[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 126 (Wednesday, August 5, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S6402]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 243--CELEBRATING THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SMALL 
           BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS OF THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. VITTER (for himself, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Enzi, Ms. Hirono, Mr. 
Risch, Mr. Peters, Ms. Ayotte, and Mr. Gardner) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Small Business and 
Entrepreneurship:

                              S. Res. 243

       Whereas America's Small Business Development Center 
     (referred to in this preamble as ``SBDC'') network will 
     celebrate the 35th anniversary of the SBDC network at a 
     conference to be held September 8 through 11, 2015, in San 
     Francisco, California;
       Whereas the conference will be held--
       (1) to continue the professional development of employees 
     of SBDCs; and
       (2) to commemorate the educational and technical assistance 
     offered by SBDCs to small businesses across the United 
     States;
       Whereas for 35 years, SBDCs have been among the preeminent 
     organizations in the United States for providing business 
     advice, 1-on-1 counseling, and in-depth training to small 
     businesses;
       Whereas, during the 35 years before the date of approval of 
     this resolution, the SBDC network has grown from 9 fledgling 
     centers to a nationwide network of 63 State and regional 
     centers with more than 4,200 business advisors providing free 
     counseling at nearly 1,000 individual locations;
       Whereas the SBDC network has worked for 35 years with the 
     Small Business Administration, institutions of higher 
     education, State governments, Congress, and others, to 
     significantly enhance the economic health and strength of 
     small businesses in the United States;
       Whereas SBDCs--
       (1) have assisted more than 22,500,000 small businesses 
     during the 35 years before the date of approval of this 
     resolution; and
       (2) continue to aid and support hundreds of thousands of 
     small businesses annually;
       Whereas 28 percent of all SBDC clients are minorities, 44 
     percent of SBDC clients are women, and 9 percent of all SBDC 
     clients are veterans;
       Whereas SBDCs provide over 1,250,000 hours of counseling to 
     small businesses and invest over $140,000,000 annually in 
     supporting small business;
       Whereas, since 2012, SBDCs have helped small businesses 
     create over 750,000 jobs, add $67,500,000,000 in sales and 
     attract over $38,000,000,000 in capital;
       Whereas, since the inception of SBDCs, SBDCs have continued 
     to redefine and transform the services offered by SBDCs, 
     including training and advising, and have taken on new 
     missions, in order to ensure that small businesses have 
     relevant and significant assistance in all economic 
     conditions; and
       Whereas Congress continues to support SBDCs and the role of 
     SBDCs in assisting small businesses and building the economic 
     success of the United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) celebrates the 35th anniversary of America's Small 
     Business Development Center network; and
       (2) expresses appreciation for--
       (A) the steadfast partnership between America's Small 
     Business Development Center network and the Small Business 
     Administration; and
       (B) the work of America's Small Business Development Center 
     network in ensuring quality assistance to small business and 
     access for all to the American dream.

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