[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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