To amend the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to establish a vocational and technical entrepreneurship development program.

January 24, 2005

Mr. KERRY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

To amend the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to establish a vocational and technical entrepreneurship development program.

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 `Vocational and Technical Entrepreneurship Development Act of 2005'.

SEC. 2. VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended--

(1) by redesignating section 37 as section 38; and

(2) by inserting after section 36 the following:

`SEC. 37. VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

`(a) Definitions- In this section, the following definitions shall apply:

`(1) ADMINISTRATOR- The term `Administrator' means the Administrator of the Small Business Administration.

`(2) ASSOCIATION- The term `Association' means the association of small business development centers recognized under section 21(a)(3)(A).

`(3) PROGRAM- The term `program' means the program established under subsection (b).

`(4) SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER- The term `small business development center' means a small business development center described in section 21.

`(5) STATE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER- The term `State small business development center' means a small business development center from each State selected by the Administrator, in consultation with the Association and giving substantial weight to the Association's recommendations, to carry out the program on a statewide basis in such State.

`(b) Establishment- In accordance with this section, the Administrator shall establish a program under which the Administrator shall make grants to State small business development centers to enable such centers to provide, on a statewide basis, technical assistance to secondary schools, or to postsecondary vocational or technical schools, for the development and implementation of curricula designed to promote vocational and technical entrepreneurship.

`(c) Grant Amount-

`(1) MINIMUM GRANT- Each grant awarded under the program shall be in an amount equal to not less than $200,000.

`(2) NO MATCHING REQUIREMENT- The Administrator shall not require, as a condition of receiving a grant under this section, that the applicant provide a matching amount, either in cash or in-kind contributions.

`(d) Application- Each State small business development center seeking a grant under the program shall submit to the Administrator an application in such form as the Administrator may require. The application shall include information regarding the goals and objectives of the applicant for the educational programs to be assisted.

`(e) Report to Administrator- The Administrator shall make as a condition of each grant under the program, that not later than 18 months after the date of receipt of the grant, the recipient shall transmit to the Administrator a report describing how the grant funds were used.

`(f) Cooperative Agreements and Contracts- The Administrator may enter into a cooperative agreement or contract with any State small business development center receiving a grant under this section to provide additional assistance that furthers the purposes of this section.

`(g) Evaluation of Program- Not later than March 31, 2008, the Administrator shall transmit to Congress a report containing an evaluation of the program.

`(h) Clearinghouse- The Association shall act as a clearinghouse of information and expertise regarding vocational and technical entrepreneurship education programs. In each fiscal year in which grants are made under the program, the Administrator shall provide additional assistance to the Association to carry out the functions described in this subsection.

`(i) Authorization of Appropriations- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $7,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2008. Such sums shall remain available until expended.'.

END