[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2000 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2000

 To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to 
  establish and carry out a program that assists military spouses in 
     establishing small business concerns, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 14, 2023

  Ms. Klobuchar (for herself and Mr. Tillis) introduced the following 
   bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Small 
                     Business and Entrepreneurship

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to 
  establish and carry out a program that assists military spouses in 
     establishing 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 ``Military Spouse Entrepreneurship Act 
of 2023''.

SEC. 2. ENTREPRENEURSHIP ASSISTANCE FOR MILITARY SPOUSES.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Small Business Administration.
            (2) Small business concern.--The term ``small business 
        concern'' has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the 
        Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).
    (b) Program.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the 
        Administrator shall establish a program within the Small 
        Business Administration, the purpose of which shall be to 
        assist military spouses in forming, operating, and growing 
        small business concerns.
            (2) Extension of existing program.--In lieu of establishing 
        a new program, the Administrator may carry out the purpose 
        described in paragraph (1) through an extension of a program 
        that is in existence, as of the date of enactment of this Act, 
        if that extension is tailored to military spouses and otherwise 
        achieves that purpose and satisfies the requirements of this 
        section.
    (c) Assistance.--The assistance provided by the Administrator under 
the program described in subsection (b) shall include the following:
            (1) Assistance for military spouses in identifying and 
        understanding the requirements with respect to forming and 
        operating a small business concern.
            (2) Assistance for military spouses in strengthening the 
        expertise and skills necessary for the formation and operation 
        of a small business concern, including the expertise and skills 
        necessary to create a sustainable small business concern 
        throughout the uniquely challenging requirements of life as a 
        military spouse, which arise as a result of--
                    (A) military deployments;
                    (B) military-related absences from the workforce; 
                or
                    (C) multiple permanent changes of duty station or 
                other long-term relocations for military reasons.
            (3) Through military spouse entrepreneurship organizations 
        and business volunteer entities (including by entering into 
        cooperative agreements with those organizations and entities), 
        providing mentorship to military spouses with respect to 
        entrepreneurship.
            (4) Any other assistance that the Administrator determines 
        to be appropriate.
    (d) Survey; Report.--
            (1) Survey.--
                    (A) In general.--The Administrator, in consultation 
                with such nonprofit organizations and other 
                stakeholders determined appropriate by the 
                Administrator, shall conduct a survey at select 
                military installations to identify the barriers to 
                forming, operating, and growing small business concerns 
                that are faced by military spouses as a result of life 
                as a military spouse, including as a result of the 
                conditions described in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) 
                of subsection (c)(2).
                    (B) Analysis required.--The survey conducted under 
                subparagraph (A) shall include an analysis of the 
                challenges that military spouses face in accessing 
                capital and other critical resources with respect to 
                forming, operating, and growing small business 
                concerns, including the education, mentoring, and 
                training that is required to form, operate, and grow a 
                small business concern.
            (2) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Administrator 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 containing the results of the survey 
        conducted under paragraph (1).
    (e) Use of Results; Outreach.--In carrying out the program 
described in subsection (b), the Administrator shall--
            (1) take into consideration the results of the survey 
        conducted under subsection (d)(1); and
            (2) develop an outreach program to ensure that the program 
        becomes well-known.
    (f) Consultation Permitted.--In carrying out this section, the 
Administrator may consult with the Secretary of Defense, as determined 
necessary by the Administrator.
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