This week, the House passed legislation to expand the Small Business Administration (SBA) Women’s Business Programs Act (H.R. 2397), the SBA Veterans’ Program Act (H.R. 2366), and the SBA Entrepreneurial Development program (H.R. 2359). The House Small Business Committee approved the measures, by voice vote, on May 23 (see The Source , 5/25/07).
On June 18, the House approved, by voice vote, H.R. 2397, sponsored by Rep. Mary Fallin (R-OK). The bill would revise the funding formula for Women Business Centers, require the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) to conduct a study of the challenges facing women entrepreneurs, and require the NWBC to report biannually on its progress.
Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) said, “[T]here is no question that the face of small business is changing in this country. Women entrepreneurs now account for 50 percent of all small business owners and are growing at a phenomenal rate. The SBA Women’s [Business] Programs Act of 2007, sponsored by Congresswoman Fallin, works to enhance opportunities for women by increasing access to in-depth, outcome-oriented counseling and training. It strengthens SBA’s Women’s Business Centers to ensure that they continue to serve the important role of assisting small business owners.”
Rep. Fallin said, “This bill, the SBA Women’s Business [Programs] Act of 2007, will strengthen the Women’s Business Centers program that was established in 1997 by making it more efficient and more accountable. The Women’s Business Centers are a very important part of the grant programs that are funded by the Small Business Administration. Today, Women’s Business Centers all across the country are providing women entrepreneurs with much-needed technical assistance in starting and operating their own small businesses.”
On June 18, the House also approved, by voice vote, H.R. 2366, sponsored by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL). The bill would provide technical assistance to veterans interested in starting their own businesses, require the Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD) to report on its progress in providing such assistance to veterans, expand the Veterans Business Outreach Center program, and conduct a study on the needs of veterans as they return to their communities and seek economic opportunities. In addition, the measure would establish within the OVBD a Women Veterans Business Training program, which would compile and distribute information on resources available to women veterans.
On June 20, the House passed, 405-18, The SBA Entrepreneurial Development Program Act, sponsored by Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA). The measure includes provisions to help Small Business Development Centers; would provide grants to help baby-boomer entrepreneurs and to assist small businesses with capital access, disaster recovery, innovation and competitiveness, affordable health insurance, regulatory assistance, sustainability; and increase the number of Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) volunteers.
