[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5287-S5288]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 5812. Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself and Mr. Tillis) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 5499 submitted by Mr. 
Reed (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) and intended to be proposed to the 
bill H.R. 7900, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2023 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:

[[Page S5288]]

  


     SEC. ___. ENTREPRENEURSHIP ASSISTANCE FOR MILITARY SPOUSES.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section--
       (1) the term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of 
     the Small Business Administration; and
       (2) the term ``small business concern'' has the meaning 
     given the term in section 3(a) of the Small Business Act (15 
     U.S.C. 632(a)).
       (b) Program.--
       (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the 
     Administrator shall establish a program within the Small 
     Business Administration, the purpose of which shall be to 
     assist military spouses in forming, operating, and growing 
     small business concerns.
       (2) Extension of existing program.--In lieu of establishing 
     a new program, the Administrator may carry out the purposes 
     described in paragraph (1) through an extension of a program 
     that is in existence, as of the date of enactment of this 
     Act, if that extension is tailored to military spouses and 
     otherwise achieves those purposes and satisfies the 
     requirements of this section.
       (c) Assistance.--The assistance provided by the 
     Administrator under the program described in subsection (b) 
     shall include the following:
       (1) Assistance for military spouses in identifying and 
     understanding the requirements with respect to forming and 
     operating a small business concern.
       (2) Assistance for military spouses in strengthening the 
     expertise and skills necessary for the formation and 
     operation of a small business concern, including the 
     expertise and skills necessary to create a sustainable small 
     business concern throughout the uniquely challenging 
     requirements of life as a military spouse, which arise as a 
     result of--
       (A) military deployments;
       (B) military-related absences from the workforce; or
       (C) multiple permanent changes of duty station or other 
     long-term relocations for military reasons.
       (3) Through military spouse entrepreneurship organizations 
     and business volunteer entities (including by entering into 
     cooperative agreements with those organizations and 
     entities), providing mentorship to military spouses with 
     respect to entrepreneurship.
       (4) Any other assistance that the Administrator determines 
     to be appropriate.
       (d) Survey; Report; Use of Results.--
       (1) Survey.--
       (A) In general.--The Administrator, in consultation with 
     such nonprofit organizations and other stakeholders 
     determined appropriate by the Administrator, shall conduct a 
     survey at select military installations to identify the 
     barriers to forming, operating, and growing small business 
     concerns that are faced by military spouses as a result of 
     life as a military spouse, including as a result of the 
     conditions described in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of 
     subsection (c)(2).
       (B) Analysis required.--The survey conducted under 
     subparagraph (A) shall include an analysis of the challenges 
     that military spouses face in accessing capital and other 
     critical resources with respect to forming, operating, and 
     growing small business concerns, including the education, 
     mentoring, and training that is required to form, operate, 
     and grow a small business concern.
       (2) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the 
     Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House of 
     Representatives a report containing the results of the survey 
     conducted under paragraph (1).
       (e) Use of Results; Outreach.--In carrying out the program 
     described in subsection (b), the Administrator shall--
       (1) take into consideration the results of the survey 
     conducted under subsection (d)(1); and
       (2) develop an outreach program to ensure that the program 
     becomes well-known.
       (f) Consultation Permitted.--In carrying out this section, 
     the Administrator may consult with the Secretary of Defense, 
     as determined necessary by the Administrator.
                                 ______