[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 73 (Monday, April 29, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H2643-H2645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ENTREPRENEURS WITH DISABILITIES REPORTING ACT OF 2024
Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 7985) to require the Administrator of the Small
Business Administration to submit to Congress a report on the
entrepreneurial challenges facing entrepreneurs with a disability, and
for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 7985
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 ``Entrepreneurs with
Disabilities Reporting Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. REPORT ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP CHALLENGES OF
ENTREPRENEURS WITH DISABILITIES.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Small
Business Administration shall submit to Congress a report on
the challenges that entrepreneurs with a disability encounter
with starting and operating a business, including--
(1) an assessment of the challenges and needs of
entrepreneurs with a disability;
(2) a description of the resources and support that the
Small Business Administration provides to entrepreneurs with
a disability;
(3) a description of outreach to entrepreneurs with a
disability by the Small Business Administration, including by
district and regional offices of the Small Business
Administration, small business development centers (as
defined in section 3(t) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
632(t))), and women's business centers (as defined in section
29(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 656(a)));
(4) a description of any joint efforts between offices of
the Small Business Administration or the Small Business
Administration and other Federal agencies to advance the goal
of supporting the economic success of entrepreneurs with a
disability;
(5) any deficiencies in the resources and support described
under paragraph (2);
(6) a description of the use of, and access to, resources
of the Administration by entrepreneurs with a disability; and
(7) any recommendations for legislative actions that are
necessary to address the challenges or needs of entrepreneurs
with a disability that are identified in the report.
(b) Compliance With CUTGO.--No additional amounts are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Williams) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
General Leave
Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. 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 bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in full support of H.R. 7985, the Entrepreneurs
with Disabilities Reporting Act of 2024, introduced by Representatives
McGarvey and Molinaro.
This legislation will require the SBA to issue a report to Congress
on the challenges individuals with disabilities face when starting a
business. Further, it will require the SBA to look at resources across
the Federal Government that assist individuals with disabilities.
The Government Accountability Office estimates that there are nearly
50 programs across nine Federal agencies that support employment
opportunities for individuals with disabilities. However, Federal
agencies often fail to coordinate or collaborate on such programs to
ensure that their efforts are not duplicated and are working as
efficiently as possible. The Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting
Act of 2024 will require the SBA to look at this fragmented system and
do its part to consolidate and streamline those efforts.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives McGarvey and Molinaro for their
[[Page H2644]]
leadership on this important issue and for introducing this bill. I
urge a ``yes'' vote on the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, today we are considering H.R. 7985, which would require
the SBA to submit a report to Congress on the challenges facing
entrepreneurs with disabilities.
Despite progress to increase employment rates, only 26 percent of
people with disabilities participate in the labor force. That is why we
need a comprehensive study to assess the resources that are available
to people with disabilities, examine their effectiveness, and determine
what actions need to be taken to support entrepreneurs with
disabilities.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the efforts of Mr. McGarvey and Mr.
Molinaro to increase opportunities for people with disabilities. I urge
my colleagues to support H.R. 7985. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from the State of New York (Mr. Molinaro).
Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R.
7985, the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act, which I am
very proud to co-lead alongside my colleague, Representative McGarvey.
I am grateful for his leadership and commitment to move the legislation
forward and also to address an important need in our communities across
this country.
This bipartisan bill will provide much-needed clarity for our
entrepreneurs with disabilities as they navigate the SBA's complex maze
of over 50 different programs geared to support individuals with
intellectual, physical, and developmental disabilities as they start a
business.
As of April 2022, 74 percent of adults with disabilities work outside
the traditional workforce. Approximately 1.8 million of these adults
with disabilities were businessowners themselves.
From limited access to affordable capital to a scarcity of supports
and services tailored to their unique needs, the SBA needs to step up
and, frankly, provide much greater support in working to consolidate
this fractured and complex system.
Entrepreneurs of every ability should have a fair shot at pursuing
their passion. As chair of the Small Business Subcommittee on
Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development, I remain
committed, as I know my colleague, Mr. McGarvey, does, to empowering
our entrepreneurs with disabilities to contribute more to Main Street
and lead more independent lives.
The absence of adequate reporting data on entrepreneurs with
disabilities renders this eager and highly competent community to the
sidelines. The Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act would
provide a comprehensive assessment of the needs of our entrepreneurs
with intellectual, physical, and developmental disabilities and help
inform lawmakers of legislative solutions to address the challenges
these individuals face in order to break down barriers so they can
pursue their own employment options and create opportunities to owning
their own businesses.
Mr. Speaker, again, I thank Representative Morgan McGarvey for his
partnership on this bill. I urge my colleagues to support this
commonsense, bipartisan legislation, and I look forward to continuing
to show America what it means to think differently, breaking down
barriers and creating opportunities for every individual of every
ability.
{time} 1600
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. McGarvey).
Mr. McGARVEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the
Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act.
I think too often the outside focus on this body is on what isn't
working. There isn't enough attention paid to when things come together
and when it works the way it should.
I thank Chairman Williams and Ranking Member Velazquez for their
support. I especially thank Chairman Molinaro, the chairman of the
Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce, for his
courage and compassion in personally navigating the maze of people who
face intellectual and developmental disabilities.
We had a subcommittee hearing, and Chairman Molinaro brought up
Maeve, a young woman from New York, talking about her coffee shop. I
brought up Cody Clark from Louisville, a truly inspiring young man who
not only is an entrepreneur who told us about his experience, but I
think he performed the first-ever magic trick in front of the Small
Business Committee this year to highlight his point of what we can
accomplish.
This bill helps ensure that every American--every American--has the
opportunity to become that type of successful entrepreneur. After all,
isn't that the fundamental promise of the American Dream, that any
person in this country can work hard, take risks, and hopefully find
success?
What we highlighted in this hearing and through the stories of Maeve
and Cody and others is that Americans with disabilities, like other
underprivileged groups, see fewer opportunities to make this dream a
reality.
In fact, 74 percent of people with disabilities do not participate in
our Nation's labor force. Too many barriers--both physical and
intangible--block their way to joining the workforce or starting a
business. The Federal Government must do more to help break those down.
To do that, we have to better understand what these challenges are,
and this bill takes a really important first step in that process. It
will require the Small Business Administration to submit a report to
Congress on the challenges faced by entrepreneurs with disabilities.
This report will assess the entrepreneurs' challenges and needs, detail
the resources the SBA currently provides, and recommend what actions we
can take to improve how the Small Business Administration serves
entrepreneurs with disabilities.
The better Congress understands these challenges, the easier it will
be to knock them down to take these barriers away and make sure every
American has the chance to succeed.
I again thank Chairman Williams, Ranking Member Velazquez, Chairman
Molinaro, and everyone else involved for their leadership and support
of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7985.
Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am
prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Entrepreneurship provides people with disabilities a viable option to
participate in the labor force and improve their quality of life.
SBA's entrepreneurial ecosystem, comprised of nearly 1,000 resource
partners across the country, can provide individuals with free
counseling and training to launch and grow their small businesses.
We do not know how well SBA and its resource partners are meeting
their needs and what more could be done to better serve these
individuals. This bill will go a long way in assessing the outreach and
engagement provided by SBA and make legislative recommendations to
address any deficiencies in the services provided to people with
disabilities.
Mr. Speaker, I applaud Mr. McGarvey and Mr. Molinaro for their
bipartisan efforts, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we have held hearings this year
that have highlighted the great work of disabled entrepreneurs across
the country. I thank Representatives McGarvey and Molinaro again for
offering this solution to ensure the government is working efficiently
to offer these individuals the resources that are already available.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 7985.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
[[Page H2645]]
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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