[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 155 (Friday, November 5, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S14125]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTERS SUSTAINABILITY ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                  KERRY (AND BOND) AMENDMENT NO. 2543

  Mr. DOMENICI (for Mr. Kerry (for himself and Mr. Domenici)) proposed 
an amendment to the bill (S. 791) to amend the Small Business Act with 
respect to the women's busines center program; as follows:

       Strike section 4 and insert the following:

     SEC. 4. WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTERS SUSTAINABILITY PILOT 
                   PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--Section 29 of the Small Business Act (15 
     U.S.C. 656) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(l) Sustainability Pilot Program.--
       ``(1) In general.--There is established a 4-year pilot 
     program under which the Administration is authorized to award 
     grants (referred to in this section as `sustainability 
     grants') on a competitive basis for an additional 5-year 
     project under this section to any private nonprofit 
     organization (or a division thereof)--
       ``(A) that has received financial assistance under this 
     section pursuant to a grant, contract, or cooperative 
     agreement; and
       ``(B) that--
       ``(i) is in the final year of a 5-year project; or
       ``(ii) has completed a project financed under this section 
     (or any predecessor to this section) and continues to provide 
     assistance to women entrepreneurs.
       ``(2) Conditions for participation.--In order to receive a 
     sustainability grant, an organization described in paragraph 
     (1) shall submit to the Administration an application, which 
     shall include--
       ``(A) a certification that the applicant--
       ``(i) is a private nonprofit organization;
       ``(ii) employs a full-time executive director or program 
     manager to manage the center; and
       ``(iii) as a condition of receiving a sustainability grant, 
     agrees--

       ``(I) to a site visit as part of the final selection 
     process and to an annual programmatic and financial 
     examination; and
       ``(II) to the maximum extent practicable, to remedy any 
     problems identified pursuant to that site visit or 
     examination;

       ``(B) information demonstrating that the applicant has the 
     ability and resources to meet the needs of the market to be 
     served by the women's business center site for which a 
     sustainability grant is sought, including the ability to 
     fundraise;
       ``(C) information relating to assistance provided by the 
     women's business center site for which a sustainability grant 
     is sought in the area in which the site is located, 
     including--
       ``(i) the number of individuals assisted;
       ``(ii) the number of hours of counseling, training, and 
     workshops provided; and
       ``(iii) the number of startup business concerns formed;
       ``(D) information demonstrating the effective experience of 
     the applicant in--
       ``(i) conducting financial, management, and marketing 
     assistance programs, as described in paragraphs (1), (2), and 
     (3) of subsection (b), designed to impart or upgrade the 
     business skills of women business owners or potential owners;
       ``(ii) providing training and services to a representative 
     number of women who are both socially and economically 
     disadvantaged;
       ``(iii) using resource partners of the Administration and 
     other entities, such as universities;
       ``(iv) complying with the cooperative agreement of the 
     applicant; and
       ``(v) the prudent management of finances and staffing, 
     including the manner in which the performance of the 
     applicant compared to the business plan of the applicant and 
     the manner in which grant funds awarded under subsection (b) 
     were used by the applicant; and
       ``(E) a 5-year plan that projects the ability of the 
     women's business center site for which a sustainability grant 
     is sought--
       ``(i) to serve women business owners or potential owners in 
     the future by improving fundraising and training activities; 
     and
       ``(ii) to provide training and services to a representative 
     number of women who are both socially and economically 
     disadvantaged.
       ``(3) Review of applications.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Administration shall--
       ``(i) review each application submitted under paragraph (2) 
     based on the information provided under in subparagraphs (D) 
     and (E) of that paragraph, and the criteria set forth in 
     subsection (f);
       ``(ii) as part of the final selection process, conduct a 
     site visit at each women's business center for which a 
     sustainability grant is sought; and
       ``(iii) approve or disapprove applications for 
     sustainability grants simultaneously with applications for 
     grants under subsection (b).
       ``(B) Data collection.--Consistent with the annual report 
     to Congress under subsection (j), each women's business 
     center site that is awarded a sustainability grant shall, to 
     the maximum extent practicable, collect information relating 
     to--
       ``(i) the number of individuals assisted;
       ``(ii) the number of hours of counseling and training 
     provided and workshops conducted;
       ``(iii) the number of startup business concerns formed;
       ``(iv) any available gross receipts of assisted concerns; 
     and
       ``(v) the number of jobs created, maintained, or lost at 
     assisted concerns.
       ``(C) Record retention.--The Administration shall maintain 
     a copy of each application submitted under this subsection 
     for not less than 10 years.
       ``(4) Non-federal contribution.--
       ``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     this section, as a condition of receiving a sustainability 
     grant, an organization described in paragraph (1) shall agree 
     to obtain, after its application has been approved under 
     paragraph (3) and notice of award has been issued, cash and 
     in-kind contributions from non-Federal sources for each year 
     of additional program participation in an amount equal to 1 
     non-Federal dollar for each Federal dollar.
       ``(B) Form of non-federal contributions.--Not more than 50 
     percent of the non-Federal assistance obtained for purposes 
     of subparagraph (A) may be in the form of in-kind 
     contributions that are budget line items only, including 
     office equipment and office space.
       ``(5) Timing of requests for proposals.--In carrying out 
     this subsection, the Administration shall issue requests for 
     proposals for women's business centers applying for the pilot 
     program under this subsection simultaneously with requests 
     for proposals for grants under subsection (b).''.
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 29(k) of the 
     Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656(k)) is amended--
       (1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
       ``(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated, 
     to remain available until the expiration of the pilot program 
     under subsection (l)--
       ``(A) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2000;
       ``(B) $12,800,000 for fiscal year 2001;
       ``(C) $13,700,000 for fiscal year 2002; and
       ``(D) $14,500,000 for fiscal year 2003.'';
       (2) in paragraph (2)--
       (A) by striking ``Amounts made'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph (B), 
     amounts made''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) Exceptions.--Of the amount made available under this 
     subsection for a fiscal year, the following amounts shall be 
     available for selection panel costs, post-award conference 
     costs, and costs related to monitoring and oversight:
       ``(i) For fiscal year 2000, 2 percent.
       ``(ii) For fiscal year 2001, 1.9 percent.
       ``(iii) For fiscal year 2002, 1.9 percent.
       ``(iv) For fiscal year 2003, 1.6 percent.''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(4) Reservation of funds for sustainability pilot 
     program.--
       ``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), of the 
     total amount made available under this subsection for a 
     fiscal year, the following amounts shall be reserved for 
     sustainability grants under subsection (l):
       ``(i) For fiscal year 2000, 17 percent.
       ``(ii) For fiscal year 2001, 18.8 percent.
       ``(iii) For fiscal year 2002, 30.2 percent.
       ``(iv) For fiscal year 2003, 30.2 percent.
       ``(B) Use of unawarded funds for sustainability pilot 
     program grants.--If the amount reserved under subparagraph 
     (A) for any fiscal year is not fully awarded to private 
     nonprofit organizations described in subsection (l)(1)(B), 
     the Administration is authorized to use the unawarded amount 
     to fund additional women's business center sites or to 
     increase funding of existing women's business center sites 
     under subsection (b).''.
       (c) Guidelines.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Small 
     Business Administration shall issue guidelines to implement 
     the amendments made by this section.

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