109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3939
To direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to
establish Veterans Business Outreach Centers and Technical Mentoring Assistance
Committees.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 29, 2005
Mr. AKIN (for himself and Mr. CASE) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Small Business
A BILL
To direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to
establish Veterans Business Outreach Centers and Technical Mentoring Assistance
Committees.
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 `Entrepreneur Soldiers Empowerment Act'.
SEC. 2. VETERANS BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS AND TECHNICAL AND MENTORING ASSISTANCE
COMMITTEES.
(a) Establishment- Section 32 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657c) is
amended by adding at the end the following new subsections:
`(c) Veterans Business Outreach Centers-
`(1) ESTABLISHMENT- The Administrator, acting through the Associate Administrator
for Veterans Business Development, shall establish Veterans Business Outreach
Centers to offer business planning assistance to veterans.
`(2) NUMBER AND LOCATION- The Administrator shall establish not less than
one Veterans Business Outreach Center in each geographic region.
`(3) DUTIES- The duties of each Veterans Business Outreach Center are as follows:
`(A) To provide business planning assistance to veterans.
`(B) To offer information about continuity planning for small businesses
in the event of an owner or essential employee who is a member of the National
Guard or Reserve Components of the Armed Forces being called to serve on
active duty.
`(d) Technical and Mentoring Assistance Committees-
`(1) ESTABLISHMENT- The Administrator, acting through the Associate Administrator
for Veterans Business Development, shall establish a Technical and Mentoring
Assistance Committee in each District Office service location where no Veterans
Business Outreach Center has been established.
`(2) RESPONSIBILITIES- A Technical and Mentoring Assistance Committee established
pursuant to paragraph (1) shall--
`(A) identify and recruit local volunteers to serve as veterans business
mentors to provide assistance and guidance to members of the Reserve Component
who own small businesses or are entrepreneurs and to the family members
of such members and the caretakers of such member's businesses while such
members are serving on active duty;
`(B) plan and initiate training and outreach seminars and programs designed
to support small business ownership among members of the Reserve Component,
their family members, veterans, and service-disabled veterans;
`(C) prepare a plan every five years and submit such plan to the Administrator
for approval; and
`(D) prepare and submit to the Administrator an annual budget request based
on the plan and the State veteran population.
`(A) IN GENERAL- Each Technical and Mentoring Assistance Committee shall
be composed of members appointed by the Administrator and shall include
the following individuals:
`(i) The District Director of the Administration or the Regional Administrator.
`(ii) The Director of Veterans Affairs for each State served by the Committee.
`(iii) The Director of the Small Business Development Center for each
State served by the Committee.
`(B) VOLUNTEER MEMBERS- The Administrator shall consult with and encourage
the voluntary participation as members of the Committee of the following
individuals:
`(i) The Director of Economic Development for each State served by the
Committee.
`(ii) The Director of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve for
each State served by the Committee.
`(iii) The Adjutant General of the National Guard for each State served
by the Committee.
`(iv) The Director of the Service Corps of Retired Executives for each
State served by the Committee.
`(v) Small business owners who are veterans and members of the Reserve
Component.
`(vi) Representatives of State and local small business associations.
`(vii) The State adjutants of Congressionally chartered veterans service
organizations.
`(viii) Small business owners and mentors who are veterans and who have
expertise in the following areas:
`(4) NO COMPENSATION- Members of the Technical and Mentoring Assistance Committees
shall serve without pay.'.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations- There is authorized to be appropriated
to carry out subparagraphs (c) and (d) of section 32 of the Small Business Act
(15 U.S.C. 657c), as added by subsection (a)--
(1) $200,000 for each Veterans Business Outreach Center established pursuant
to section 32(c) of such Act for fiscal year 2006 and each subsequent fiscal
year; and
(2) $20,000 for each Technical and Mentoring Assistance Committee established
pursuant to section 32(d) of such Act for fiscal year 2006 and each subsequent
fiscal year.
END