[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4613 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4613

  To authorize the Small Business Administrator to establish a grant 
                program to empower encore entrepreneurs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 8, 2014

 Mr. Garcia (for himself and Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois) introduced 
   the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Small 
                                Business

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize the Small Business Administrator to establish a grant 
                program to empower encore entrepreneurs.

    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 ``Empowering Encore Entrepreneurs Act 
of 2014''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Administration.--The term ``Administration'' means the 
        Small Business Administration.
            (2) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Small Business Administration.
            (3) Encore entrepreneur.--The term ``encore entrepreneur'' 
        means an entrepreneur, businessperson, or owner of a small 
        business concern--
                    (A) who is seeking to start a new small business 
                concern or expand an existing small business concern; 
                and
                    (B) who--
                            (i) is not less than 50 years of age; or
                            (ii) has not less than 20 years of 
                        experience in a workplace.
            (4) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit 
        organization'' means an organization that is described in 
        section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is 
        exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code.
            (5) Small business concern.--The term ``small business 
        concern'' has the meaning given that term under section 3 of 
        the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).
            (6) Small business development center.--The term ``small 
        business development center'' means a small business 
        development center described in section 21 of the Small 
        Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648).
            (7) Women's business center.--The term ``women's business 
        center'' means a project carried out under section 29 of the 
        Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656).

SEC. 3. EMPOWERING ENCORE ENTREPRENEURS PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, the 
Administrator shall establish a program under which the Administrator 
may enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, or make grants 
to, nonprofit organizations, including small business development 
centers, women's business centers, chapters participating in the SCORE 
program authorized by section 8(b)(1)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 637(b)(1)(B)), and other resource partners of the 
Administration, and appropriate private sector organizations or 
entities to provide technical assistance, mentoring, and other 
specialized training activities for encore entrepreneurs.
    (b) Uses of Funds.--Amounts made available under subsection (a) may 
be used to provide technical assistance, mentoring, and other 
specialized training activities including--
            (1) online resources and training for encore entrepreneurs, 
        including virtual networking and mentoring tools;
            (2) workshops, training, and business networking events for 
        encore entrepreneurs; or
            (3) programs to assist encore entrepreneurs in remaining in 
        or re-entering the labor market through self-employment.
    (c) Application.--An entity desiring a grant, contract, or 
cooperative agreement under subsection (a) shall submit to the 
Administrator an application that contains--
            (1) a description of the goals of the project to be funded;
            (2) a list of any partners that plan to participate in the 
        project to be funded; and
            (3) any other information the Administrator determines is 
        necessary.
    (d) Special Consideration.--The Administrator shall give special 
consideration to applications seeking funding for programs for--
            (1) members of the Armed Forces impacted by base closures 
        or realignment; or
            (2) encore entrepreneurs unemployed for a period of not 
        less than 1 year.
    (e) Termination.--The program established in subsection (a) shall 
terminate on September 30, 2017.

SEC. 4. REPORT ON BARRIERS FACED BY ENCORE ENTREPRENEURS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with other 
relevant Federal agencies, 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 that describes the 
barriers and obstacles faced by encore entrepreneurs in starting new 
small business concerns or expanding existing small business concerns.
    (b) Contents.--The report required under subsection (a) shall 
include--
            (1) a review of the accessibility and availability of 
        credit and other forms of financing for encore entrepreneurs;
            (2) a review of the availability of Federal contracting 
        opportunities for encore entrepreneurs;
            (3) a review of the accessibility and availability of 
        counseling and mentoring programs for encore entrepreneurs; and
            (4) policy recommendations, if any, for improving Federal 
        assistance and coordination on programs assisting encore 
        entrepreneurs.
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