[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 7, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H5255-H5256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESS AND CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ACT OF
2022
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 7664) to amend the Small Business Act to include
requirements relating to graduates of career and technical education
programs or programs of study for small business development centers
and women's business centers, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 7664
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 ``Supporting Small Business
and Career and Technical Education Act of 2022''.
SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.
(a) Definition.--Section 3 of the Small Business Act (15
U.S.C. 632) is amended by adding at the end the following new
subsection:
``(gg) Career and Technical Education.--The term `career
and technical education' has the meaning given the term in
section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical
Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302).''.
(b) Small Business Development Centers.--Section 21(c)(3)
of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648(c)(1)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (T), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in clause (v) of the first subparagraph (U) (relating
to succession planning), by striking the period at the end
and inserting a semicolon;
(3) in second subparagraph (U) (relating to training on
domestic and international intellectual property
protections)--
(A) in clause (ii)(II), by striking the period at the end
and inserting a semicolon; and
(B) by redesignating such subparagraph as subparagraph (V);
and
(4) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
``(W) assisting small businesses in hiring graduates from
career and technical education programs or programs of study;
and
``(X) assisting graduates of career and technical education
programs or programs of study in starting up a small business
concern.''.
(c) Women's Business Centers.--Section 29(b) of the Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and
inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
``(4) assistance for small business concerns to hire
graduates from career and technical education programs or
programs of study; and
``(5) assistance for graduates of career and technical
education programs or programs of study to start up a small
business concern.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
New York (Ms. Velazquez) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams)
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.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7664, the Supporting
Small Business and Career and Technical Education Act of 2022,
introduced by my colleague from Texas (Mr. Williams) and my colleague
from Illinois (Ms. Newman).
After seeing massive layoffs in response to the pandemic, businesses
are starting to expand their operations and grow their workforce.
Unfortunately, this has created one of the tightest labor markets in
U.S. history, and small firms are feeling this acutely.
Oftentimes, small businesses are not only faced with a shortage of
applicants, but within that pool, they are seeing a shortage of
applicants with the skill sets they need.
One of the best strategies for equipping students with skills needed
to enter a market is career and technical education, or CTE. Aimed at
secondary and postsecondary students, these programs don't replace
academic training but, rather, expand upon it to give young people
practical skills they can use, whether they enter the workforce or
continue in their studies.
CTE programs can train students with a wide variety of skills in
nearly every industry, and this program often works with local
businesses to understand what skills are in demand to guide the
curriculum.
This legislation directs small business development centers and
women's business centers to assist small businesses in hiring graduates
of CTE programs while also helping program graduates start their own
businesses.
It takes a twofold approach of, one, creating a more adequate
pipeline of trained young people for small businesses and, two,
supporting those students who want to launch their own enterprise.
SBDCs and WBCs can help fill the gap between training programs and
small firms by building awareness and fostering relationships between
the private sector and our educational community.
Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Williams and Ms. Newman for their
meaningful work on this bill. I urge Members to support this bipartisan
piece of legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1630
Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7664, the Supporting
Small Business and Career and Technical
[[Page H5256]]
Education Act. This important piece of legislation will encourage
younger generations to pursue CTE careers, knowing they will have
support on the back end to help find a job.
Costly 4-year degrees create burdensome financial obligations and
saddle students with decades of debt. It is important individuals have
alternatives, such as CTE programs, when wanting to find meaningful
careers at a fraction of the cost.
Skilled labor has become a high-demand market, and our country is in
need of more plumbers, electricians, welders, and other skilled
professionals who are the lifeblood of our economy. This growing skills
gap is hurting small businesses across the country.
My bill will fill that void and connect graduates to high-demand
occupations and opportunities that earn good wages and will help them
provide for their family. Additionally, this bill provides valuable
assistance so CTE graduates can translate their skills over to starting
their own small business and help build long-term careers and employ
more people.
I have been a small business owner for over 50 years, and I can tell
you that leading sales meetings, signing the fronts of checks, and
giving other people the opportunity to make a living is one of the most
rewarding things, if not the most rewarding, I have ever done.
The American Dream is built on innovation and entrepreneurship, and
this only continues when the next generation is willing to better
themselves, be empowered to take risks, and understand that risk-reward
is the dream.
It is our responsibility to unlock the potential of our next
generation so we can keep America the greatest nation in the world and
keep it strong.
I thank Chairwoman Velazquez and Ranking Member Luetkemeyer for
helping to get this bill to the floor. I urge all my colleagues to vote
in support of H.R. 7664.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am
prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume to close.
Madam Speaker, small businesses and the American worker are the
backbone of our economy. By empowering the SBA's resource partners,
including small business development centers and women's business
centers, to engage with the career and technical education community,
we will replenish our skilled workforce and grow our economy.
Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 7664, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time
to close.
Madam Speaker, while our economy continues to recover and job
openings increase, it is important that we ensure there is an adequate
pipeline of skilled workers in our small firms.
Fueling our economic recovery relies on them having the resources
they need to thrive, including an adequate workforce. H.R. 7664 will go
a long way in connecting small employers in need of workers to these
programs and connect students to opportunities of launching their own
firms.
I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) and the gentlewoman
from Illinois (Ms. Newman) for their hard work on this bill.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7664, the
``Supporting Small Business and Career and Technical Education Act of
2022.''
This bill would amend the Small Business Act to include requirements
relating to graduates of career and technical education programs, and
programs of study for small business development centers and women's
business centers.
H.R. 7664 would assist small businesses in hiring graduates from
career and technical education programs, and would assist graduates of
these programs in starting up a small business.
Small businesses are the engine of our economy, creating two-thirds
of the new jobs over the last 15 years, accounting for 44 percent of
U.S. economic activity.
According to the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA), small
businesses of 500 employees or fewer make up 99.9 percent of all U.S.
businesses and 99.7 percent of firms with paid employees.
Not only do small businesses provide millions of jobs, they also
advance careers and opportunities.
Successful small businesses put money back into their local community
through paychecks and taxes, which can support the creation of new
small businesses and improve local public services.
Small business is the portal through which many people enter the
economic mainstream.
Business ownership allows individuals, including women and
minorities, to achieve financial success, as well as bolster pride in
their accomplishments.
While most small businesses are still owned by white males, the past
two decades have seen a substantial increase in the number of
businesses owned by women and minorities.
The more we create opportunities for career growth and development
from a wide array of diverse backgrounds, the more opportunities we
create for ourselves and our economy.
A critical workforce challenge currently in the United States is the
skills gap, particularly among jobs that require either a high school
diploma, postsecondary certificate, or associate's degree.
Jobs requiring these ``middle skills'' outnumber the adults in the
workforce who possess them, and this gap presents a barrier to American
economic competitiveness.
Due to global shifts in technology, automation and other sectors that
had been occurring long before the pandemic, employers were raising
alarms over a growing number of vital skills they noticed to be in
short supply from incoming applicants.
Graduates from career and technical education (CTE) programs are
perfectly suited to fill this gap.
CTE programs help students see the relevance of their studies for
their future and motivates them to attend classes and study hard.
In 2019-20 there were 11.1 million CTE participants; 7.6 million at
the secondary level and 3.5 million at the postsecondary level.
According to the Texas Education Agency's 2016-2017 Academic
Excellence Indicator System State Profile Report, 1,523,779 secondary
students in Texas (46.3 percent) were enrolled in Career and Technical
Education programs.
We must make sure our legislation reflects the importance and value
of small business, CTE program graduates, and the role they will play
in growing our economy.
I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 7664, the Supporting Small
Business and Career and Technical Education Act of 2022.
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. 7664.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
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