[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9486 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9486

 To establish a grant program within the Small Business Administration 
to provide funds for eligible accelerators or eligible incubators that 
  provide services to small business concerns owned and controlled by 
    women and rural small business concerns, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 6, 2024

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish a grant program within the Small Business Administration 
to provide funds for eligible accelerators or eligible incubators that 
  provide services to small business concerns owned and controlled by 
    women and rural small business concerns, 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 ``Innovation and Empowerment for 
Startups Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) There is a growing emphasis to bolster small business 
        concerns owned and controlled by women (as defined in section 3 
        of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)) and rural small 
        business concerns (as defined in this Act).
            (2) There are significant disparities that lead to unequal 
        outcomes for rural small business concerns and small business 
        concerns owned and controlled by women.
            (3) Small business concerns owned and controlled by women 
        are less likely than small business concerns owned and 
        controlled by men to obtain funding, even though women and men 
        are equally likely to achieve business success.
            (4) Rural entrepreneurs are more likely than non-rural 
        entrepreneurs to experience higher costs of doing business, and 
        rural entrepreneurs struggle with more expenses related to 
        running a business.
            (5) Small business concerns owned and controlled by women 
        and rural small business concerns gain entrepreneurial 
        knowledge, network building, and entrepreneurial self-efficacy 
        during their participation in accelerators and incubators.

SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM FOR ELIGIBLE ACCELERATORS OR ELIGIBLE INCUBATORS 
              THAT PROVIDE SERVICES TO CERTAIN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS.

    (a) Establishment.--The Administrator of the Small Business 
Administration, acting though the head of the Office of Entrepreneurial 
Development of the Administration, shall establish a grant program to 
provide funds to eligible entities that provide services to small 
business concerns owned and controlled by women and rural small 
business concerns.
    (b) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under this section, an 
eligible entity shall submit to the Administrator an application 
containing the following:
            (1) The effect the eligible entity has had on the success 
        of small business concerns owned and controlled by women and 
        rural small business concerns.
            (2) The diversity and inclusivity efforts of the eligible 
        entity with respect to the staff of a small business concern 
        assisted by such eligible entity.
            (3) The plans of the eligible entity to help ensure the 
        sustainability of a small business concern assisted by such 
        eligible entity.
    (c) Use of Funds.--A recipient of a grant under this section shall 
use amounts of such grant for the following:
            (1) To provide consulting, training, shared facilities and 
        resources, or assistance with access to capital to small 
        business concerns owned and controlled by women and rural small 
        business concerns.
            (2) To provide workshops, seminars, networking events, and 
        individual consultations to such concerns.
            (3) To provide educational opportunities to such concerns 
        on topics such as marketing strategy, public relations, website 
        marketing and social media, business planning, financial 
        planning and analysis, and other opportunities, as determined 
        by such recipient.
            (4) To advertise the services offered by such recipient.
    (d) Amount.--An award made under this section shall be for exactly 
$250,000.
    (e) Reports.--
            (1) To administrator.--Not later than 1 year after receipt 
        of an award under this section, a grant recipient shall submit 
        to the Administrator a report that includes the following:
                    (A) Use of grant amounts.
                    (B) The effect of programs or services provided 
                using grant amounts on small business concerns owned 
                and controlled by women or rural small business 
                concerns.
            (2) To congress.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        the enactment of this section and every 5 years thereafter 
        until 5 years after the date on which the last grant is made 
        under this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee 
        on Small Business of the House of Representatives and the 
        Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate 
        a report that includes a summary of the activities and outcomes 
        associated with grants made under this section.
    (f) Monitoring and Evaluation.--The Administrator shall implement 
procedures to monitor the effectiveness of the program established 
under this section to determine whether to extend the program.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator of the Small Business Administration 
$1,250,000,000, to remain available until expended for purposes of 
carrying out this section, of which 10 percent is authorized to be 
allocated for grants to covered businesses.
    (h) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered business.--The term ``covered business'' means 
        a small business concern that is assigned a North American 
        Industry Classification System code as follows:
                    (A) Beginning with 11 (relating to agriculture).
                    (B) Beginning with 7111 (relating to creative 
                industries).
                    (C) Beginning with 7211 (relating to hospitality).
                    (D) Beginning with 7223, 7224, or 7225 (relating to 
                food services).
                    (E) 541611 (relating to management).
                    (F) 711510 (relating to artisans and craft makers).
                    (G) 541211 or 541219 (relating to accounting).
                    (H) 624410 (relating to childcare).
            (2) Eligible accelerator.--The term ``eligible 
        accelerator'' means an entity that conducts business in the 
        United States and that has a demonstrated track record of 
        successfully--
                    (A) assisting entrepreneurs in starting up or 
                expanding small business concerns owned and controlled 
                by women and rural small business concerns;
                    (B) providing mentorship to such entrepreneurs;
                    (C) facilitating access to capital for such 
                entrepreneurs; and
                    (D) fostering connections, as relevant, among such 
                entrepreneurs.
            (3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means an 
        eligible accelerator or an eligible incubator.
            (4) Eligible incubator.--The term ``eligible incubator'' 
        means an entity that offers shared resources and services for 
        startup businesses, which may include office space, 
        consultants, mentors, technical support, and access to capital.
            (5) Rural small business concern.--The term ``rural small 
        business concern'' means a small business concern located in a 
        rural area (as defined in section 1393(a)(2) of the Internal 
        Revenue Code of 1986).
            (6) Small business concern owned and controlled by women.--
        The term ``small business concern owned and controlled by 
        women'' has the meaning given in section 3(n) of the Small 
        Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632(n)).
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