[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1807 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1807


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 29, 2009

  Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business 
                          and Entrepreneurship

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
 To provide distance learning to potential and existing entrepreneurs, 
                        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 ``Educating Entrepreneurs through 
Today's Technology Act''.

SEC. 2. EDUCATING ENTREPRENEURS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY.

    The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended by 
redesignating section 44 as section 45 and by inserting the following 
new section after section 43:

``SEC. 44. EDUCATING AND NETWORKING ENTREPRENEURS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY.

    ``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to provide distance 
learning and opportunities for the exchange of peer-to-peer technical 
assistance through online networking to potential and existing 
entrepreneurs through the use of technology.
    ``(b) Definition.--As used in this section, the term `qualified 
third-party vendor' means an entity with experience in distance 
learning content or communications technology, or both, with the 
ability to utilize on-line, satellite, video-on-demand, and connected 
community-based organizations to distribute and conduct distance 
learning and establish an online network for use by potential and 
existing entrepreneurs to facilitate the exchange of peer-to-peer 
technical assistance related to entrepreneurship, credit management, 
financial literacy, and Federal small business development programs.
    ``(c) Authority.--The Administrator shall contract with qualified 
third-party vendors for entrepreneurial training content, the 
development of communications technology that can distribute content 
under this section throughout the United States, and the establishment 
of a nationwide, online network for the exchange of peer-to-peer 
technical assistance. The Administrator shall contract with at least 
two qualified third-party vendors to develop content.
    ``(d) Content.--The Administrator shall ensure that the content 
referred to in subsection (c) is timely and relevant to entrepreneurial 
development and can be successfully communicated remotely to an 
audience through the use of technology. The Administrator shall, to the 
maximum extent practicable, promote content that makes use of 
technologies that allow for remote interaction by the content provider 
with an audience. The Administrator shall ensure that the content is 
catalogued and accessible to small businesses on-line or through other 
remote technologies.
    ``(e) Communications Technology.--The Administrator shall ensure 
that the communications technology referred to in subsection (c) is 
able to distribute content throughout all 50 States and the territories 
of the United States to small business concerns, home-based businesses, 
Small Business Development Centers, Women's Business Centers, Veterans 
Business Centers, SCORE chapters, and the Small Business Administration 
and network entrepreneurs throughout all 50 States and the territories 
of the United States to allow for peer-to-peer learning through the 
creation of a location online that allows entrepreneurs and small 
business owners the opportunity to exchange technical assistance 
through the sharing of information. To the extent possible, the 
qualified third-party vendor should deliver the content and facilitate 
the networking using broadband technology.
    ``(f) Reports to Congress.--The Administrator shall submit a report 
to Congress 6 months after the date of the enactment of this section 
containing an analysis of the Small Business Administration's progress 
in implementing this section. The Administrator shall submit a report 
to Congress 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section and 
annually thereafter containing the number of presentations made under 
this section, the number of small businesses served under this section, 
the extent to which this section resulted in the establishment of new 
businesses, and feedback on the usefulness of this medium in presenting 
entrepreneurial education and facilitating the exchange of peer-to-peer 
technical assistance throughout the United States.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $2,000,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2010 and 2011.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 28, 2009.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.