[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 98 (Monday, June 18, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H6623-H6624]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SBA VETERANS' PROGRAMS ACT OF 2007
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 2366) to reauthorize the veterans entrepreneurial
development programs of the Small Business Administration, and for
other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2366
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``SBA
Veterans' Programs Act of 2007''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act
is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I--OFFICE OF VETERANS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Sec. 101. Office of Veterans Business Development.
TITLE II--VETERANS ASSISTANCE AND SERVICES
Sec. 201. Veterans Assistance and Services program.
TITLE III--EXPANDING VETERANS BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS
Sec. 301. Increasing the number of outreach centers.
Sec. 302. Independent study on gaps in availability of outreach
centers.
TITLE I--OFFICE OF VETERANS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
SEC. 101. OFFICE OF VETERANS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.
Section 32 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657b) is
amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (e); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
``(c) Participation in TAP Workshops.--
``(1) In general.--The Associate Administrator shall
increase veteran outreach by ensuring that Veteran Business
Outreach Centers regularly participate, on a nationwide
basis, in the workshops of the Transition Assistance Program
of the Department of Labor.
``(2) Presentations.--In carrying out paragraph (1), a
Center may provide grants to eligible entities located in
Transition Assistance Program locations to make presentations
on the opportunities available from the Administration for
recently separating veterans. Each such presentation must
include, at a minimum, the entrepreneurial and business
training resources available from the Administration.
``(3) Reports.--The Associate Administrator shall submit to
Congress progress reports on the implementation of this
subsection.
``(d) Women Veterans Business Training Resource Program.--
The Associate Administrator shall establish a Women Veterans
Business Training Resource Program. The program shall--
``(1) compile information on resources available to women
veterans for business training, including resources for--
``(A) vocational and technical education;
``(B) general business skills, such as marketing and
accounting; and
``(C) business assistance programs targeted to women
veterans; and
``(2) disseminate the information through Veteran Business
Outreach Centers and women's business centers.''.
TITLE II--VETERANS ASSISTANCE AND SERVICES
SEC. 201. VETERANS ASSISTANCE AND SERVICES PROGRAM.
Section 21 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(n) Veterans Assistance and Services Program.--
``(1) In general.--A Small Business Development Center may
apply for an additional grant to carry out a veterans
assistance and services program.
``(2) Elements of program.--Under a program under paragraph
(1), the Center shall--
``(A) create a marketing campaign to promote awareness and
education of the services of the Center that are available to
veterans, and to target the campaign toward veterans,
disabled veterans, military units, Federal agencies, and
veterans organizations;
``(B) use technology-assisted online counseling and
distance learning technology to overcome the impediments to
entrepreneurship faced by veterans and members of the Armed
Forces; and
``(C) increase coordination among organizations that assist
veterans, including by establishing virtual integration of
service providers and offerings for a one-stop point of
contact for veterans who are entrepreneurs or small business
owners.
``(3) Minimum amount.--Each grant under this subsection
shall be for at least $75,000.
``(4) Maximum amount.--A grant under this subsection may
not exceed $250,000.
``(5) Funding.--Subject to amounts approved in advance in
appropriations Acts, the Administration may make grants or
enter into cooperative agreements to carry out the provisions
of this subsection.''.
TITLE III--EXPANDING VETERANS BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS
SEC. 301. INCREASING THE NUMBER OF OUTREACH CENTERS.
The Administrator of the Small Business Administration
shall use the authority in section 8(b)(17) of the Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 647(b)) to ensure that the number of
Veterans Business Outreach Centers throughout the United
States increases--
(1) by at least 2, for each of fiscal years 2008 and 2009;
and
(2) by the number that the Administrator considers
appropriate, based on existing need, for each fiscal year
thereafter.
SEC. 302. INDEPENDENT STUDY ON GAPS IN AVAILABILITY OF
OUTREACH CENTERS.
The Administrator of the Small Business Administration
shall sponsor an independent study on gaps in the
availability of Veterans Business Outreach Centers across the
United States. The purpose of the study shall be to identify
the gaps that do exist so as to inform decisions on funding
and on the allocation and coordination of resources. Not
later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report on
the results of the study.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
New York (Ms. Velazquez) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. David
Davis) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Iowa (Mr. Loebsack).
[[Page H6624]]
Mr. LOEBSACK. I thank the gentlewoman from New York for yielding, and
I thank the gentleman from Florida for introducing this legislation.
I rise today to voice my strong support for the SBA's Veterans'
Programs Act.
The SBA's Veterans' Business Outreach Initiative was established to
facilitate business ownership among disabled veterans by providing one-
stop assistance and counseling. Today's legislation will expand the
success of this initiative.
As an exemplary public/private partnership, Veterans' Business
Outreach Centers represent the comprehensive, cooperative and effective
support that our Nation can and should provide our country's veterans.
This program provides greater opportunity to returning servicemembers
and encourages economic development in communities across the country.
Our troops fight for our country abroad, and we have a responsibility
to provide for their future at home. Their sacrifice warrants our
support. And they deserve every opportunity to succeed in business
after their dedicated service to our country.
This bill provides veterans with the community and government support
necessary to ensure their success, and I support its passage.
Mr. DAVID DAVIS of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance
of my time.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, veterans have not only been critical to
the defense of our Nation, but with the increasing number of service
men and women engaging in entrepreneurship, they have also been
invaluable in helping our economy grow. These men and women have
dedicated their lives to preserving our freedom. It is crucial that we
show our appreciation for their service. The SBA Veterans' Programs Act
of 2007 does just that.
I strongly urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 2366, the SBA
Veterans' Program Act of 2007. I urge its adoption.
Mr. WELLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2366,
the SBA Veterans' Programs Act of 2007. This legislation will assist
our soldiers when then return home with opportunities and information
about starting a small business.
More than a million and a half (1,502,125) men and women have
answered the call to serve their country since 2001. They interrupted
their careers, put their families economic security at risk, and face
big personal challenges upon returning home.
I recently visited Iraq and Afghanistan. That trip gave me an even
greater appreciation for the significant sacrifices our soldiers must
make and must cope with for the rest of their lives. If our soldiers
faced mortal danger every day abroad, let us help them have economic
security when they return home.
It isn't just the veteran who makes the sacrifice, their families do
as well: their parents, their spouses, their children, girlfriends and
boyfriends and siblings. They give up so much in defense of our
country.
It is our job, as Members of Congress, to make sure that our Nation
lives up to its commitment to our veterans. It is a simple pact we have
made with our troops--and one we are obligated to fulfill: after they
have sacrificed to serve our country on the battlefield, we must do all
we can to serve them here at home. The cost of any war must include
caring for the warrior.
This legislation helps our veterans get started with business
opportunities in their communities. It does so by providing grants,
information services, and personal assistance to help veterans evaluate
business opportunities; increasing the number of veteran business
outreach centers around the country, and encouraging further assistance
to women veterans.
Countless soldiers are returning from their tours of duty with new
confidence and skills developed during their time in the military. This
SBA program will help to ensure that those new abilities are put to
good use when they return to civilian life.
This bill is the right thing to do for those who have given so much
and it will directly impact Vermont and every State around the country.
97 percent of all Vermont firms are small businesses. My office has
been involved in helping the Vermont Small Business Development Centers
(SBDC) run business readiness classes for veterans. The Vermont SBDC is
the primary small business assistance resource sought out by small
business clients, lenders, government agencies and other economic
development partners. The Vermont SBDC is the keystone in a statewide
business assistance infrastructure tying together all appropriate
resources and serving as a ``one-stop'' gateway and clearing house to
serve small businesses' needs. Drawing on collaborative relationships
among service providers, Vermont SBDC leverages economic development
resources of all kinds for advancement of small businesses, growing the
local economy.
Roughly 6 percent of deployed soldiers have small businesses
depending on them. Veterans face a number of unique challenges, from
increasing lengths and number of deployments overseas, to translating
their military experience into business ventures. Yet, there is a lack
of substantive programs to help these businesses survive through
deployment, and to assist veterans returning home. This program is
designed to meet current, real-time needs of people on active duty in
business who now need to leave for protracted periods, or for those who
have just come back and really ``need'' to do something new with their
lives.
I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2366.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2366, the
Small Business Administration Veterans' Programs Act of 2007. I commend
my colleague from Florida (Mr. Buchanan) for introducing this
legislation.
This bill would authorize the Small Business Administration (SBA) to
award grants to Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) for the
establishment of programs that would improve outreach to veterans and
veterans service organizations. Specifically, this bill would authorize
SBDCs to use such grant funds to create a marketing campaign to promote
awareness of the services made available to veterans through that SBDC,
and to target the campaign toward veterans, disabled veterans, military
units, federal agencies, and veterans service organizations. The bill
would also authorize SBDCs to utilize grant funds to develop and expand
technology-assisted counseling and distance learning services designed
to help veterans and members of the United States Armed Forces overcome
barriers to entrepreneurship. This bill would further authorize SBDCs
to facilitate and increase coordination among organizations that assist
veterans, including through the integration of service providers and
offerings into a one-stop point of contact for veterans who are
entrepreneurs or small business owners.
This bill would further require that Veterans Business Outreach
Centers (VBOCs) participate in the U.S. Department of Labor Technical
Assistance Program (TAP). The Technical Assistance Program is offered
in 173 locations throughout the United States and 53 locations
internationally. H.R. 2366 would authorize VBOCs to provide grants to
eligible entities located in TAP locations to make presentations on the
opportunities available from the SBA for recently separated veterans.
According to this bill such presentations must include, at a minimum,
the entrepreneurial and business training resources available from the
SBA. This bill would increase the number of authorized VBOCs by two in
each of fiscal years 2008 and 2009.
Additionally, H.R. 2366 would direct the SBA to establish a Women
Veterans Business Training Resource Program. This program would compile
information on resources available to women veterans for business
training, including resources for vocational and technical education,
the development of general business skills, and business assistance
programs. H.R. 2366 would direct that the SBA disseminate such
information through VBOCs and women business centers.
Support for this legislation will help Congress fulfill its
commitment to ensuring that our veterans and servicemembers receive the
support they need upon separation from service. I support this
legislation on behalf of all veterans and servicemembers, in particular
those veterans and servicemembers from Guam. I urge my colleagues to
support H.R. 2366.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Cardoza). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2366.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________