[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3194 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3194

To require the establishment of a small business common application and 
web portal for purposes of Federal small business assistance programs, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 16, 2012

  Mrs. Hagan introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
    referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the establishment of a small business common application and 
web portal for purposes of Federal small business assistance programs, 
                        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 Common Application 
Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of 
        the Small Business Administration;
            (2) the term ``Assistant Secretary'' means the Assistant 
        Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development;
            (3) the term ``Executive agency'' has the same meaning as 
        in section 105 of title 5, United States Code;
            (4) the term ``Executive Committee'' means the Executive 
        Committee on a Small Business Common Application established 
        under section 4; and
            (5) the term ``small business concern'' has the meaning 
        given that term in section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 
        U.S.C. 632).

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF A SMALL BUSINESS COMMON APPLICATION AND WEB 
              PORTAL.

    (a) Common Application and Web Portal.--Subject to the availability 
of appropriations, the Administrator, in consultation with the 
Executive Committee, shall establish a small business common 
application and web portal.
    (b) Common Application and Web Portal.--
            (1) In general.--The web portal established under 
        subsection (a) shall allow a small business concern to submit a 
        single common application to apply for Federal assistance 
        provided by any Executive agency, including--
                    (A) a loan;
                    (B) a loan guarantee;
                    (C) a grant;
                    (D) technical assistance;
                    (E) counseling services; and
                    (F) other forms of assistance provided by an 
                Executive agency.
            (2) Goals.--The small business common application and web 
        portal established under subsection (a) shall--
                    (A) maximize the ability of small business concerns 
                to use the common application and web portal to 
                interact with Executive agencies;
                    (B) maintain high standards for data privacy and 
                security;
                    (C) increase the degree and ease of information 
                sharing and coordination among programs serving small 
                business concerns that are carried out by Executive 
                agencies, including State and local offices of 
                Executive agencies; and
                    (D) minimize redundancy in the administration of 
                programs that use the common application and web 
                portal.
    (c) Use of Common Application and Web Portal.--Each Executive 
agency that provides Federal assistance to small business concerns 
shall amend the rules of the Executive agency to provide for use of the 
common application and web portal to apply for such Federal assistance.
    (d) Rules.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with the Executive 
Committee, shall issue final rules establishing the small business 
common application and web portal under this section.
    (e) Maintenance and Amendment.--The Administrator shall maintain 
the small business common application and web portal established under 
subsection (a).

SEC. 4. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ON A SMALL BUSINESS COMMON APPLICATION.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Economic 
Development Administration an Executive Committee on a Small Business 
Common Application, which shall--
            (1) make recommendations regarding the establishment of the 
        small business common application and web portal under section 
        3;
            (2) monitor the implementation of the small business common 
        application and web portal; and
            (3) make periodic recommendations to the Administrator for 
        the improvement of the small business common application and 
        web portal.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The members of the Executive Committee 
        shall consist of--
                    (A) the Assistant Secretary; and
                    (B) 1 senior officer or employee having policy and 
                technical expertise appointed by each of--
                            (i) the Administrator of the General 
                        Services Administration;
                            (ii) the Administrator of the Small 
                        Business Administration;
                            (iii) the Director of the National 
                        Institutes of Health;
                            (iv) the Director of the National Science 
                        Foundation;
                            (v) the President of the Export-Import 
                        Bank;
                            (vi) the Secretary of Agriculture;
                            (vii) the Secretary of Defense;
                            (viii) the Secretary of Health and Human 
                        Services;
                            (ix) the Secretary of Labor;
                            (x) the Secretary of State;
                            (xi) the Secretary of the Treasury; and
                            (xii) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
            (2) Chairperson.--The Assistant Secretary shall serve as 
        chairperson of the Executive Committee.
            (3) Period of appointment.--Members of the Executive 
        Committee shall be appointed for a term of 3 years.
            (4) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Executive Committee shall 
        be filled in the same manner as the original appointment, not 
        later than 30 days after the date on which the vacancy occurs.
    (c) Meetings.--
            (1) In general.--The Executive Committee shall meet at the 
        call of the chairperson of the Executive Committee.
            (2) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Executive 
        Committee shall constitute a quorum.
            (3) First meeting.--The first meeting of the Executive 
        Committee shall take place not later than 30 days after the 
        date of enactment of this Act.
            (4) Public meeting.--The Executive Committee shall hold at 
        least one public meeting before the date described in 
        subsection (d)(1) to receive comments from small business 
        concerns and other interested parties.
    (d) Duties.--
            (1) Recommendations.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        date of enactment of this Act, upon a vote of the majority of 
        members of the Executive Committee then serving, the Executive 
        Committee shall submit to the Administrator recommendations 
        relating to the establishment of the small business common 
        application and web portal described in section 3.
            (2) Transmission to executive agencies.--The Executive 
        Committee shall transmit to each Executive agency a complete 
        copy of the recommendations submitted under paragraph (1).
            (3) Recommendations by executive agencies.--Not later than 
        30 days after the date on which the Executive Committee 
        transmits recommendations to the Executive agency under 
        paragraph (2), each Executive agency that provides Federal 
        assistance to small business concerns shall submit to Congress 
        recommendations, if any, for legislative changes necessary for 
        the Executive agency to carry out this Act.
    (e) Personnel Matters.--
            (1) Compensation of members.--The members of the Executive 
        Committee shall serve without compensation in addition to that 
        received for their services as officers or employees of the 
        United States.
            (2) Detail of employees.--The Administrator may detail to 
        the Executive Committee any employee of the Economic 
        Development Administration, and such detail shall be without 
        interruption or loss of civil service status or privilege.
    (f) Federal Advisory Committee Act.--Section 14 of the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply with respect to 
the Executive Committee.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

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