[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6706 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6706

  To support the establishment of small business development centers 
   internationally and promote international commerce, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 5, 2018

   Mr. Castro of Texas (for himself, Mrs. Wagner, and Mr. Larsen of 
 Washington) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To support the establishment of small business development centers 
   internationally and promote international commerce, 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 ``Global Small Business Network Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Small businesses empower citizens of a country, 
        strengthen communities, provide employment to millions, and 
        form the backbone of the United States economy.
            (2) Small business concerns across the United States have 
        benefitted from access to technical assistance, regulatory 
        guidance, and educational programs through small business 
        development centers (referred to in this Act as ``SBDC'') in 
        the United States.
            (3) The SBDC model has successfully been adopted in Central 
        America, South America, and the Caribbean, through assistance 
        from the Small Business Network of the Americas' initiative 
        funded through the Department of State.
            (4) The Small Business Network of the Americas' initiative 
        is a highly effective program that works with host governments 
        in the Americas to establish small business development 
        centers, primarily funded by the host governments.
            (5) SBDC networks outside the United States serve as 
        important conduits of commerce with the United States, 
        providing important information, tools, and regulatory guidance 
        to small businesses interested in trading with the United 
        States.
            (6) The establishment of SBDCs in other parts of the world 
        promotes opportunities for small businesses to thrive and 
        engage with the United States economy.

SEC. 3. GLOBAL AND REGIONAL NETWORKS.

    (a) Global Small Business Network.--
            (1) Establishment.--The Secretary of State, in consultation 
        with the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
        International Development and the Administrator of the Small 
        Business Administration, is authorized to establish and 
        administer a Global Small Business Network program.
            (2) Purpose.--The purpose of the Global Small Business 
        Network program is to--
                    (A) enhance the ability of small business concerns 
                in the United States that are affiliated with a small 
                business development center to export to foreign 
                markets and take part in international commerce; and
                    (B) facilitate partners for U.S. businesses and 
                resilient business environments in foreign countries 
                through the development of small business development 
                centers in foreign countries.
            (3) Affiliation.--The Secretary shall determine if a small 
        business development center in a foreign country may affiliate 
        with and participate in the Global Small Business Network 
        program.
            (4) Coordination.--The Secretary may coordinate with a 
        national or local government of a foreign country that agrees 
        to assist with developing small business development centers in 
        such country pursuant to a grant awarded under subsection (c).
            (5) Duplication of efforts.--The Secretary shall leverage 
        existing programs administered by the Department of State, 
        United States Agency for International Development, and other 
        U.S. government agencies for the purposes of the Global Small 
        Business Network program.
    (b) Regional Networks.--
            (1) Small business network of the americas.--The Secretary 
        may establish a Small Business Network of the Americas for 
        purposes of allowing national and local governments of a 
        foreign country located in Western Hemisphere to participate in 
        the Global Small Business Network program.
            (2) ASEAN small business network.--The Secretary may 
        establish an ASEAN Small Business Network for purposes of 
        allowing national and local governments of a foreign country 
        that is a member state of the Association of Southeast Asian 
        Nations to participate in the Global Small Business Network 
        program.
    (c) Grants.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary may make grants to any 
        qualified entity that submits an application in such form, and 
        satisfying such requirements, as the Secretary may require.
            (2) Types of grants.--A qualified entity may receive a 
        grant for one or both of the following purposes:
                    (A) To assist national and local governments of a 
                foreign country to develop a small business development 
                center, or multiple centers, in such country, 
                regardless whether such country participates in a 
                regional network described in subsection (b).
                    (B) To promote economic connectivity between small 
                business concerns in the United States and economies 
                covered by the Global Small Business Network, including 
                through an internet platform to--
                            (i) enhance the ability of small business 
                        concerns in the United States to take part in 
                        international commerce; and
                            (ii) facilitate the growth of small 
                        businesses in foreign countries through the 
                        development of small business development 
                        centers in foreign countries.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 
through 2024, in addition to amounts otherwise available for economic 
activities and foreign assistance, to carry out this section. With 
respect to each such fiscal year, the Secretary is authorized to use--
            (1) up to $1,000,000 of such amount to establish and 
        operate the Small Business Network of the Americas; and
            (2) up to $1,000,000 of such amount to establish and 
        operate the ASEAN Small Business Network.

SEC. 4. REPORT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter for a period of 5 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in 
consultation with the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
International Development and the Administrator of the Small Business 
Administration, shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
Senate, the Committee on Small Business of the House of 
Representatives, and the Committee on Small Business and 
Entrepreneurship of the Senate a report on the status of the Global 
Small Business Network program.
    (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include 
the following:
            (1) An assessment of support provided to U.S. small 
        businesses that have utilized programs through the Global Small 
        Business Network, to include information on the number of 
        businesses supported, the geographic location of those 
        businesses, the number of jobs supported, and the amount of 
        economic activity generated.
            (2) A description of methods and strategies to develop 
        small business development centers in foreign countries for the 
        2 years after the date of the report.
            (3) A list, and the current status, of all operating small 
        business development centers in foreign countries that are 
        affiliated with the Global Small Business Network program.
            (4) A list, and the current status, of all new small 
        business development centers in foreign countries set up 
        through the Global Small Business Network program in the 2 
        years before the date of the report, even if no longer 
        affiliated with the Global Small Business Network program.
            (5) A description of the estimated timelines for national 
        and local governments of a foreign country participating in the 
        Small Business Network of the Americas and the ASEAN Small 
        Business Network to--
                    (A) complete the creation of a small business 
                development center in such country; and
                    (B) establish connections between such a small 
                business development center with small business 
                development centers in the United States.
            (6) A description of international commercial activity 
        resulting from participation in the Global Small Business 
        Network program.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Qualified entity.--The term ``qualified entity'' means 
        an entity that is--
                    (A) an institution of higher education (as defined 
                in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1002)), except that such term does not include 
                institutions described in section 102(a)(1)(c) of such 
                Act;
                    (B) a consortium of 2 or more institutions of 
                higher education described in subparagraph (A); or
                    (C) a nonprofit entity with experience in operating 
                or working with small business development centers in 
                the United States.
            (2) Small business concern.--The term ``small business 
        concern'' has the meaning given the term under section 3(a) of 
        the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632(a)).
            (3) Small business development center.--The term ``small 
        business development center''--
                    (A) with respect to a center located in the United 
                States--
                            (i) has the meaning given such term in 
                        section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
                        632); and
                            (ii) includes a women's business center, as 
                        such term is used under section 29 of the Small 
                        Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656); and
                    (B) with respect to a center located in a foreign 
                country, means an entity that--
                            (i) provides small business-oriented 
                        employment or natural resources development 
                        programs;
                            (ii) promotes studies, research, and 
                        counseling concerning the managing, financing, 
                        and operation of small businesses;
                            (iii) provides management and technical 
                        assistance regarding small business 
                        participation in international markets and 
                        international commerce, including with the 
                        United States;
                            (iv) provides delivery or distribution of 
                        services and information described in this 
                        subparagraph; or
                            (v) provides access to business analysts 
                        who can refer a small business to available 
                        experts.
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