To direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to establish Veterans Business Outreach Centers and Technical Mentoring Assistance Committees.

September 29, 2005

Mr. AKIN (for himself and Mr. CASE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Small Business

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.

`(3) MEMBERSHIP-

`(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:

`(I) Lending.

`(II) Accounting.

`(III) Insurance.

`(IV) Taxation.

`(V) Legal service.

`(VI) Business planning.

`(VII) Marketing.

`(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