[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 738 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 738

To amend the Small Business Act to improve the Office of International 
                     Trade, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 1, 2007

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Small Business Act to improve the Office of International 
                     Trade, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Small Business International Trade 
Enhancements Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR FOR 
              INTERNATIONAL TRADE.

    (a) Establishment.--Section 22(a) of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 649(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``The 
head of the Office shall be the Associate Administrator for 
International Trade, who shall be responsible to the Administrator.''.
    (b) Authority for Additional Associate Administrator.--Section 
4(b)(1) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 633(b)(1)) is amended--
            (1) in the fifth sentence, by striking ``five Associate 
        Administrators'' and inserting ``Associate Administrators''; 
        and
            (2) by adding at the end the following: ``One of the 
        Associate Administrators shall be the Associate Administrator 
        for International Trade, who shall be the head of the Office of 
        International Trade established under section 22.''.
    (c) Discharge of Administration International Trade 
Responsibilities.--Section 22 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(h) Discharge of Administration International Trade 
Responsibilities.--The Administrator shall ensure that--
            ``(1) the responsibilities of the Administration regarding 
        international trade are carried out through the Associate 
        Administrator for International Trade;
            ``(2) the Associate Administrator for International Trade 
        has sufficient resources to carry out such responsibilities; 
        and
            ``(3) the Associate Administrator for International Trade 
        has direct supervision and control over the staff of the Office 
        of International Trade, and over any employee of the 
        Administration whose principal duty station is a United States 
        Export Assistance Center or any successor entity.''.
    (d) Role of Associate Administrator in Carrying Out International 
Trade Policy.--Section 2(b)(1) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
631(b)(1)) is amended in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)--
            (1) by inserting ``the Administrator of'' before ``the 
        Small Business Administration''; and
            (2) by inserting ``through the Associate Administrator for 
        International Trade, and'' before ``in cooperation with''.
    (e) Technical Amendment.--Section 22(c)(5) of the Small Business 
Act (15 U.S.C. 649(c)(5)) is amended by striking the period at the end 
and inserting a semicolon.
    (f) Effective Date.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Small Business 
Administration shall appoint an Associate Administrator for 
International Trade under section 22 of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 649), as amended by this section.

SEC. 3. OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE.

    Section 22 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``sec. 22. (a) There'' and inserting the 
        following:

``SEC. 22. OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There'';
            (2) in subsection (a), by inserting ``(referred to in this 
        section as the `Office'),'' after ``Trade'';
            (3) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by striking ``The Office'' and inserting the 
                following:
    ``(b) Trade Distribution Network.--The Office, including United 
States Export Assistance Centers (referred to as `one-stop shops' in 
section 2301(b)(8) of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 
(15 U.S.C. 4721(b)(8)) and as `export centers' in this section)''; and
                    (B) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
            ``(1) assist in maintaining a distribution network using 
        regional and local offices of the Administration, the small 
        business development center network, the women's business 
        center network, and export centers for--
                    ``(A) trade promotion;
                    ``(B) trade finance;
                    ``(C) trade adjustment;
                    ``(D) trade remedy assistance; and
                    ``(E) trade data collection.'';
            (4) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (8) as 
                paragraphs (2) through (9), respectively;
                    (B) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so 
                redesignated, the following:
            ``(1) establish annual goals for the Office relating to--
                    ``(A) enhancing the exporting capability of small 
                business concerns and small manufacturers;
                    ``(B) facilitating technology transfers;
                    ``(C) enhancing programs and services to assist 
                small business concerns and small manufacturers to 
                compete effectively and efficiently against foreign 
                entities;
                    ``(D) increasing the access to capital by small 
                business concerns;
                    ``(E) disseminating information concerning Federal, 
                State, and private programs and initiatives; and
                    ``(F) ensuring that the interests of small business 
                concerns are adequately represented in trade 
                negotiations;'';
                    (C) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated, by 
                striking ``mechanism for'' and all that follows through 
                ``(D)'' and inserting the following: ``mechanism for--
                    ``(A) identifying subsectors of the small business 
                community with strong export potential;
                    ``(B) identifying areas of demand in foreign 
                markets;
                    ``(C) prescreening foreign buyers for commercial 
                and credit purposes; and
                    ``(D)''; and
                    (D) in paragraph (9), as so redesignated--
                            (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
                        (A)--
                                    (I) by striking ``full-time export 
                                development specialists to each 
                                Administration regional office and 
                                assigning''; and
                                    (II) by striking ``office. Such 
                                specialists'' and inserting ``office 
                                and providing each Administration 
                                regional office with a full-time export 
                                development specialist, who'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (D), by striking 
                        ``and'' at the end;
                            (iii) in subparagraph (E), by striking the 
                        period at the end and inserting a semicolon; 
                        and
                            (iv) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(F) participate jointly with employees of the 
                Office in an annual training program that focuses on 
                current small business needs for exporting; and
                    ``(G) jointly develop and conduct training programs 
                for exporters and lenders in cooperation with the 
                United States Export Assistance Centers, the Department 
                of Commerce, small business development centers, and 
                other relevant Federal agencies.'';
            (5) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) by inserting ``Export Financing Programs.--'' 
                after ``(d)'';
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as 
                clauses (i) through (v), respectively, and adjusting 
                the margins accordingly;
                    (C) by striking ``The Office shall work in 
                cooperation'' and inserting the following:
            ``(1) In general.--The Office shall work in cooperation''; 
        and
                    (D) by striking ``To accomplish this goal, the 
                Office shall work'' and inserting the following:
            ``(2) Trade financial specialist.--To accomplish the goal 
        established under paragraph (1), the Office shall--
                    ``(A) designate at least 1 individual within the 
                Administration as a trade financial specialist to 
                oversee international loan programs and assist 
                Administration employees with trade finance issues; and
                    ``(B) work'';
            (6) in subsection (e), by inserting ``Trade Remedies.--'' 
        after ``(e)'';
            (7) by amending subsection (f) to read as follows:
    ``(f) Reporting Requirement.--The Office shall submit an annual 
report to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the 
Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House of 
Representatives that contains--
            ``(1) a description of the progress of the Office in 
        implementing the requirements of this section;
            ``(2) the destinations of travel by Office staff and 
        benefits to the Administration and to small business concerns 
        therefrom; and
            ``(3) a description of the participation by the Office in 
        trade negotiations.'';
            (8) in subsection (g), by inserting ``Studies.--'' after 
        ``(g)''; and
            (9) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(i) Export Assistance Centers.--
            ``(1) In general.--During the period beginning on October 
        1, 2006, and ending on September 30, 2009, the Administrator 
        shall ensure that the number of full-time equivalent employees 
        of the Office assigned to the one-stop shops referred to in 
        section 2301(b) of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 
        1988 (15 U.S.C. 4721 (b)) is not less than the number of such 
        employees so assigned on January 1, 2003.
            ``(2) Priority of placement.--Priority shall be given, to 
        the maximum extent practicable, to placing employees of the 
        Administration at any Export Assistance Center that--
                    ``(A) had an Administration employee assigned to 
                such Center before January 2003; and
                    ``(B) has not had an Administration employee 
                assigned to such Center during the period beginning 
                January 2003, and ending on the date of enactment of 
                this subsection, either through retirement or 
                reassignment.
            ``(3) Needs of exporters.--The Administrator shall, to the 
        maximum extent practicable, strategically assign Administration 
        employees to Export Assistance Centers, based on the needs of 
        exporters.
            ``(4) Goals.--The Office shall work with the Department of 
        Commerce and the Export-Import Bank to establish shared annual 
        goals for the Export Centers.
            ``(5) Oversight.--The Office shall designate an individual 
        within the Administration to oversee all activities conducted 
        by Administration employees assigned to Export Centers.''.

SEC. 4. INTERNATIONAL TRADE LOANS.

    (a) In General.--Section 7(a)(3)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 636(a)(3)(B)) is amended by striking ``$1,750,000, of which not 
more than $1,250,000'' and inserting ``$2,750,000 (or if the gross loan 
amount would exceed $3,670,000), of which not more than $2,000,000''.
    (b) Working Capital.--Section 7(a)(16)(A) of the Small Business Act 
(15 U.S.C. 636(a)(16)(A)) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking ``in--
        '' and inserting ``--'';
            (2) in clause (i)--
                    (A) by inserting ``in'' after ``(i)''; and
                    (B) by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (3) in clause (ii)--
                    (A) by inserting ``in'' after ``(ii)''; and
                    (B) by striking the period and inserting ``; or''; 
                and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iii) by providing working capital.''.
    (c) Collateral.--Section 7(a)(16)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 636(a)(16)(B)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``Each loan'' and inserting the following:
                            ``(i) In general.--Except as provided in 
                        clause (ii), each loan''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(ii) Exception.--A loan under this 
                        paragraph may be secured by a second lien 
                        position on the property or equipment financed 
                        by the loan or on other assets of the small 
                        business concern, if the Administrator 
                        determines such lien provides adequate 
                        assurance of the payment of such loan.''.
    (d) Refinancing.--Section 7(a)(16)(A)(ii) of the Small Business Act 
(15 U.S.C. 636(a)(16)(A)(ii)), as amended by this section, is amended 
by inserting ``, including any debt that qualifies for refinancing 
under any other provision of this subsection'' before the semicolon.
                                 <all>