[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 68 (Monday, April 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24556-24557]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-07325]


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SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION


Solicitations of Nominations

AGENCY: Small Business Administration (SBA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The SBA requests nominations of individuals to the Small 
Business Lending Advisory Council (Lending Council). The SBA will 
consider nominations received in response to this notice, as well as 
from other sources.

DATES: Nominations will be accepted through May 10, 2024 on a rolling 
basis. The SBA will retain nominations received after this date for 
consideration should additional vacancies occur.

ADDRESSES: All nominations should be emailed to [email protected] 
with the subject line 2024 Lending Council Nomination.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alejandro Contreras, Acting Director, 
Office of Financial Assistance, [email protected] or (202) 205-
6436. The phone number may also be reached by individuals who are deaf 
or hard of hearing, or who have speech disabilities, through the 
Federal Communications Commission's TTY-Based Telecommunications Relay 
Service teletype service at 711.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Small Business Lending Advisory Council 
(Lending Council) is being established as a Federal Advisory Committee 
in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (Pub. L. 
92-463, 5 U.S.C. 10. The following provides information about the 
Committee, membership, and the nomination process.

I. Objectives and Duties

    1. The Small Business Lending Advisory Council: advises the SBA 
Administrator on matters broadly related to facilitating greater access 
and availability of capital for small business, especially in 
underserved communities; provides feedback and input on pending and 
enacted changes relevant to the small business lending community; 
cultivating greater public-private engagement, cooperation, and 
collaboration; develops recommendations for additions or enhancements 
to SBA programs and services to address long-term capital access gaps 
faced by small businesses and obstacles faced by the lenders that seek 
to support them.
    2. The Lending Council will provide advice and recommendations to 
SBA on matters relating to small business lending, private sector 
innovation in the small business lending community, and policy 
impacting small businesses' ability to access capital, especially in 
underserved communities.
    3. Committee members will examine the issues, challenges and 
obstacles facing small businesses seeking access to capital, lenders 
seeking to provide those small businesses capital under the various SBA 
capital access programs, underserved and under-resourced communities 
and the stakeholders supporting them in these subject areas and 
recommend to SBA policy and programmatic changes to help strengthen and 
refine SBA's programs and services to better facilitate the flow of 
capital to small businesses.
    4. The Lending Council will submit to the SBA Administrator and the 
Associate Administrator for the Office of Capital Access a report 
containing a detailed description of the Committee's activities; its 
findings, conclusions, and recommendations; and recommendations for 
such administrative actions as the Lending Council considers 
appropriate to fulfill the purpose and objectives for which the 
Committee has been created.
    5. The Lending Council will function solely as an advisory body and 
shall comply fully with the provisions of the FACA and the Small 
Business Act and applicable rules and regulations.
    6. The Lending Council will report to the SBA Administrator and the 
Associate Administrator for the Office of Capital Access.

II. Membership

    1. The Lending Council shall consist of no more than twenty-five 
(25) members appointed by the SBA Administrator and will serve in a 
representative capacity.
    a. Seventeen (17) members may consist of current or former 
representatives of small business leaders, community leaders, 
representatives of financial institutions, and members of the small 
business lending community;
    b. Four (4) members may consist of small business advocates, 
research organizations, or members of the financial support and 
inclusion community;
    c. One (1) member shall be a designated representative of the 
Department of Treasury, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency;
    d. One (1) member shall be a designated representative of the 
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau;
    e. One (1) member shall be a designated representative of the 
Department of Agriculture;
    f. One (1) member shall be a designated representative of the 
Federal Reserve Board. Representatives of federal agencies shall be 
designated by the head of their respective department or agency.
    2. Members shall be appointed for two (2) year terms and may not 
serve for more than three consecutive terms if the council is renewed.
    3. In appointing members of the Lending Council, the Administrator 
shall, to the extent practicable, ensure that the members appointed 
reflect geographic (including both urban and rural areas), racial, 
gender, and economic diversity.
    4. The SBA Administrator shall appoint a Chairperson and Vice 
Chairperson from the membership of the Lending Council.

III. Miscellaneous

    1. The SBA will not compensate members of the Lending Council for 
their services, but shall, on request, reimburse travel expenses as 
authorized by 5 U.S.C. 5703. All necessary staff support services, 
facilities, and expenses will, to the extent permitted by law and 
subject to the availability of funds, be furnished by the SBA Office of 
Capital Access.
    2. The Lending Council shall meet at least three (3) times per year 
at the call of the Designated Federal Officer in consultation with the 
Chairperson, or at the request of the SBA Administrator. There will be 
one in person meeting held each year, with two virtual meetings.
    3. The Designated Federal Officer for the Lending Council is the 
career Deputy Associate Administrator, Office

[[Page 24557]]

of Capital Access, or any other full-time or part-time employee 
designated and assigned by the SBA Administrator.

IV. Nomination Information

    1. Nominations are requested as described below.
    2. Nominees must have experience and technical expertise in such 
areas as commercial lending, small business finance, government-
guaranteed lending, small business advocacy or advisement, and 
expertise needed to provide advice on SBA's loan programs.
    3. The SBA is especially interested in receiving applications from 
persons with expertise in small business finance for underserved 
communities, including rural communities and high-poverty communities.
    4. Individuals, groups, and/or organizations may submit nominations 
on behalf of individual candidates. Nominees must be able to actively 
participate in the tasks of the Lending Council, including, but not 
limited to, regular meeting attendance, Committee meeting discussant 
responsibilities, review of materials, as well as participation in 
conference calls, webinars, working groups, and/or special Committee 
activities.
    5. Self-nominations are permitted.
    6. Nomination emails sent to [email protected] should include:
    a. The subject line 2024 Lending Council Nomination.
    b. The first and last name of the nominee, as well as the nominee's 
phone number and email address.
    c. The nominator, including either the first and last name of the 
nominator and their current title, or the name of the organization.
    d. The nominee's state of residence.
    e. A nomination letter, not to exceed 2 pages, that highlights the 
reason the nominee should serve on the Lending Council.
    f. A summary of the nominee's qualifications in a resum[eacute] or 
curriculum vitae, not to exceed 3 pages.
    7. The SBA is committed to equal opportunity in the workplace and 
seeks diverse membership.

    Dated: April 2, 2024.
Andrienne Johnson,
Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-07325 Filed 4-5-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8026-09-P