To establish the Native American Entrepreneurs Program to provide $3,000,000 in grants annually to qualified organizations to provide training and technical assistance to disadvantaged Native American entrepreneurs.

July 29 (legislative day, JULY 21), 2003

Mr. BINGAMAN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs

To establish the Native American Entrepreneurs Program to provide $3,000,000 in grants annually to qualified organizations to provide training and technical assistance to disadvantaged Native American entrepreneurs.

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 `Native American Entrepreneurs Act of 2003.'.

SEC. 2. NATIVE AMERICAN ENTREPRENEURS PROGRAM.

Subtitle C of title I of the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994 (15 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.) is amended--

(1) by redesignating section 181 as section 182; and

(2) by striking section 180 and inserting the following:

`SEC. 180. NATIVE AMERICAN ENTREPRENEURS PROGRAM.

`(a) AUTHORIZATION- The Administrator, through the Office of Native American Affairs, shall establish a Native American entrepreneurs program to provide grants to qualified organizations to provide training and technical assistance to disadvantaged Native American entrepreneurs who are seeking to start their own small businesses.

`(b) USE OF FUNDS- Grants provided under this subsection shall be used to--

`(1) provide training and technical assistance to low and very-low income Native American entrepreneurs and prospective entrepreneurs; and

`(2) assist in the creation, development, and expansion of small business concerns owned by Native Americans.

`(c) QUALIFIED ORGANIZATIONS- For purposes of eligibility for assistance under this subsection, a qualified organization shall be--

`(1) a nonprofit microenterprise development organization or program (or a group or collaborative thereof) that has a demonstrated record of delivering microenterprise services to Native American entrepreneurs;

`(2) an intermediary;

`(3) a microenterprise development organization or program that is accountable to an Indian tribe; or

`(4) an Indian tribe acting on its own, if the Indian tribe can certify that no private organization or program referred to in paragraphs (1) through (3) exists within its jurisdiction.

`SEC. 181. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

`(a) MICROENTERPRISE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY BUILDING GRANT PROGRAM- There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator, to carry out the microenterprise technical assistance and capacity building grant program established pursuant to section 173, to remain available until expended--

`(1) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;

`(2) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and

`(3) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.

`(b) NATIVE AMERICAN ENTREPRENEURS PROGRAM- There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator, to carry out the Native American entrepreneurs program established pursuant to section 180, to remain available until expended--

`(1) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;

`(2) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and

`(3) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.'.

END