1.Expansion of volunteer representation and
benchmark reports
(a)Expansion of volunteer
representationSection
8(b)(1)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(b)(1)(B)) is
amended—
(1)by inserting (i)
after
(B)
; and
(2)by adding at the end the following:
(ii)The Administrator shall ensure that SCORE,
established under this subparagraph, carries out a plan to increase the
proportion of mentors who are from socially or economically disadvantaged
backgrounds and, on an annual basis, reports to the Administrator on the
implementation of this
subparagraph.
.
(b)Section 8(b)(1)(B) of the Small Business
Act (15 U.S.C.
637(b)(1)(B)), as amended, is further amended by adding at the
end the following:
(iii)The Administrator shall ensure that SCORE,
established under this subparagraph, establishes benchmarks for use in
evaluating the performance of its activities and of its volunteers. The
benchmarks shall include benchmarks relating to the demographic characteristics
and the geographic characteristics of persons assisted by SCORE, benchmarks
related to the hours spent mentoring by volunteers, and benchmarks relating to
the performance of the persons assisted by SCORE. SCORE shall report, on an
annual basis, to the Administrator the extent to which the benchmarks
established under this clause are being
attained.
.
2.Section 8(b)(1)(B) of the Small Business Act
(15 U.S.C.
637(b)(1)(B)), as amended, is further amended by adding at the
end the following:
(iv)The Administrator shall ensure that SCORE,
established under this subparagraph, establishes a mentoring program for small
business concerns that provides one-on-one advice to small business concerns
from qualified counselors. For purposes of this clause, qualified counselors
are counselors with at least 10 years experience in the industry sector or area
of responsibility of the small business concern seeking advice.
(v)The Administrator shall carry out a
networking program through SCORE, established under this subparagraph, that
provides small business concerns with the opportunity to make business contacts
in their industry or geographic
region.
.
3.Name of program changed to SCORE
(a)The Small Business Act is amended as
follows:
(1)In section 8(b)(1)(B) (15 U.S.C.
637(b)(1)(B)), by striking Executives (SCORE)
and inserting Executives (in this Act referred to as
SCORE
)
.
(2)In section 7(m)(3)(A)(i)(VIII)
(15 U.S.C.
636(m)(3)(A)(i)(VIII)), by striking the Service Corps of
Retired Executives
and inserting SCORE
.
(3)In section 20 (15 U.S.C. 631
note)—
(A)in subsection (d)(1)(E), by striking
the Service Corps of Retired Executives program
and inserting
SCORE
; and
(B)in subsection (e)(1)(E), by striking
the Service Corps of Retired Executives program
and inserting
SCORE
.
(4)In section 33(b)(2) (15 U.S.C.
657c(b)(2)), by striking Service Corps of Retired
Executives
and inserting SCORE
.
(b)Section 8(b)(1)(B) of the Small Business
Act (15 U.S.C.
637(b)(1)(B)), as amended, is further amended by striking
and an Active Corps of Executive (ACE)
.
4.Authorization of
appropriationsSection 20 of
the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 note) is amended by
inserting the following new subsection after subsection (e):
(f)Authorization of appropriations for
SCOREThere is authorized to
be appropriated $7,000,000 for SCORE under section 8(b)(1) for each of the
fiscal years 2010 and
2011.
.
Passed the House of
Representatives November 18, 2009.
Lorraine C. Miller,
Clerk.