[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 25 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 25

    To improve the coordination of export promotion programs and to 
  facilitate export opportunities for small businesses, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 6, 2015

  Mrs. Shaheen (for herself and Ms. Ayotte) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, 
                       Housing, and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To improve the coordination of export promotion programs and to 
  facilitate export opportunities for small businesses, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Small Business 
Export Growth Act of 2015''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
      TITLE I--IMPROVED COORDINATION OF EXPORT PROMOTION PROGRAMS

Sec. 101. Consolidation of duplicative export promotion activities; 
                            information about trade missions and trade 
                            fairs.
Sec. 102. Clarification of roles of members of Trade Promotion 
                            Coordinating Committee.
Sec. 103. State and Federal Export Promotion Coordination Working 
                            Group.
Sec. 104. Reports to Congress with respect to activities of Trade 
                            Promotion Coordinating Committee.
Sec. 105. Report on improvements to Export.gov as a single window for 
                            export information.
  TITLE II--FACILITATION OF EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Sec. 201. Promotion of exporting.
Sec. 202. Export control education.
Sec. 203. Small Business Interagency Task Force on Export Financing.
Sec. 204. Availability of State resource guides on Export.gov.

      TITLE I--IMPROVED COORDINATION OF EXPORT PROMOTION PROGRAMS

SEC. 101. CONSOLIDATION OF DUPLICATIVE EXPORT PROMOTION ACTIVITIES; 
              INFORMATION ABOUT TRADE MISSIONS AND TRADE FAIRS.

    (a) In General.--Section 2312(b) of the Export Enhancement Act of 
1988 (15 U.S.C. 4727(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (4), by inserting ``, including by 
        identifying opportunities to consolidate or co-locate offices 
        of agencies involved in such activities'' after ``export 
        financing activities'';
            (2) in paragraph (5)--
                    (A) by inserting ``, including the use and 
                coordination of electronic databases,'' after ``the 
                appropriate levels and allocation of resources''; and
                    (B) by striking ``; and'' and inserting a 
                semicolon;
            (3) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (7); and
            (4) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:
            ``(6) to the maximum extent practicable, provide a detailed 
        listing of current and future Federal and State-led trade 
        missions, trade fairs, and related activities to ensure better 
        delivery of services to United States businesses; and''.
    (b) Availability of Information.--The Secretary of Commerce shall 
make available the information on Federal and State-led trade missions, 
trade fairs, and related activities described in paragraph (6) of 
section 2312(b) of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988, as added by 
subsection (a)(4), on the Internet website Export.gov or a successor 
website.

SEC. 102. CLARIFICATION OF ROLES OF MEMBERS OF TRADE PROMOTION 
              COORDINATING COMMITTEE.

    Section 2312(c) of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 
4727(c)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (3), (4), (5), and (6) as 
        paragraphs (4), (5), (6), and (8), respectively;
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(3) with respect to export promotion and export financing 
        activities of each department or agency represented on the 
        TPCC--
                    ``(A) clearly identify and explain the role of the 
                department or agency; and
                    ``(B) describe the goals and objectives of the 
                department or agency and explain the rationale for 
                measuring and reporting on those goals and 
                objectives;'';
            (3) in paragraph (5), as redesignated by paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by inserting ``and Congress'' after ``the 
                President''; and
                    (B) by striking ``paragraph (3)'' and inserting 
                ``paragraph (4)'';
            (4) in paragraph (6), as redesignated by paragraph (1), by 
        striking ``; and'' and inserting a semicolon;
            (5) by inserting after paragraph (6), as redesignated by 
        paragraph (1), the following:
            ``(7) include any recommendations of the Comptroller 
        General of the United States that relate to coordination of the 
        TPCC and departments and agencies that are represented on the 
        TPCC; and''; and
            (6) in paragraph (8), as redesignated by paragraph (1), by 
        striking ``United States National Tourism Organization'' and 
        inserting ``United States Travel Association''.

SEC. 103. STATE AND FEDERAL EXPORT PROMOTION COORDINATION WORKING 
              GROUP.

    Subtitle C of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4721 et 
seq.) is amended by inserting after section 2313 the following:

``SEC. 2313A. STATE AND FEDERAL EXPORT PROMOTION COORDINATION WORKING 
              GROUP.

    ``(a) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States 
to promote exports as an opportunity for small businesses. In 
exercising their powers and functions in order to advance that policy, 
all Federal departments and agencies shall work constructively with 
State and local agencies engaged in export promotion and export 
financing activities.
    ``(b) Establishment.--The President shall establish a State and 
Federal Export Promotion Coordination Working Group (in this section 
referred to as the `Working Group') as a subcommittee of the Trade 
Promotion Coordination Committee (in this section referred to as the 
`TPCC').
    ``(c) Purposes.--The purposes of the Working Group are--
            ``(1) to identify issues related to the coordination of 
        Federal resources relating to export promotion and export 
        financing with such resources provided by State and local 
        governments;
            ``(2) to identify ways to improve coordination with respect 
        to export promotion and export financing activities through the 
        strategic plan developed under section 2312(c);
            ``(3) to develop a strategy for improving coordination of 
        Federal and State resources relating to export promotion and 
        export financing, including methods to eliminate duplication of 
        effort and overlapping functions; and
            ``(4) to develop a strategic plan for considering and 
        implementing the Working Group's suggestions as part of the 
        strategic plan developed under section 2312(c).
    ``(d) Membership.--The Secretary of Commerce shall select the 
members of the Working Group, who shall include--
            ``(1) representatives from State trade agencies 
        representing regionally diverse areas; and
            ``(2) representatives of the departments and agencies that 
        are represented on the TPCC, who are designated by the heads of 
        their respective departments or agencies to advise the head on 
        ways of promoting the exportation of United States goods and 
        services.''.

SEC. 104. REPORTS TO CONGRESS WITH RESPECT TO ACTIVITIES OF TRADE 
              PROMOTION COORDINATING COMMITTEE.

    Section 2312(f) of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (19 U.S.C. 
4727(f)) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(f) Reports to Congress.--
            ``(1) Reports by tpcc.--The chairperson of the TPCC shall 
        prepare and submit to the appropriate congressional committees, 
        not later than March 30 of each year, a report that--
                    ``(A) describes the strategic plan developed by the 
                TPCC pursuant to subsection (c), the implementation of 
                the plan, and any revisions to the plan; and
                    ``(B) describes the implementation of sections 303 
                and 304 of the FREEDOM Support Act (22 U.S.C. 5823 and 
                5824) concerning funding for export promotion 
                activities and the interagency working groups on energy 
                of the TPCC.
            ``(2) Reports by inspector general of department of 
        commerce.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Inspector General of the 
                Department of Commerce shall prepare and submit to the 
                appropriate congressional committees, not later than 
                March 30 of each year, a report on the extent to 
                which--
                            ``(i) the TPCC is successfully carrying out 
                        the duties described in subsection (b); and
                            ``(ii) the strategic plan described in 
                        subsection (c) is being implemented 
                        successfully.
                    ``(B) Consultation.--In preparing the report 
                required under subparagraph (A), the Inspector General 
                of the Department of Commerce shall, to the maximum 
                extent practicable, consult with the inspector general 
                of each other Federal department or agency that is a 
                member of the TPCC.
            ``(3) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In 
        this subsection, the term `appropriate congressional 
        committees' means--
                    ``(A) the Committee on Appropriations, the 
                Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the 
                Committee on Finance, the Committee on Foreign 
                Relations, and the Committee on Small Business and 
                Entrepreneurship of the Senate; and
                    ``(B) the Committee on Appropriations, the 
                Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Committee on 
                Financial Services, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 
                the Committee on Small Business, and the Committee on 
                Ways and Means of the House of Representatives.''.

SEC. 105. REPORT ON IMPROVEMENTS TO EXPORT.GOV AS A SINGLE WINDOW FOR 
              EXPORT INFORMATION.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Associate Administrator for International 
Trade of the Small Business Administration shall, after consultation 
with the entities specified in subsection (b), submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report that includes the 
recommendations of the Associate Administrator for improving the 
experience provided by the Internet website Export.gov (or a successor 
website) as--
            (1) a comprehensive resource for information about 
        exporting articles from the United States; and
            (2) a single website for exporters to submit all 
        information required by the Federal Government with respect to 
        the exportation of articles from the United States.
    (b) Entities Specified.--The entities specified in this subsection 
are--
            (1) small business concerns (as defined in section 3 of the 
        Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)) that are exporters; and
            (2) the President's Export Council, State agencies with 
        responsibility for export promotion or export financing, 
        district export councils, and trade associations.
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship 
        and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the 
        Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Small Business and the Committee on 
        Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.

  TITLE II--FACILITATION OF EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

SEC. 201. PROMOTION OF EXPORTING.

    Section 22(c)(11) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649(c)(11)) 
is amended by inserting ``, which shall include conducting not fewer 
that 1 outreach event each fiscal year in each State that promotes 
exporting as a business development opportunity for small business 
concerns'' before the semicolon.

SEC. 202. EXPORT CONTROL EDUCATION.

    Section 22 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (l) as subsection (m); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (k) the following:
    ``(l) Export Control Education.--The Associate Administrator shall 
ensure that all programs of the Administration to support exporting by 
small business concerns place a priority on educating small business 
concerns about Federal export control regulations.''.

SEC. 203. SMALL BUSINESS INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON EXPORT FINANCING.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the Small Business 
Administration, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Export-Import Bank of 
the United States, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation 
shall jointly establish a Small Business Inter-Agency Task Force on 
Export Financing to--
            (1) review and improve Federal export finance programs for 
        small business concerns; and
            (2) coordinate the activities of the Federal Government to 
        assist small business concerns seeking to export.
    (b) Small Business Concern.--In this section, the term ``small 
business concern'' has the meaning given that term under section 3 of 
the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).

SEC. 204. AVAILABILITY OF STATE RESOURCE GUIDES ON EXPORT.GOV.

    The Secretary of Commerce shall make available on the Internet 
website Export.gov (or a successor website) information on the 
resources relating to export promotion and export financing available 
in each State--
            (1) organized by State; and
            (2) including information on State agencies with 
        responsibility for export promotion or export financing and 
        district export councils and trade associations located in the 
        State.
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