[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 744 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 744

To establish the National Commission on Women's Business Ownership, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 16, 2011

Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to 
 the Committees on Small Business and Oversight and Government Reform, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
                        the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish the National Commission on Women's Business Ownership, 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 ``Women's Business Ownership Act of 
2011''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established a commission to be known as the ``National 
Commission on Women's Business Ownership'' (in this Act referred to as 
the ``Commission'').

SEC. 3. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Review.--The Commission shall--
            (1) review the status of women business owners across the 
        United States and the progress made by women business owners 
        since the 1980 White House Conference on Small Business;
            (2) review the role of the Federal Government in aiding and 
        promoting women business owners; and
            (3) review data collection procedures with respect to 
        women-owned businesses, including for Federal initiatives and 
        procurement, with the goal of recommending improvements to 
        those procedures.
    (b) Recommendations.--Based on the review conducted under 
subsection (a), the Commission shall develop recommendations on--
            (1) private-sector initiatives for providing management and 
        technical assistance to women business owners;
            (2) ways to create greater access to credit for women 
        business owners; and
            (3) ways to enhance Federal procurement opportunities for 
        women business owners.
    (c) Business Ownership.--For purposes of this Act, a business is 
owned by a woman if--
            (1) the sole owner is a woman;
            (2) 50 percent or more of the partners are women; or
            (3) 50 percent or more of the stock is owned by women, if 
        the business is a corporation.

SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 9 
members appointed as follows:
            (1) Three members appointed by the President.
            (2) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
        Representatives from a list of 15 individuals nominated for 
        appointment by the chairman of the Committee on Small Business 
        of the House of Representatives.
            (3) Three members appointed by the majority leader of the 
        Senate from a list of 15 individuals nominated for appointment 
        by the chairman of the Committee on Small Business and 
        Entrepreneurship of the Senate.
    (b) Qualifications.--
            (1) In general.--Individuals appointed under subsection (a) 
        shall be specially qualified to serve on the Commission by 
        virtue of their education, training, or experience and may not 
        be officers or employees of the Federal Government or Members 
        of Congress.
            (2) Political affiliation.--Of the 3 members appointed 
        under each of paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (a)--
                    (A) not more than 2 members appointed under each 
                paragraph may be of the same political party;
                    (B) at least one member appointed under each 
                paragraph shall be a woman; and
                    (C) at least one member appointed under each 
                paragraph shall be an individual who is a small 
                business owner.
            (3) Geographical balance.--In making appointments under 
        subsection (a), the appointing authorities should give 
        consideration to achieving geographical balance in the 
        membership of the Commission.
    (c) Term.--Each member of the Commission shall be appointed for the 
life of the Commission, except that if any member of the Commission 
becomes an officer or employee of the Federal Government or a Member of 
Congress that individual may continue as a member of the Commission for 
not longer than the 30-day period beginning on the date that individual 
becomes an officer or employee or a Member of Congress.
    (d) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled in the 
manner in which the original appointment was made.
    (e) Pay.--
            (1) In general.--Members of the Commission shall serve 
        without pay, except as provided in paragraph (2).
            (2) Travel expenses.--While away from their homes or 
        regular places of business in the performance of services for 
        the Commission, members of the Commission shall be allowed 
        travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
        the same manner as persons employed intermittently in the 
        Government service are allowed travel expenses under section 
        5703 of title 5, United States Code.
    (f) Quorum.--Five members of the Commission shall constitute a 
quorum but a lesser number may hold hearings.
    (g) Chairperson and Vice Chairperson.--The Chairperson and Vice 
Chairperson of the Commission shall be designated by the President. The 
term of office of the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson shall be the 
life of the Commission.
    (h) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet not less than 4 times, and 
not more than 6 times, each year. Meetings shall be at the call of a 
majority of the members of the Commission.

SEC. 5. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Director and Staff.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission shall have a Director who 
        shall be appointed by the Commission. The Commission, with the 
        recommendation of the Director, may appoint and fix the pay of 
        4 additional personnel.
            (2) Applicability of certain laws.--The Director and staff 
        of the Commission may be appointed without regard to the 
        provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing 
        appointments in the competitive service, and may be paid 
        without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter 
        III of chapter 53 of that title, relating to classification and 
        General Schedule pay rates, except that an individual so 
        appointed may not receive pay in excess of the maximum annual 
        rate of basic pay payable for grade GS-15 of the General 
        Schedule.
    (b) Services.--The Commission may procure temporary and 
intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States 
Code, but at rates for individuals not to exceed the daily equivalent 
of the maximum annual rate of basic pay payable for grade GS-15 of the 
General Schedule.
    (c) Staff of Federal Agencies.--Upon the request of the Commission, 
the head of any Federal department or agency may detail, on a 
reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that department or agency 
to the Commission to assist the Commission in carrying out the duties 
of the Commission under this Act.

SEC. 6. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--The Commission may, for the purpose of carrying 
out this Act, hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, take 
testimony, and receive evidence, as the Commission considers 
appropriate.
    (b) Delegation.--Any member or agent of the Commission may, if 
authorized by the Commission, take any action which the Commission is 
authorized to take by this section.
    (c) Access to Information.--The Commission may secure directly from 
any department or agency of the United States information necessary to 
enable it to carry out this Act. Upon the request of the Chairperson of 
the Commission, the head of a department or agency shall furnish that 
information to the Commission.
    (d) Use of Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails 
in the same manner and under the same conditions as other departments 
and agencies of the United States.
    (e) Administrative Support.--The Administrator of General Services 
shall provide to the Commission, on a reimbursable basis, such 
administrative support services as the Commission may request.

SEC. 7. REPORTS.

    The Commission shall transmit to the President and to Congress 
interim reports as the Commission considers appropriate and shall 
transmit a final report to the President and to Congress not later than 
26 months after the date of the Commission's first meeting. The final 
report shall contain a detailed statement of the findings and 
conclusions of the Commission, including recommendations for 
legislation and administrative actions the Commission considers 
appropriate.

SEC. 8. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall cease to exist on the date that the Commission 
transmits its final report to the President and to Congress.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act.
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