANCE

SEC. 401. INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION PARTICIPATION AT 
              EXPORT ASSISTANCE CENTERS.

    Section 22 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649), as amended by 
this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(n) Trade Finance Positions.--
            ``(1) Additional trade finance specialists.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Office, over the 1-year 
                period beginning on the date of the enactment of this 
                subsection, shall increase the number of trade finance 
                specialists at Export Assistance Centers by at least 6 
                and thereafter shall maintain the number of such trade 
                finance specialists at or above that number. Candidates 
                for the positions are required to have sufficient 
                qualifications and experiences.
                    ``(B) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
                authorized to be appropriated to carry out subparagraph 
                (A) such sums as may be necessary.
            ``(2) Filling vacant positions.--The Office, over the 3-
        month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this 
        subsection, shall fill all trade finance positions that have 
        been vacant since 2003. Candidates for the positions are 
        required to have sufficient qualifications and experiences.
            ``(3) Filling gaps in high-export-volume areas.--The 
        director of the Office shall--
                    ``(A) not later than 1 year after the date of the 
                enactment of this subsection, carry out a national 
                study to compare the rate of exports from each State 
                and major metropolitan region to the availability of 
                Administration staff participating in Export Assistance 
                Centers in such State or region;
                    ``(B) not later than 2 years after such date of 
                enactment, design a formula to eliminate gaps between 
                supply of, and demand for, such staff in areas with 
                high export volumes; and
                    ``(C) request the additional staff that are 
                required to eliminate such gaps and place them in those 
                areas.''.

SEC. 402. INCREASE ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED 
              EXPORTERS.

    Section 7(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)) is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)(D) by amending the heading to read as 
        follows: ``Participation under export working capital and 
        international trade programs''; and
            (2) in paragraph (3)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) by striking ``$1,500,000'' and 
                        inserting ``$2,250,000''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``$2,000,000'' and 
                        inserting ``$3,000,000''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (B) by striking ``$1,750,000, 
                of which not more than $1,250,000'' and inserting 
                ``$3,000,000, of which not more than $2,250,000''.

SEC. 403. CLERICAL AMENDMENT.

    Section 22(c)(5) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649) is 
amended by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon.

                TITLE V--AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS

SEC. 501. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act.
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