[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3619 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3619

To amend and extend The State Trade and Export Promotion Grant Program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 22, 2013

   Ms. Bass introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Small Business

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend and extend The State Trade and Export Promotion Grant Program.

    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 ``STEP A Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. STATE TRADE AND EXPORT PROMOTION GRANT PROGRAM.

    The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 47 as section 48; and
            (2) by inserting after section 46 the following:

``SEC. 47. STATE TRADE AND EXPORT PROMOTION GRANT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
            ``(1) the term `eligible small business concern' means a 
        small business concern that--
                    ``(A) has been in business for not less than the 1-
                year period ending on the date on which assistance is 
                provided using a grant under this section;
                    ``(B) is operating profitably, based on operations 
                in the United States;
                    ``(C) has demonstrated understanding of the costs 
                associated with exporting and doing business with 
                foreign purchasers, including the costs of freight 
                forwarding, customs brokers, packing and shipping, as 
                determined by the Associate Administrator; and
                    ``(D) has in effect a strategic plan for exporting;
            ``(2) the term `program' means the State Trade and Export 
        Promotion Grant Program established under subsection (b);
            ``(3) the term `small business concern owned and controlled 
        by women' has the meaning given that term in section 3 of the 
        Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632);
            ``(4) the term `socially and economically disadvantaged 
        small business concern' has the meaning given that term in 
        section 8(a)(4)(A) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
        6537(a)(4)(A)); and
            ``(5) the term `State' means each of the several States, 
        the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 
        Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
        Islands, and American Samoa.
    ``(b) Establishment of Program.--The Associate Administrator shall 
establish a trade and export promotion program to be known as the State 
Trade and Export Promotion Grant Program, to make grants to States to 
carry out export programs that assist eligible small business concerns 
in--
            ``(1) participation in a foreign trade mission;
            ``(2) a foreign market sales trip;
            ``(3) a subscription to services provided by the Department 
        of Commerce;
            ``(4) the payment of website translation fees;
            ``(5) the design of international marketing media;
            ``(6) a trade show exhibition;
            ``(7) participation in training workshops; or
            ``(8) any other export initiative determined appropriate by 
        the Associate Administrator.
    ``(c) Grants.--
            ``(1) Joint review.--In carrying out the program, the 
        Associate Administrator may make a grant to a State to increase 
        the number of eligible small business concerns in the State 
        that export or to increase the value of the exports by eligible 
        small business concerns in the State.
            ``(2) Considerations.--In making grants under this section, 
        the Associate Administrator may give priority to an application 
        by a State that proposes a program that--
                    ``(A) focuses on eligible small business concerns 
                as part of an export promotion program;
                    ``(B) demonstrates success in promoting exports 
                by--
                            ``(i) socially and economically 
                        disadvantaged small business concerns;
                            ``(ii) small business concerns owned or 
                        controlled by women; and
                            ``(iii) rural small business concerns;
                    ``(C) promotes exports from a State that is not 1 
                of the 10 States with the highest percentage of 
                exporters that are small business concerns, based upon 
                the latest data available from the Department of 
                Commerce; and
                    ``(D) promotes new-to-market export opportunities 
                to Sub-Saharan Africa for eligible small business 
                concerns in the United States.
            ``(3) Limitations.--
                    ``(A) Single application.--A State may not submit 
                more than 1 application for a grant under the program 
                in any 1 fiscal year.
                    ``(B) Proportion of amounts.--The total value of 
                grants under the program made during a fiscal year to 
                the 10 States with the highest number of exporters that 
                are small business concerns, based upon the latest data 
                available from the Department of Commerce, shall be not 
                more than 40 percent of the amounts appropriated for 
                the program for that fiscal year.
            ``(4) Application.--A State desiring a grant under the 
        program shall submit an application at such time, in such 
        manner, and accompanied by such information as the Associate 
        Administrator may establish.
    ``(d) Competitive Basis.--The Associate Administrator shall award 
grants under the program on a competitive basis.
    ``(e) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of an export 
program carried out using a grant under the program shall be--
            ``(1) for a State that has a high export volume, as 
        determined by the Associate Administrator, not more than 65 
        percent; and
            ``(2) for a State that does not have a high export volume, 
        as determined by the Associate Administrator, not more than 75 
        percent.
    ``(f) Non-Federal Share.--The non-Federal share of the cost of an 
export program carried using a grant under the program shall be 
comprised of not less than 50 percent cash and not more than 50 percent 
of indirect costs and in-kind contributions, except that no such costs 
or contributions may be derived from funds from any other Federal 
program.
    ``(g) Reports.--The Associate Administrator shall submit an annual 
report to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the 
Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House of 
Representatives regarding the State Trade and Export Promotion Grant 
Program, which shall include--
            ``(1) the description of the program and the selection 
        process conducted by States to award grants to small business 
        concerns;
            ``(2) the number and amount of grants made under the 
        program during the preceding year;
            ``(3) a list of the States receiving a grant under the 
        program during the preceding year, including the activities 
        being performed with grant;
            ``(4) the effect of each grant on exports by eligible small 
        business concerns in the State receiving the grant; and
            ``(5) the number of grants and amounts awarded under the 
        program covering exports to Sub-Saharan Africa.
    ``(h) Reviews by Inspector General.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Inspector General of the 
        Administration shall conduct a review of--
                    ``(A) the extent to which recipients of grants 
                under the program are measuring the performance of the 
                activities being conducted and the results of the 
                measurements; and
                    ``(B) the overall management and effectiveness of 
                the program.
            ``(2) Report.--Not later than the date that is 2 years 
        after the date of enactment of this section, and every 2 years 
        thereafter, the Inspector General of the Administration shall 
        submit to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship 
        of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House 
        of Representatives a report regarding the review conducted 
        under paragraph (1).
    ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out the program $30,000,000 for each fiscal year 
after the date of enactment of this section.''.
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