[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6457 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6457

 To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to 
  establish a grant program to create or expand programs at minority-
serving institutions relating to minority entrepreneurship and business 
                   ownership, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 17, 2023

    Ms. Williams of Georgia (for herself, Mr. Evans, Ms. Adams, Mr. 
 Fitzpatrick, and Mrs. Torres of California) introduced the following 
      bill; which was referred to the Committee on Small Business

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to 
  establish a grant program to create or expand programs at minority-
serving institutions relating to minority entrepreneurship and business 
                   ownership, 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 ``Minority Entrepreneurship Grant 
Program Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Small Business Administration.
            (2) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the Minority 
        Entrepreneurship Advisory Board established under section 4(a).
            (3) Historically black college or university.--The term 
        ``historically Black college or university'' means a part B 
        institution, as that term is defined in section 322 of the 
        Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
            (4) Minority.--The term ``minority'' means an individual 
        who is--
                    (A) Black or African American;
                    (B) Hispanic or Latino;
                    (C) Native or Indigenous American;
                    (D) Asian;
                    (E) Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander;
                    (F) Native Alaskan; or
                    (G) a member of a group that the Minority Business 
                Development Agency of the Department of Commerce 
                determines under part 1400 of title 15, Code of Federal 
                Regulations, as in effect on November 23, 1984, is a 
                socially disadvantaged group eligible to receive 
                assistance.
            (5) Minority-serving institution.--The term ``minority-
        serving institution'' means any of the following types of 
        institutions:
                    (A) A historically Black college or university.
                    (B) A Hispanic-serving institution, as that term is 
                defined in section 502(a) of the Higher Education Act 
                of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)).
                    (C) A Tribal College or University, as that term is 
                defined in section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act 
                of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)).
                    (D) An Alaska Native-serving institution, as that 
                term is defined in section 317(b) of the Higher 
                Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)).
                    (E) A Native Hawaiian-serving institution, as that 
                term is defined in section 317(b) of the Higher 
                Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)).
                    (F) A Predominantly Black Institution, as that term 
                is defined in section 318(b) of the Higher Education 
                Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059e(b)).
                    (G) A Native American-serving, nontribal 
                institution, as that term is defined in section 319(b) 
                of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                1059f(b)).
                    (H) An Asian-American and Native American Pacific 
                Islander-serving institution, as that term is defined 
                in section 320(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
                (20 U.S.C. 1059g(b)).
            (6) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the grant program 
        established under section 3(a).
            (7) Small business concern.--The term ``small business 
        concern'' has the meaning given the term in section 3(a) of the 
        Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632(a)).
            (8) Student entrepreneur.--The term ``student 
        entrepreneur'' means a minority student who seeks to establish 
        or develop a small business concern.
            (9) Under secretary.--The term ``Under Secretary'' means 
        Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development 
        of the Minority Business Development Agency (established under 
        section 100002 of the Minority Business Development Act of 2021 
        (15 U.S.C. 9501)).

SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with the 
Under Secretary, shall establish a grant program within the Small 
Business Administration, the purpose of which shall be to create or 
expand programs at minority-serving institutions that foster, promote, 
and increase programs, initiatives, or opportunities for minority 
entrepreneurship and business ownership among student entrepreneurs 
enrolled at such a minority-serving institution.
    (b) Application Process.--A minority-serving institution seeking a 
grant under the Program shall submit to the Administrator an 
application that contains a description of--
            (1) the need for and proposed use of grant funds to promote 
        minority entrepreneurship and business ownership among student 
        entrepreneurs enrolled at the minority-serving institution;
            (2) how the programs, initiatives, or opportunities created 
        or expanded with the grant funds will provide support to 
        student entrepreneurs enrolled at the minority-serving 
        institution who--
                    (A) seek support for an established small business 
                concern; or
                    (B) need assistance in establishing a small 
                business concern; and
            (3) how the minority-serving institution will create or 
        expand programs, initiatives, or opportunities that--
                    (A) increase minority entrepreneurship and business 
                ownership among student entrepreneurs enrolled at the 
                minority-serving institution; and
                    (B) expand business resources to student 
                entrepreneurs enrolled at the minority-serving 
                institution.
    (c) Selection.--In selecting grantees under this section, the 
Administrator shall evaluate applications from among the same type of 
minority-serving institution, as listed in subparagraphs (A) through 
(H) of section 2(5).
    (d) Amount of Grant.--A grant made to a minority-serving 
institution under the Program shall be not less than $250,000.
    (e) Use of Grant Funds.--A minority-serving institution that 
receives a grant under the Program shall use grant amounts to support 
the creation or expansion of programs, initiatives, or opportunities 
that offer business development resources that support student 
entrepreneurs enrolled at the minority-serving institution, such as--
            (1) free legal, accounting, human resources, information 
        technology, marketing, training, counseling, networking, and 
        technical assistance; and
            (2) access to capital resources, such as the costs 
        associated with forming a new small business concern.
    (f) Submission Requirement.--A minority-serving institution to 
which a grant is made under the Program shall, not later than 6 months 
and not later than 12 months after receipt of such grant, submit to the 
Administrator a report that contains, for the period covered by the 
report, the number of--
            (1) student entrepreneurs enrolled at the minority-serving 
        institution assisted with the grant funds;
            (2) small business concerns created through the expenditure 
        of the grant funds, including, with respect to each such 
        concern--
                    (A) the name of the concern;
                    (B) a description of the business of the concern; 
                and
                    (C) the amount of grant funds expended in creating 
                the concern;
            (3) student entrepreneurs enrolled at the minority-serving 
        institution referred to other resources of the Small Business 
        Administration; and
            (4) student entrepreneurs enrolled at the minority-serving 
        institution participating in programs, initiatives, or 
        opportunities created or expanded through the expenditure of 
        the grant funds, disaggregated (to the extent possible) by sex, 
        race, and ethnicity of the student entrepreneur.
    (g) Report to Congress.--Not later than 18 months after the date on 
which the first grant is made under the Program, and annually 
thereafter until September 30, 2028, the Administrator shall submit to 
Congress a report that contains information regarding the minority-
serving institutions to which grants were made under the Program for 
the period covered by the report, which shall include--
            (1) the name of each such minority-serving institution and 
        the amount of each such grant;
            (2) the number of student entrepreneurs assisted with 
        Program grant funds--
                    (A) at each minority-serving institution to which a 
                grant was made under the Program; and
                    (B) in total under the Program;
            (3) the number of small business concerns created through 
        the expenditure of Program grant funds--
                    (A) with respect to each minority-serving 
                institution to which a grant was made under the 
                Program; and
                    (B) in total under the Program;
            (4) the number of student entrepreneurs referred to 
        resources of the Small Business Administration--
                    (A) at each minority-serving institution to which a 
                grant was made under the Program; and
                    (B) in total under the Program;
            (5) the number of student entrepreneurs participating in 
        programs, initiatives, or opportunities created or expanded 
        through the expenditure of Program grant funds, disaggregated 
        by sex, race, and ethnicity (to the extent possible)--
                    (A) at each minority-serving institution to which a 
                grant was made under the Program; and
                    (B) in total under the Program; and
            (6) a statement regarding whether any amounts made 
        available to carry out this section remain unexpended, as of 
        the date on which the report is submitted.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2023 through 2028 to carry out this section.

SEC. 4. MINORITY ENTREPRENEURSHIP ADVISORY BOARD.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish a Minority 
Entrepreneurship Advisory Board to develop recommendations regarding 
how minority-serving institutions can better serve minority businesses 
and entrepreneurs.
    (b) Membership of Board.--The members of the Board--
            (1) shall be appointed by the Administrator;
            (2) shall include one representative from each of--
                    (A) the United Negro College Fund;
                    (B) the Thurgood Marshall College Fund;
                    (C) the National Association for Equal Opportunity 
                in Higher Education;
                    (D) the American Indian Higher Education 
                Consortium;
                    (E) the Asian and Pacific Islander American 
                Scholarship Fund;
                    (F) the National Congress of American Indians; and
                    (G) the Hispanic Association of Colleges and 
                Universities; and
            (3) shall include additional individuals, as determined by 
        the Administrator, with--
                    (A) outstanding qualifications relating to 
                minority-serving institutions or minority businesses 
                and entrepreneurs;
                    (B) knowledge regarding the needs of small business 
                concerns that are owned by minorities; and
                    (C) experience--
                            (i) working with startups; or
                            (ii) in providing consultation to small 
                        business concerns.
    (c) Submission to Congress.--Not later than 18 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to 
Congress the recommendations developed by the Board.
    (d) Termination.--The Board shall terminate not later than 6 months 
after the report required under subsection (c) has been submitted.
    (e) Inapplicability of FACA.--The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 
U.S.C. App.) shall not apply with respect to the Board or the 
activities of the Board.
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