Legislative Action in Congress: Small Business Support & Training

By SBE Council at 25 May, 2022, 10:14 am

SMALL BUSINESS INSIDER

By Karen Kerrigan –

While the biggest challenges facing small businesses are inflation, supply chain challenges, labor costs and shortages, high health coverage costs, and the direction of the economy in general, there are legislative initiatives moving through Congress that would assist the small business community with training, regulatory compliance, guidance and support on cybersecurity and internet access, and other federal contracting and program accountability matters.

Here is a list of bills that recently advanced in the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and U.S. House Small Business Committee:

Senate Small Business Committee Action

On May 18, the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship passed four bills, by voice vote:

The Small Business Cyber Training Act of 2021 (S. 1687): The bill would create a program to train counselors at Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) to provide cybersecurity guidance to small business owners. The bill was introduced by Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.).

The Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act (S. 3564): The bill would formally authorize the Boots to Business program for 5 years, and codify the goals and requirements of the program. The bill was introduced by Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa).

The One Stop Shop for Small Business Compliance Act (S. 3595): The bill would require the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to maintain a website with hyperlinks to the small business compliance guides of each federal agency, as well as the relevant points of contact for the guides. The bill was introduced by Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), and Shaheen.

The Small Business Broadband and Emerging Information Technology Enhancement Act (S. 3906): The bill would equip the SBA with the leadership and resources necessary to help small businesses access broadband internet. The bill was Introduced by Senators Shaheen and John Kennedy (R-La.).

House Small Business Committee Action

On May 11, the House Committee on Small Business advanced seven bipartisan bills:

H.R. 7352, the “PPP and Bank Fraud Enforcement Harmonization Act of 2022”:
The bill would establish a 10-year statute of limitations for all forms of PPP loan fraud, including cases involving fintech originated loans, consistent with that for bank fraud. It was introduced by Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) and Ranking Member Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO).

H.R. 7334, the “COVID-19 EIDL Fraud Statute of Limitations Act of 2022”:
The bill would establish a 10-year statute of limitations for all COVID EIDL fraud, including for EIDL Advances and Targeted EIDL Advances. The 10-year statute of limitations is consistent with that for bank fraud. It was introduced by Ranking Member Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) and Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY).

H.R. 7622, the “Small Business Workforce Pipeline Act of 2022”:
The bill would allow Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) to provide assistance to small businesses regarding apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and job training programs by disseminating information from the Department of Labor. The bill was introduced by Reps. Jason Crow (D-CO), Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and Andrew Garbarino (R-NY).

H.R. 7664, the “Supporting Small Business and Career and Technical Education Act of 2022”:
The bill would help small businesses meet their hiring needs. This legislation directs SBDCs and Women Business Centers to assist small businesses in hiring graduates from career and technical education programs, in addition to the existing services SBDCs and WBCs provide. Additionally, this legislation supports career and technical education graduates by directing SBDCs and WBCs to assist them in starting up a small business. The bill was introduced by Reps. Roger Williams (R-TX) and Marie Newman (D-IL).

H.R. 7670, the “Women-Owned Small Business Program Transparency Act”:
The bill would establish reporting requirements for the Women Owned Small Business Program, furthering transparency, accountability and ensuring that Congress receives the necessary data to closely monitor these issues. In particular, it would require SBA to provide information as to the amount of federal contracting dollars awarded through the program, the number of certifications being issued, the amount of program examinations being conducted, the number of companies being decertified, and the number of contracts incorrectly awarded under industries or NAICS codes ineligible to the program, as well as any actions taken by SBA to properly train agency personnel. The bill was introduced by Reps. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and Claudia Tenney (R-NY).

H.R. 5879, the “Hubzone Price Evaluation Preference Clarification Act of 2021”:
The bill would seek to clarify that the price evaluation preference, which allows HUBZone businesses to compete on a level playing field with regard to federal contracts, does apply to orders. The bill was introduced by Reps. Marie Newman (D-IL) and Maria Salazar (R-FL).

H.R. 7694, the “Strengthening Subcontracting for Small Businesses Act of 2022”:
The bill would encourage compliance of federal subcontracting plans by extending the requirement that an agency must consider prior compliance with these plans when evaluating an offeror’s past performance to all contract awards that include a subcontracting plan. It was introduced by Reps. Pete Stauber (R-MN) and Kweisi Mfume (D-MD).

Outlook

Congress has a lot on its plate this summer and leading up to the mid-term elections. However, as we’ve seen in the past, bipartisan bills of this nature do have a way of winding their way through the complex and congested legislative calendar and onto the President’s desk.

We’ll keep you updated on the progress of these efforts, and of course other key issues that impact the health and competitiveness of America’s small business sector.

Karen Kerrigan is president & CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.