[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 120 (Tuesday, June 30, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4075-S4076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2379. Mr. INHOFE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 2301 proposed by Mr. Inhofe to the bill S. 4049, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. __. OFFICE OF NATIVE AMERICAN AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et
seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 4(b)(1) (15 U.S.C. 633(b)(1)) by adding at
the end the following: ``One such Associate Administrator
shall be the Associate Administrator of the Office of Native
American Affairs established under section 49(b).'';
(2) by redesignating section 49 (15 U.S.C. 631 note) as
section 50; and
(3) by inserting after section 48 (15 U.S.C. 657u) the
following:
``SEC. 49. NATIVE AMERICAN OUTREACH PROGRAM.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
``(1) the term `Associate Administrator' means the
Associate Administrator appointed under subsection (b)(2);
``(2) the terms `Indian tribe' and `Native Hawaiian
Organization' have the meanings given those terms in section
8(a);
``(b) Office of Native American Affairs.--
``(1) Establishment.--There is established within the
Administration the Office of Native American Affairs, which,
under the direction of the Associate Administrator, shall
implement the programs of the Administration to provide
Native American outreach assistance.
``(2) Associate administrator.--
``(A) Appointment.--The Administrator shall appoint a
qualified individual to serve as Associate Administrator of
the Office of Native American Affairs in accordance with this
paragraph.
``(B) Qualifications.--The Associate Administrator shall
have--
``(i) knowledge of Native American cultures; and
``(ii) experience providing culturally tailored small
business development assistance to Native Americans.
``(C) Employment status.--The Associate Administrator
shall--
``(i) be compensated at a rate not to exceed level V of the
Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United
States Code; and
``(ii) report and be directly responsible to the
Administrator.
``(D) Responsibilities and duties.--The Associate
Administrator shall--
``(i) administer and manage the Native American outreach
program described in subsection (c);
``(ii) act as an ombudsman for Native Americans in all
programs of the Administration;
``(iii) enhance assistance to Native Americans by--
``(I) formulating and promoting policies, programs and
assistance that better address their entrepreneurial, capital
access, business development and contracting needs;
``(II) collaborating with the Associate Administrators of
the Administration, including the Associate Administrators of
Capital Access, Government Contracting and Business
Development, and Entrepreneurial Development, on the
development of policies and plans to implement Administration
programs in ways that better serve identified capital access,
government contracting, and business and entrepreneurial
development needs;
``(iv) execute policies and plans formulated and developed
under this section and section 1103 of the Coronavirus Aid,
Relief and Economic Security Act (Public Law 116-136); and
``(v) recommend the annual administrative and program
budgets for the Office of Native American Affairs.
``(c) Outreach Program.--
``(1) In general.--The Associate Administrator shall carry
out an outreach program to provide assistance to--
``(A) Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations, as
defined section 8(a); and
``(B) small business concerns owned and controlled by
individuals who are members of an Indian tribe or a Native
Hawaiian Organization or who are Alaska Native or Native
Hawaiian.
``(2) Assistance.--In carrying out the outreach program
under this subsection, the Associate Administrator may--
``(A) provide financial assistance by grant, contract,
cooperative agreement, or other assistance to deploy training
and educational outreach through business development
workshops and other mechanisms to advance the start up,
operation, financing, and expansion of small business
concerns owned and controlled by individuals who are members
of an Indian tribe or a Native Hawaiian Organization or who
are Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian;
``(B) hold Tribal consultations to solicit input and
provide interested parties an opportunity to discuss
potential modifications to programs of the Administration,
including the program under section 8(a) and the HUBZone
program under section 31; and
``(C) provide such other assistance as the Associate
Administrator may determine necessary.''.
(b) Transfer Provisions.--Effective on the date of
enactment of this Act--
[[Page S4076]]
(1) the Office of Native American Affairs of the Small
Business Administration, as in effect on the day before the
date of enactment of this Act, shall be known as the Office
of Native American Affairs of the Small Business
Administration, as established under section 49 of the Small
Business Act, as added by subsection (a);
(2) the Office of Native American Affairs of the Small
Business Administration, as established under section 49 of
the Small Business Act, as added by subsection (a), shall
retain the functions, personnel, assets, and liabilities held
by, acquired, or incurred before the date of enactment of
this Act the Office of Native American Affairs of the Small
Business Administration, as in effect on the day before the
date of enactment of this Act; and
(3) the individual serving as Associate Administrator of
the Office of Native American Affairs of the Small Business
Administration, as in effect on the day before the date of
enactment of this Act, shall continue to serve as the
Associate Administrator appointed under section 49 of the
Small Business Act, as added by subsection (a), until a
successor is appointed.
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