[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3771 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3771

To amend the Small Business Act to establish mentorship and assistance 
  programs designed to help minority, veteran-owned, and women-owned 
 small businesses operate in the construction industry, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 8, 2009

 Ms. Clarke (for herself, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Mr. Rangel, 
 Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Clay, Mr. Davis of 
 Illinois, Mr. Hare, Mr. Towns, Ms. Sutton, Mr. Meeks of New York, Ms. 
  Jackson-Lee of Texas, Ms. Kilpatrick of Michigan, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. 
  Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Cuellar, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Hastings of 
 Florida, and Ms. Richardson) introduced the following bill; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Small Business

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Small Business Act to establish mentorship and assistance 
  programs designed to help minority, veteran-owned, and women-owned 
 small businesses operate in the construction industry, 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. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) The construction industry often serves as a preferred 
        entry point for emerging small businesses, including those 
        undertaken by minorities, women and veterans, which may conduct 
        business as contractors, specialty trade contractors, 
        suppliers, fabricators, vendors or a myriad of other businesses 
        serving the needs of the construction industry.
            (2) Construction provides rewarding careers, but is a 
        challenging and competitive business environment that demands 
        specialized knowledge and skill sets of business owners, 
        especially small and emerging businesses owned by minorities, 
        women, and veterans, who may be underrepresented or 
        disadvantaged or who have given service unselfishly to their 
        country.

SEC. 2. MENTORSHIP AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS FOR MINORITY, VETERAN-OWNED, 
              AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES WITH RESPECT TO 
              CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.

    The Small Business Act is amended by redesignating section 44 as 
section 45 and by inserting after section 43 the following new section:

``SEC. 44. MENTORSHIP AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS FOR MINORITY, VETERAN-
              OWNED, AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES WITH RESPECT TO 
              CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.

    ``(a) In General.--The Administrator shall establish programs for 
the purpose of assisting eligible small business concerns to gain 
access to the specialized knowledge and professional services needed to 
operate business concerns in the construction industry, enhance their 
capacities and their qualifications for financial and surety credit, 
and access and compete for construction contracting opportunities.
    ``(b) Grants to State and Local Governments.--The Administrator may 
make grants to State and local government entities to assist such 
entities--
            ``(1) to establish or expand mentorship and assistance 
        programs designed to carry out the purposes of this section;
            ``(2) to identify problems and solutions regarding eligible 
        small business concerns in the construction industry;
            ``(3) to establish performance criteria and objectives with 
        respect to the mentoring and assistance programs;
            ``(4) to encourage the involvement of relevant industry 
        trade associations to partner with State and local government 
        entities to carry out the purposes of this section;
            ``(5) to establish and fund State and local grant programs 
        for universities, colleges, community colleges and vocational/
        technical schools, and for business leagues or for similar not 
        for profit entities that conduct business or executive training 
        programs to develop and administer a standing curriculum 
        benefitting owners and executives of eligible small business 
        concerns and focused on business, financial accounting, and 
        risk management courses addressing the operation of small 
        business concerns in the construction industry; and
            ``(6) to establish and fund State and local grant programs 
        to award eligible small business concerns grants of not more 
        than $15,000 each to pay for the services of legal, accounting, 
        and other business consultants to prepare such concerns for 
        qualifying for financial and surety credit.
    ``(c) Other Assistance.--The Administrator shall provide support 
and resources to State and local government entities receiving 
assistance under this section, including training and marketing 
materials and assistance in joint marketing and outreach campaigns.
    ``(d) Eligible Small Business Concerns.--For purposes of this 
section, the term `eligible small business concern' means--
            ``(1) any small business concern owned and controlled by 
        women (as defined in section 3(n));
            ``(2) any socially and economically disadvantaged small 
        business concern (as defined in section 8(a)(4)); and
            ``(3) any small business concern owned and controlled by 
        veterans (as defined in section 3(q)), especially service-
        disabled veterans (as defined in such section).
    ``(e) Annual Reports.--Entities receiving assistance under this 
section shall report annually to the Administrator on their activities 
under this section.
    ``(f) Funding.--There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as may be necessary to carry out this section.''.
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