[House Report 116-236]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


116th Congress   }                                            {   Report
                          HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session     }                                            {   116-236

======================================================================



 
             VETERAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING ACT OF 2019

                                _______
                                

October 15, 2019.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

          Ms. Velazquez, from the Committee on Small Business,
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 3537]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Small Business, to whom was referred the 
bill (H.R. 3537) to amend the Small Business Act to codify the 
Boots to Business Program, and for other purposes, having 
considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment 
and recommend that the bill do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
   I.  Purpose and Bill Summary.......................................1
  II.  Background and Need for Legislation............................2
 III.  Hearings.......................................................3
  IV.  Committee Consideration........................................4
   V.  Committee Votes................................................4
  VI.  Section-by-Section Analysis for H.R. 3537......................6
 VII.  Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate......................6
VIII.  Unfunded Mandates..............................................7
  IX.  New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax 
      Expenditures....................................................7
   X.  Oversight Findings.............................................8
  XI.  Statement of Constitutional Authority..........................8
 XII.  Congressional Accountability Act...............................8
XIII.  Federal Advisory Committee Act Statement.......................8
 XIV.  Statement of No Earmarks.......................................8
  XV.  Statement of Duplication of Federal Programs...................8
 XVI.  Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings............................8
XVII.  Performance Goals and Objectives...............................8
XVIII. Changes in Existing Law, Made by the Bill, As Reported.........9


                      I. Purpose and Bill Summary

    The purpose of H.R. 3537, the ``Veteran Entrepreneurship 
Training Act of 2019,'' is to amend the Small Business Act to 
codify for five years the Boots to Business program, which is a 
two day, in person entrepreneurship program offered by the 
Small Business Administration (SBA) as part of the Department 
of Defense's Transition Assistance Program (TAP).

                II. Background and Need for Legislation

    H.R. 3537 was introduced by Representative Brad Schneider 
(D-IL), and Representative Ross Spano (R-FL) on June 27, 2019. 
The Committee determined significant challenges face veterans 
in their transition to civilian life and the Boots to Business 
program was designed to offer servicemembers and military 
spouses information about self-employment and business 
ownership.

            A. BACKGROUND ON SBA'S BOOTS TO BUSINESS PROGRAM

    The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers a wide range 
of free or low-cost counseling and training services through 
its entrepreneurial ecosystem to help entrepreneurs launch and 
grow their small businesses. To deliver these resources, the 
SBA relies on its four primary resource partners: Small 
Business Development Centers (SBDCs), Women's Business Centers 
(WBCs), SCORE, and Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs). 
Through the resource partners, the SBA provides counseling and 
training assistance to more than 100,000 veterans each year.
    The Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) program 
provides free counseling, training, and resource partner 
referrals to eligible service members, veterans, National Guard 
and Reserve members, and military spouses. The VBOC program is 
particularly cognizant of the unique skills veterans develop 
during their service in the military and their relevance to 
owning a small business. With 22 centers nationwide, the VBOCs 
teach veteran entrepreneurs the fundamentals of business 
ownership, including the development of a five-year business 
plan, market research, legal considerations, and financing. In 
Fiscal Year 2018 (FY 2018), VBOCs trained and counseled nearly 
52,000 veteran small business owners.
    One of the primary responsibilities of the VBOCs is to 
administer the Boots to Business program. Initially launched as 
a pilot initiative in 2012, the Boots to Business curriculum 
focuses on the key steps for evaluating business concepts and 
provides the foundational knowledge to develop a business plan. 
In addition, participants connect with SBA resources, including 
information on access to capital, counseling, training, and 
contracting opportunities. In FY 2018, nearly 17,200 veterans, 
servicemembers, and military spouses stationed at military 
installations nationwide participated in the two-day course.
    The Boots to Business program is specifically designed to 
instill the knowledge necessary to take a business from concept 
to execution and facilitate the road to entrepreneurship for 
our nation's veterans. The program is tailored to 
servicemembers, who are natural leaders, confident, and driven 
because of their service in the military. Every year, more than 
200,000 servicemembers make the transition from military to 
civilian life. Transition assistance, like the Boots to 
Business program, is critical to ensure that those who serve in 
the military have opportunities for meaningful employment. The 
National Defense Authorization Act of FY 2019 requires 
servicemembers participating in the Transition Assistance 
Program (TAP) to enroll in one of three capstone classes, which 
include: Accessing Higher Education, Career and Technical 
Training, and Entrepreneurship (Boots to Business). It is 
expected that this new requirement will significantly increase 
the number of servicemembers who participate in the Boots to 
Business program.

            B. THE NEED FOR THE CHANGES OUTLINED IN THE BILL

    On July 10, 2019, Mr. Scott M. Davidson, the Managing 
Principal and CEO of the GCO Consulting Group, a growing 
service-disabled veteran owned small business, testified before 
the Committee. Mr. Davidson also served honorably in the United 
States Army as an enlisted soldier, non-commissioned officer, 
and a commissioned officer, and served multiple combat tours. 
He was medically retired from the United States Army as a 
captain for injuries sustained during his tour in Iraq in July 
2007. Mr. Davidson testified that the ``Boots to Business 
program is an integral part of the Transition Assistance 
Program (TAP) for servicemembers who may be deciding to choose 
entrepreneurship as a path after leaving the service.'' The 
program provides real insight as to what it takes to start a 
small business in the civilian world. Transitioning from the 
military can be stressful and the training can alleviate the 
stressors and help to develop a business plan. Mr. Davidson 
testified that the Boots to Business program makes a difference 
in servicemembers' lives and should be codified.
    Ms. Torrance Hart, the founder of Teak and Twine, also 
testified in support of the Boots to Business program. As an 
Air Force veteran and former military spouse, Ms. Hart attested 
to the value of the program for military spouses, who 
oftentimes give up career aspirations because frequent moves 
make it hard to establish a career. She testified, ``I see 
entrepreneurship as a secret weapon for military spouses. It is 
a way to create something that can support your family, give 
you flexibility during deployments, give you the freedom to 
[pursue] something that you love, and it moves with you when 
needed, and even allows you to give back to other military 
spouses.'' Ms. Hart further expressed support for codifying the 
Boots to Business program.

                             III. Hearings

    In the 116th Congress, the Committee held two hearings 
exploring the Boots to Business program. On February 27, 2019, 
the Committee held a hearing titled ``Supporting America's 
Startups: Review of the Small Business Administration's 
Entrepreneurial Development Programs.''\1\ The hearing 
considered each of the SBA's entrepreneurial development 
programs, including the Boots to Business program and how it 
impacts entrepreneurship. On July 10, 2019, the Committee held 
a hearing titled, ``Continuing to Serve: From Military to 
Entrepreneur.''\2\ The hearing examined the role of veteran 
entrepreneurs in growing the economy and efforts to foster 
veteran entrepreneurship. At both hearings, witnesses testified 
in support of codifying the Boots to Business program.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\Supporting America's Startups: Review of the Small Business 
Administration's Entrepreneurial Development Programs, Hearing Before 
the H. Comm. On Small Bus., 116th Cong. (2019).
    \2\Continuing to Serve: From Military to Entrepreneur, Hearing 
Before the H. Comm. On Small Bus., 116th Cong. (2019).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      IV. Committee Consideration

    The Committee on Small Business met in open session, with a 
quorum being present, on July 17, 2019, and ordered H.R. 3537 
favorably reported to the House of Representatives. During the 
markup, no amendments were offered.

                           V. Committee Votes

    Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires the Committee to list the recorded 
votes on the motion to report legislation and amendments 
thereto. The Committee voted by voice vote to favorably report 
H.R. 3537 to the House at 11:48 A.M.


                  VI. Section-by-Section of H.R. 3537


Section 1. Short title

    This section designates the bill as the ``Veterans 
Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2019.''

Section 2. Boots to Business Program

    This section amends Section 32 of the Small Business Act by 
adding a new subsection authorizing the Boots to Business 
Program for 5 years. The section updates the definition of 
Members of the Armed Forces and sets the goals of the program, 
which include-in-depth training for servicemembers interested 
in owning a business; and development of tools to identify 
opportunities, draft business plans, identify sources of 
capital, connect with local resources for small businesses, and 
launch a small business. This section delineates the program 
components, which include a two-day, in-person entrepreneurship 
program. It also gives SBA the authority to collaborate with 
public and private entities to develop the curricula; and it 
ensures Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs) regularly 
participate in the program, and to the reasonable maximum 
extent, allows the participation of other resource partners as 
well.
    The subsection also facilitates the sharing of course and 
outreach materials with the Secretary of Defense for inclusion 
in DOD websites, manuals, and other materials related to the 
Transition Assistance Program and the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs for distribution and display at local VA facilities.
    The bill also requires the Administrator to provide a 
report to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship 
of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House 
of Representatives within 180 days after enactment of the 
legislation and annually thereafter. The report will evaluate 
the performance and effectiveness of the Boots to Business 
program.

             VII. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

    The Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of 
the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, submitted a cost estimate 
for H.R. 3537 that stated enacting the legislation would not 
increase net direct spending or on budget deficits in any of 
the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2030.

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                   Washington, DC, August 16, 2019.
Hon. Nydia M. Velazquez,
Chairwoman, Committee on Small Business,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Madam Chairwoman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 3537, the Veteran 
Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2019.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Sofia Guo.
            Sincerely,
                                         Phillip L. Swagel,
                                                          Director.
    Enclosure.

    
    

    H.R. 3537 would authorize the Small Business Administration 
(SBA) to carry out the Boots to Business (B2B) Program over the 
2020-2024 period. The program would provide entrepreneurship 
training to members of the Armed Forces (including the National 
Guard or Reserves), veterans, and the spouses or dependents of 
those groups.
    Under the bill, SBA would be authorized to make grants to 
Veteran Business Outreach Centers and to collaborate with 
public and private entities to develop training courses. The 
bill also would require SBA to share B2B program information 
with other veterans' agencies and to submit annual program 
reports to the Congress.
    Based on information from SBA, CBO estimates that 
implementing H.R. 3537 would cost less than $500,000 over the 
2019-2024 period subject to the availability of appropriated 
funds. Since 2012, SBA has run a program similar to the one 
authorized in the bill and expects to spend around $3.7 million 
on related activities in fiscal year 2020.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Sofia Guo. The 
estimate was reviewed by Theresa A. Gullo, Assistant Director 
for Budget Analysis.

                        VIII. Unfunded Mandates

    H.R. 3537 contains no intergovernmental or private sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, Public 
Law No. 104-4, and would impose no costs on state, local, or 
tribal governments.

 IX. New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures

    In compliance with clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules 
of the House, the Committee provides the following opinion and 
estimate with respect to new budget authority, entitlement 
authority, and tax expenditures. While the Committee has not 
received an estimate of new budget authority contained in the 
cost estimate prepared by the Director of the Congressional 
Budget Office pursuant to Sec. 402 of the Congressional Budget 
Act of 1974, the Committee does not believe that there will be 
any additional costs attributable to this legislation. H.R. 
3537 does not direct new spending, but instead reallocates 
funding independently authorized and appropriated.

                         X. Oversight Findings

    In accordance with clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of 
the House, the oversight findings and recommendations of the 
Committee on Small Business with respect to the subject matter 
contained in H.R. 3537 are incorporated into the descriptive 
portions of this report.

               XI. Statement of Constitutional Authority

    Pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII of the Rules of the House 
of Representatives, the Committee finds the authority for this 
legislation in Art. I, Sec.  8 of the Constitution of the 
United States.

                 XII. Congressional Accountability Act

    H.R. 3537 does not relate to the terms and conditions of 
employment or access to public services or accommodations 
within the meaning of Sec. 102(b)(3) of Public Law No. 104-1.

             XIII. Federal Advisory Committee Act Statement

    H.R. 3537 does not establish or authorize the establishment 
of any new advisory committees as that term is defined in the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2.

                     XIV. Statement of No Earmarks

    Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI, H.R. 3537 does not 
contain any congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or 
limited tariff benefits as defined in subsections (d), (e), or 
(f) of clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House.

            XV. Statement of Duplication of Federal Programs

    Pursuant to clause 3 of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House, no provision of H.R. 3537 establishes or reauthorizes a 
program of the federal government known to be duplicative of 
another federal program, a program that was included in any 
report from the United States Government Accountability Office 
pursuant to Sec.  21 of Pub. L. No. 111-139, or a program 
related to a program identified in the most recent catalog of 
federal domestic assistance.

                XVI. Disclosure of Directed Rulemakings

    Pursuant to clause 3 of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House, H.R. 3537 does not direct any rulemaking.

                 XVII. Performance Goals and Objectives

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XII of the Rules of the 
House, the Committee establishes the following performance-
related goals and objectives for this legislation:
    H.R. 3537 includes a number of provisions designed to 
increase entrepreneurial assistance to veterans and their 
spouses.

      XVIII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

    In compliance with clause (E) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House, changes in existing law made by the bill, as 
reported, as shown as follows: existing law proposed to be 
omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in 
italic, and existing law in which no change is proposed is 
shown in roman:

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

  In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is 
printed in italic and existing law in which no change is 
proposed is shown in roman):

                           SMALL BUSINESS ACT




           *       *       *       *       *       *       *
SEC. 32. VETERANS PROGRAMS.

  (a) Office of Veterans Business Development.--There is 
established in the Administration an Office of Veterans 
Business Development, which shall be administered by the 
Associate Administrator for Veterans Business Development (in 
this section referred to as the ``Associate Administrator'') 
appointed under section 4(b)(1).
  (b) Associate Administrator for Veterans Business 
Development.--The Associate Administrator--
          (1) shall be an appointee in the Senior Executive 
        Service;
          (2) shall be responsible for the formulation, 
        execution, and promotion of policies and programs of 
        the Administration that provide assistance to small 
        business concerns owned and controlled by veterans and 
        small business concerns owned and controlled by 
        service-disabled veterans. The Associate Administrator 
        shall act as an ombudsman for full consideration of 
        veterans in all programs of the Administration; and
          (3) shall report to and be responsible directly to 
        the Administrator.
  (c) Interagency Task Force.--
          (1) Establishment.--Not later than 90 days after the 
        date of enactment of this subsection, the President 
        shall establish an interagency task force to coordinate 
        the efforts of Federal agencies necessary to improve 
        capital and business development opportunities for, and 
        ensure achievement of the pre-established Federal 
        contracting goals for, small business concerns owned 
        and controlled by service-disabled veterans and small 
        business concerns owned and controlled by veterans (in 
        this section referred to as the ``task force'').
          (2) Membership.--The members of the task force shall 
        include--
                  (A) the Administrator, who shall serve as 
                chairperson of the task force; and
                  (B) a senior level representative from--
                          (i) the Department of Veterans 
                        Affairs;
                          (ii) the Department of Defense;
                          (iii) the Administration (in addition 
                        to the Administrator);
                          (iv) the Department of Labor;
                          (v) the Department of the Treasury;
                          (vi) the General Services 
                        Administration;
                          (vii) the Office of Management and 
                        Budget; and
                          (viii) 4 representatives from a 
                        veterans service organization or 
                        military organization or association, 
                        selected by the President.
          (3) Duties.--The task force shall--
                  (A) consult regularly with veterans service 
                organizations and military organizations in 
                performing the duties of the task force; and
                  (B) coordinate administrative and regulatory 
                activities and develop proposals relating to--
                          (i) improving capital access and 
                        capacity of small business concerns 
                        owned and controlled by service-
                        disabled veterans and small business 
                        concerns owned and controlled by 
                        veterans through loans, surety bonding, 
                        and franchising;
                          (ii) ensuring achievement of the pre-
                        established Federal contracting goals 
                        for small business concerns owned and 
                        controlled by service-disabled veterans 
                        and small business concerns owned and 
                        controlled by veterans through expanded 
                        mentor-protege assistance and matching 
                        such small business concerns with 
                        contracting opportunities;
                          (iii) increasing the integrity of 
                        certifications of status as a small 
                        business concern owned and controlled 
                        by service-disabled veterans or a small 
                        business concern owned and controlled 
                        by veterans;
                          (iv) reducing paperwork and 
                        administrative burdens on veterans in 
                        accessing business development and 
                        entrepreneurship opportunities;
                          (v) increasing and improving training 
                        and counseling services provided to 
                        small business concerns owned and 
                        controlled by veterans; and
                          (vi) making other improvements 
                        relating to the support for veterans 
                        business development by the Federal 
                        Government.
  (d) Participation in TAP Workshops.--
          (1) In general.--The Associate Administrator shall 
        increase veteran outreach by ensuring that Veteran 
        Business Outreach Centers regularly participate, on a 
        nationwide basis, in the workshops of the Transition 
        Assistance Program of the Department of Labor.
          (2) Presentations.--In carrying out paragraph (1), a 
        Veteran Business Outreach Center may provide grants to 
        entities located in Transition Assistance Program 
        locations to make presentations on the opportunities 
        available from the Administration for recently 
        separating or separated veterans. Each presentation 
        under this paragraph shall include, at a minimum, a 
        description of the entrepreneurial and business 
        training resources available from the Administration.
          (3) Written materials.--The Associate Administrator 
        shall--
                  (A) create written materials that provide 
                comprehensive information on self-employment 
                and veterans entrepreneurship, including 
                information on resources available from the 
                Administration on such topics; and
                  (B) make the materials created under 
                subparagraph (A) available to the Secretary of 
                Labor for inclusion in the Transition 
                Assistance Program manual.
          (4) Reports.--The Associate Administrator shall 
        submit to Congress progress reports on the 
        implementation of this subsection.
  (e) Women Veterans Business Training.--The Associate 
Administrator shall--
          (1) compile information on existing resources 
        available to women veterans for business training, 
        including resources for--
                  (A) vocational and technical education;
                  (B) general business skills, such as 
                marketing and accounting; and
                  (C) business assistance programs targeted to 
                women veterans; and
          (2) disseminate the information compiled under 
        paragraph (1) through Veteran Business Outreach Centers 
        and women's business centers.
  (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to 
be appropriated to carry out this section--
          (1) $1,500,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
          (2) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
  (g) Access to Surplus Property for Veteran-owned Small 
Businesses.--
          (1) Definitions.--In this subsection--
                  (A) the term ``foreign excess property'' has 
                the meaning given the term in section 102 of 
                title 40, United States Code; and
                  (B) the term ``state agency'' has the meaning 
                given the term, including the roles and 
                responsibilities assigned, in section 549 of 
                title 40, United States Code.
          (2) Requirement.--The Administrator, in coordination 
        with the Administrator of General Services, shall 
        provide access to and manage the distribution of 
        surplus property, and foreign excess property returned 
        to a State for handling as surplus property, owned by 
        the United States under chapter 7 of title 40, United 
        States Code, to small business concerns owned and 
        controlled by veterans (as verified by the Secretary of 
        Veterans Affairs under section 8127 of title 38, United 
        States Code) pursuant to a memorandum of agreement 
        between the Administrator, the Administrator of General 
        Services, and the head of the applicable state agency 
        for surplus properties and in accordance with section 
        549 of title 40, United States Code.
  (h) Boots to Business Program.--
          (1) Covered individual defined.--In this subsection, 
        the term ``covered individual'' means--
                  (A) a member of the Armed Forces, including 
                the National Guard or Reserves;
                  (B) an individual who is participating in the 
                Transition Assistance Program established under 
                section 1144 of title 10, United States Code;
                  (C) an individual who--
                          (i) served on active duty in any 
                        branch of the Armed Forces, including 
                        the National Guard or Reserves; and
                          (ii) was discharged or released from 
                        such service under conditions other 
                        than dishonorable; and
                  (D) a spouse or dependent of an individual 
                described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C).
          (2) Establishment.--Beginning on the first October 1 
        after the enactment of this subsection and for the 
        subsequent 4 fiscal years, the Administrator shall 
        carry out a program to be known as the ``Boots to 
        Business Program'' to provide entrepreneurship training 
        to covered individuals.
          (3) Goals.--The goals of the Boots to Business 
        Program are to--
                  (A) provide assistance and in-depth training 
                to covered individuals interested in business 
                ownership; and
                  (B) provide covered individuals with the 
                tools, skills, and knowledge necessary to 
                identify a business opportunity, draft a 
                business plan, identify sources of capital, 
                connect with local resources for small business 
                concerns, and start up a small business 
                concern.
          (4) Program components.--
                  (A) In general.--The Boots to Business 
                Program may include--
                          (i) a presentation providing exposure 
                        to the considerations involved in self-
                        employment and ownership of a small 
                        business concern;
                          (ii) an online, self-study course 
                        focused on the basic skills of 
                        entrepreneurship, the language of 
                        business, and the considerations 
                        involved in self-employment and 
                        ownership of a small business concern;
                          (iii) an in-person classroom 
                        instruction component providing an 
                        introduction to the foundations of self 
                        employment and ownership of a small 
                        business concern; and
                          (iv) in-depth training delivered 
                        through online instruction, including 
                        an online course that leads to the 
                        creation of a business plan.
                  (B) Collaboration.--The Administrator may--
                          (i) collaborate with public and 
                        private entities to develop course 
                        curricula for the Boots to Business 
                        Program; and
                          (ii) modify program components in 
                        coordination with entities 
                        participating in a Warriors in 
                        Transition program, as defined in 
                        section 738(e) of the National Defense 
                        Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 
                        (10 U.S.C. 1071 note).
                  (C) Use of resource partners.--
                          (i) In general.--The Administrator 
                        shall--
                                  (I) ensure that Veteran 
                                Business Outreach Centers 
                                regularly participate, on a 
                                nationwide basis, in the Boots 
                                to Business Program; and
                                  (II) to the maximum extent 
                                practicable, use a variety of 
                                other resource partners and 
                                entities in administering the 
                                Boots to Business Program.
                          (ii) Grant authority.--In carrying 
                        out clause (i), the Administrator may 
                        make grants to Veteran Business 
                        Outreach Centers, other resource 
                        partners, or other entities to carry 
                        out components of the Boots to Business 
                        Program.
                  (D) Availability to department of defense.--
                The Administrator shall make available to the 
                Secretary of Defense information regarding the 
                Boots to Business Program, including all course 
                materials and outreach materials related to the 
                Boots to Business Program, for inclusion on the 
                website of the Department of Defense relating 
                to the Transition Assistance Program, in the 
                Transition Assistance Program manual, and in 
                other relevant materials available for 
                distribution from the Secretary of Defense.
                  (E) Availability to veterans affairs.--In 
                consultation with the Secretary of Veterans 
                Affairs, the Administrator shall make available 
                for distribution and display at local 
                facilities of the Department of Veterans 
                Affairs outreach materials regarding the Boots 
                to Business Program which shall, at a minimum--
                          (i) describe the Boots to Business 
                        Program and the services provided; and
                          (ii) include eligibility requirements 
                        for participating in the Boots to 
                        Business Program.
          (5) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this subsection and every year 
        thereafter, 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 on the performance and 
        effectiveness of the Boots to Business Program, which 
        may be included as part of another report submitted to 
        such Committees by the Administrator, and which shall 
        include--
                  (A) information regarding grants awarded 
                under paragraph (4)(C);
                  (B) the total cost of the Boots to Business 
                Program;
                  (C) the number of program participants using 
                each component of the Boots to Business 
                Program;
                  (D) the completion rates for each component 
                of the Boots to Business Program;
                  (E) to the extent possible--
                          (i) the demographics of program 
                        participants, to include gender, age, 
                        race, relationship to military, 
                        military occupational specialty, and 
                        years of service of program 
                        participants;
                          (ii) the number of small business 
                        concerns formed or expanded with 
                        assistance under the Boots to Business 
                        Program;
                          (iii) the gross receipts of small 
                        business concerns receiving assistance 
                        under the Boots to Business Program;
                          (iv) the number of jobs created with 
                        assistance under the Boots to Business 
                        Program;
                          (v) the number of referrals to other 
                        resources and programs of the 
                        Administration;
                          (vi) the number of program 
                        participants receiving financial 
                        assistance under loan programs of the 
                        Administration;
                          (vii) the type and dollar amount of 
                        financial assistance received by 
                        program participants under any loan 
                        program of the Administration; and
                          (viii) results of participant 
                        satisfaction surveys, including a 
                        summary of any comments received from 
                        program participants;
                  (F) an evaluation of the effectiveness of the 
                Boots to Business Program in each region of the 
                Administration during the most recent fiscal 
                year;
                  (G) an assessment of additional performance 
                outcome measures for the Boots to Business 
                Program, as identified by the Administrator;
                  (H) any recommendations of the Administrator 
                for improvement of the Boots to Business 
                Program, which may include expansion of the 
                types of individuals who are covered 
                individuals;
                  (I) an explanation of how the Boots to 
                Business Program has been integrated with other 
                transition programs and related resources of 
                the Administration and other Federal agencies; 
                and
                  (J) any additional information the 
                Administrator determines necessary.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *