[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 4 (Wednesday, January 8, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H35-H37]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1500
         PRISON TO PROPRIETORSHIP FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED ACT

  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 5065) to amend the Small Business Act to provide re-
entry entrepreneurship counseling and training services for formerly 
incarcerated individuals, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5065

       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 ``Prison to Proprietorship for 
     Formerly Incarcerated Act''.

     SEC. 2. RE-ENTRY ENTREPRENEURSHIP COUNSELING AND TRAINING FOR 
                   FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS.

       The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating section 49 as section 50; and
       (2) by inserting after section 48 the following new 
     section:

     ``SEC. 49. RE-ENTRY ENTREPRENEURSHIP COUNSELING AND TRAINING 
                   FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS.

       ``(a) Services Required.--The Administrator, in 
     coordination with the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, 
     shall require the Service Corps of Retired Executives to 
     provide entrepreneurship counseling and training services to 
     individuals formerly incarcerated in a Federal prison 
     (hereinafter referred to as `covered individuals') on a 
     nationwide basis.
       ``(b) Goals.--The goal of the services provided under this 
     section is to provide covered individuals with the following:
       ``(1) Mentoring, workshops, and instructional videos 
     designed specifically for covered individuals on how to start 
     or expand a small business concern.
       ``(2) Tools, skills, and knowledge necessary to identify a 
     business opportunity, including how to--
       ``(A) draft a skills profile, business plan, and transition 
     plan;
       ``(B) identify sources of capital; and
       ``(C) connect with local resources for small business 
     concerns.
       ``(c) Additional Requirements.--The services provided under 
     this section shall include--
       ``(1) regular individualized mentoring sessions, to take 
     place over the course of a year, to support development of 
     the business plans of covered individuals and the growth of 
     covered individuals as entrepreneurs;
       ``(2) assistance with identifying of local resources for 
     small business concerns for covered individuals;
       ``(3) assistance with identifying sources of capital, and 
     when appropriate, assistance with preparing applications for 
     loans and other funding opportunities; and
       ``(4) workshops on topics specifically tailored to meet the 
     needs of covered individuals.
       ``(d) Survey.--The Service Corps of Retired Executives 
     shall survey covered individuals who received services under 
     this section to assess the satisfaction of such covered 
     individuals with such services.
       ``(e) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
     enactment of this section and annually thereafter, the 
     Administrator 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 on the 
     performance and effectiveness of the services provided under 
     this section, which may be included as part of another report 
     submitted to such committees by the Administrator, and which 
     shall include--
       ``(1) the number of covered individuals mentored under this 
     section;
       ``(2) the number of hours of mentorship provided by the 
     Service Corps of Retired Executives under this section;
       ``(3) the demographics of covered individuals who received 
     services, including age, gender, race, and ethnicity;
       ``(4) a summary and analysis of surveys conducted under 
     subsection (d); and
       ``(5) any additional information the Administrator may 
     require.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
New York (Ms. Velazquez) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today in support of H.R. 5065, the Prison to Proprietorship 
for Formerly Incarcerated Act.
  Madam Speaker, I commend the sponsors of this legislation, Mr. 
Jeffries from New York and Mr. Burchett from Tennessee, for their 
commitment and dedication to providing opportunities to the formerly 
incarcerated, giving them a chance to bring their business ideas to 
fruition, and, in turn, offering hope for a better life.
  After paying their debt to society, former inmates return to their 
communities with hopes and goals of starting fresh. Unfortunately, for 
numerous reasons, many end up being locked out of the labor market.
  It is my firm belief that entrepreneurship is a great way to help 
individuals overcome the barriers to reentering the workforce. For the 
formerly incarcerated, it can be the difference between successfully 
reintegrating back into a community or returning to prison.
  This bill complements the Prison to Proprietorship Act by requiring 
the Service Corps of Retired Executives, SCORE, to provide 
entrepreneurship training via mentoring, workshops, and training videos 
to individuals upon their release from Federal prison. The mentorship 
will be invaluable in helping these folks launch small businesses, and 
the workshops will help connect them with their community and other 
small business owners.
  As Ben Franklin once said: Tell me and I forget; teach me and I may 
remember; involve me and I will learn.
  Entrepreneurship can be one of the best options for gainful 
employment, and SCORE, with more than 300 chapters across the country 
and the Nation's largest network of volunteer expert business mentors, 
is uniquely positioned to teach and provide this business advice to 
those reentering society.
  Madam Speaker, I urge Members to support this bipartisan piece of 
legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5065, the Prison to 
Proprietorship for Formerly Incarcerated Act.
  As our committee heard in a hearing on this topic last fall, up to 60 
percent of people released from prison will remain unemployed after a 
year. It is not surprising, then, that half of all former inmates 
recidivate. In other words, they commit another crime after they have 
been released within 3 years of release from prison.
  This is not good for them, and it is certainly not good for society. 
We want these former prisoners to be constructive members of our 
communities.
  Small business ownership can provide steady employment to nonviolent 
individuals, which can drastically lower the risk of recidivism.
  This bill, H.R. 5065, the Prison to Proprietorship for Formerly 
Incarcerated Act, directs the SBA Administrator to work with the Bureau 
of Prisons to provide entrepreneurship counseling and training services 
for those who have served time in Federal prison. This counseling will 
be conducted by SCORE, a resource partner of the SBA and the Nation's 
largest network of volunteer expert business mentors, with more than 
10,000 volunteers in 300 chapters.
  Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett) 
and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries) for their bipartisan 
work on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

[[Page H36]]

  

  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume 
to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries), the chair of the House 
Democratic Caucus and sponsor of the bill.
  Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend, the 
distinguished gentlewoman from the Seventh Congressional District of 
the great State of New York and the chairwoman of the Small Business 
Committee, for yielding and for her tremendous leadership.
  I rise in support of H.R. 5065, the Prison to Proprietorship for 
Formerly Incarcerated Act.
  Here in America, we have a mass incarceration epidemic. Last 
Congress, we worked in a bipartisan fashion to pass the First Step Act 
to help propel formerly incarcerated individuals toward success when 
they return home, to reduce recidivism, and to save taxpayer dollars. 
But the First Step Act was just that, a first step.
  That is why, together, we introduced the Prison to Proprietorship for 
Formerly Incarcerated Act, to address one of the many challenges faced 
by returning citizens. This bill is designed to make sure that formerly 
incarcerated individuals can use their God-given skills, talent, and 
ability to bring business and entrepreneurial activities to life in 
their communities.
  Throughout our Federal Bureau of Prisons system, there are 
incarcerated individuals who have the same intellect, the same ability, 
and the same resiliency as some of the most successful people on Wall 
Street back home in New York. The difference between them can often be 
as simple as a lack of opportunity, not a lack of entrepreneurial 
spirit.
  That is what this legislation is designed to change. This bill will 
make sure that we provide opportunities to those who have been left 
behind. It is designed to make sure that the American Dream is 
accessible for formerly incarcerated individuals, their families, and 
their communities.
  This effort, of course, is consistent with our core values here in 
America, where we believe that hard work and dedication should be 
rewarded and that opportunities should be available to everyone.
  H.R. 5065 directs the Service Corps of Retired Executives, otherwise 
known as SCORE, to provide mentoring, workshops, and training videos 
for formerly incarcerated individuals on how to launch and grow a small 
business. It would provide individualized business mentoring to support 
the development of business plans and entrepreneurial growth for 
recipients of prison-to-proprietorship services up to a year after 
their release, connect these individuals with small business networks 
and resources, and identify opportunities to access capital.
  Madam Speaker, I thank, again, Chairwoman Velazquez and Ranking 
Member Chabot of the Small Business Committee for their tremendous 
leadership in this effort. I also thank the lead Republican, 
Representative Burchett from Tennessee, for his great leadership.
  A philosopher once said: Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a 
day, but teach him to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. That is 
what this effort ultimately is all about.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 5065 and 
lift up formerly incarcerated returning citizens by providing them with 
entrepreneurial resources.
  Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett), and I thank him for his 
leadership on this legislation.
  Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Prison to 
Proprietorship for Formerly Incarcerated Act, legislation I was proud 
to author with Representative Jeffries. I really appreciate his kind 
words.
  Some individuals who have paid their debt to society deserve a second 
chance at success. This includes giving folks reentering the workforce 
a shot at entrepreneurship and small business ownership. Included in 
this legislation are counseling and training services for incarcerated 
individuals who want to start their own small businesses.
  I am a firm believer in giving folks an opportunity to succeed, and 
this bill makes sure those who are joining society have the skills and 
knowledge to do so.
  Madam Speaker, I encourage all Members who feel the same to support 
this important piece of legislation. I thank Representative Jeffries 
for his efforts on this bill, as well as Ranking Member Chabot and 
Chairwoman Velazquez. I hope I said her name correctly. I have been 
working on it. I thank them all for their leadership on the Small 
Business Committee in helping this bill come to the floor.
  Madam Speaker, on a personal note, I always appreciate Chairwoman 
Velazquez reaching across the aisle to me and for her friendship from 
day one. I appreciate Ranking Member Chabot's mentorship and for always 
having time for a wet-behind-the-ears freshman.
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Schneider), a valued member of the Small Business 
Committee.
  Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5065, 
the Prison to Proprietorship for Formerly Incarcerated Act, of which I 
am proud to be a cosponsor.
  Empowering the formerly incarcerated with the skills to start their 
own small businesses can be a powerful benefit, both for these 
individuals and their communities. By creating economic opportunity, 
entrepreneurship also has the power to break the cycle of incarceration 
and reduce recidivism.
  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues Hakeem Jeffries and Tim Burchett 
for introducing this bipartisan legislation.
  I have long been a proponent of the Small Business Administration's 
SCORE program and how it helps burgeoning small businesses expand and 
grow. Mentorship can play a vital role in the success of entrepreneurs, 
and citizens returning to society after serving time face unique 
challenges when trying to start their own small businesses. Today's 
legislation would expand SCORE programming to help the formerly 
incarcerated specifically.
  I know this legislation would have a positive impact in my district. 
Our Small Business Development Center based out of the College of Lake 
County is in the process, in conjunction with the local county jail, of 
offering entrepreneurship training to a cohort of inmates.
  I am proud of the initiative of our SBDC and, in particular, its 
director, Mitch Bienvenue, for what he has undertaken in designing and 
offering this program. I look forward to hearing about the success 
stories of these inmates once they return to our communities.
  I am excited to push this bill forward because I know that SCORE 
would provide these individuals with valuable mentorship that could be 
instrumental to their success.
  No one starts a successful business on their own, and SCORE can be an 
invaluable pipeline for the help necessary to make the dream of running 
one's own small business a reality.
  Madam Speaker, I thank, again, my colleagues Mr. Burchett and Mr. 
Jeffries for the work each of them has done on this important bill. I 
urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
  Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I have no further Members seeking time, 
and I am prepared to close if the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. 
Velazquez) is prepared as well.
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I have another speaker.
  Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Oklahoma (Ms. Kendra S. Horn).
  Ms. KENDRA S. HORN of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairwoman 
and ranking member, and Representatives Jeffries and Burchett, for 
bringing this important legislation forward. I rise today in strong 
support of H.R. 5065, the Prison to Proprietorship for Formerly 
Incarcerated Act.

  Incarceration rates in the U.S. are disturbingly high, and my home 
State of Oklahoma has the highest rates of any in our country. 
According to a study done by the Prison Policy Initiative, more than 1 
in 100 Oklahoma adults were in jail at any given time in 2018. The 
numbers are even more disturbing for African Americans in Oklahoma, 
with nearly 4 in 100 incarcerated in 2010.
  High incarceration rates have both economic and human costs. They are

[[Page H37]]

costly to taxpayers and crippling to communities, which lose so many 
individuals to incarceration.
  While Congress has spent time focusing on how people end up in 
prison, we have not committed enough time focusing on how to prevent 
formerly incarcerated individuals from returning.
  While Oklahoma and other States have also made positive steps in 
criminal justice reform to reduce the unnecessarily harsh prison 
sentences, releasing individuals is only one step in decreasing 
incarceration rates.
  According to the Justice Center's National Reentry Resource Center, 
employment after an individual is released from prison is the single 
most important predictor of recidivism. Sadly, 75 percent of 
incarcerated individuals are still unemployed after a year of being 
released from prison, causing them too often to resort to criminal 
activity, leading back to prison.
  H.R. 5065 addresses the critical issue of employment and helps break 
this devastating cycle by creating a program where SCORE association 
volunteer business counselors can mentor formerly incarcerated 
individuals.
  The counselors provide formerly incarcerated individuals with 
entrepreneurial development training and workshops to help them utilize 
their skills and gain new experience to go into workplaces or run 
businesses of their own.

                              {time}  1515

  Helping individuals find a job and career opportunities after leaving 
prison is a critical step in addressing our Nation's high incarceration 
rate and ensuring those who have gone to prison don't return.
  I am proud to cosponsor this legislation and encourage my colleagues 
to vote for H.R. 5065.
  Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to 
close.
  Madam Speaker, entrepreneurship has the power to equip those 
returning from incarceration with tools to overcome barriers to 
employment, which they often face upon their release.
  Recidivism rates in America remain today, unfortunately, alarmingly 
high; yet, entrepreneurship can be a pathway to success and an antidote 
to recidivism for the formerly incarcerated.
  This bill is designed to help individuals reacclimate to society, 
utilizing their desire to start and own a small business. I urge my 
colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Entrepreneurship has always been a bedrock of American life, and it 
is particularly important for those who have to overcome employment 
barriers.
  Today's legislation will provide opportunity and hope for those who 
face steep challenges to employment. By requiring SCORE to provide 
mentorship to those who completed the Prison to Proprietorship program, 
we can ensure that the investment made for increasing instruction will 
be fully utilized upon release for those who opt to launch a small 
business.
  With the cost to incarcerate a Federal inmate of nearly $100 a day 
and more than $36,000 a year, it makes economic sense to invest in 
training and give these folks the tools they need to succeed.
  I thank both Representatives Jeffries and Burchett for leading this 
important effort, and I also thank Ranking Member Chabot and his staff 
for working with us to increase opportunities and resources for those 
who seek to rebuild their lives.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. 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. 5065.
  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.

                          ____________________