[House Hearing, 117 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                MARKUP OF: H.R. 6445, ``SMALL BUSINESS 
                  DEVELOPMENT CENTERS IMPROVEMENT ACT 
                  OF 2022'' H.R. 6441, ``WOMEN'S BUSINESS 
                  CENTERS IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2022'' H.R. 
                  6450, ``SCORE FOR SMALL BUSINESS ACT OF 
                  2022'' H.R. 4877, ``ONE STOP SHOP FOR SMALL 
                  BUSINESS COMPLIANCE ACT OF 2021'' H.R. 
                  6454, ``SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCACY 
                  IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 2022''

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                      COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS
                             UNITED STATES
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                    ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION

                               __________

                              HEARING HELD
                            FEBRUARY 3, 2022

                               __________

[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
                               

            Small Business Committee Document Number 117-044
             Available via the GPO Website: www.govinfo.gov
             
                               __________

                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE                    
46-929                     WASHINGTON : 2022                     
          
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                  HOUSE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS

                 NYDIA VELAZQUEZ, New York, Chairwoman
                          JARED GOLDEN, Maine
                          JASON CROW, Colorado
                         SHARICE DAVIDS, Kansas
                         KWEISI MFUME, Maryland
                        DEAN PHILLIPS, Minnesota
                         MARIE NEWMAN, Illinois
                       CAROLYN BOURDEAUX, Georgia
                         TROY CARTER, Louisiana
                          JUDY CHU, California
                       DWIGHT EVANS, Pennsylvania
                       ANTONIO DELGADO, New York
                     CHRISSY HOULAHAN, Pennsylvania
                          ANDY KIM, New Jersey
                         ANGIE CRAIG, Minnesota
              BLAINE LUETKEMEYER, Missouri, Ranking Member
                         ROGER WILLIAMS, Texas
                        JIM HAGEDORN, Minnesota
                        PETE STAUBER, Minnesota
                        DAN MEUSER, Pennsylvania
                        CLAUDIA TENNEY, New York
                       ANDREW GARBARINO, New York
                         YOUNG KIM, California
                         BETH VAN DUYNE, Texas
                         BYRON DONALDS, Florida
                         MARIA SALAZAR, Florida
                      SCOTT FITZGERALD, Wisconsin

                 Melissa Jung, Majority Staff Director
            Ellen Harrington, Majority Deputy Staff Director
                     David Planning, Staff Director
                            
                            C O N T E N T S

                           OPENING STATEMENTS

                                                                   Page
Hon. Sharice Davids..............................................     1
Hon. Blaine Luetkemeyer..........................................     3

                                APPENDIX

Additional Material for the Record:
    H.R. 6445, ``Small Business Development Centers Improvement 
      Act of 2022''..............................................    18
    H.R. 6441, ``Women's Business Centers Improvement Act of 
      2022''.....................................................    31
    H.R. 6450, ``Score for Small Business Act of 2022''..........    67
    H.R. 4877, ``One Stop Shop for Small Business Compliance Act 
      of 2021''..................................................    86
    H.R. 6454, ``Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act of 
      2022''.....................................................    88

 
                MARKUP OF: H.R. 6445, ``SMALL BUSINESS 
  DEVELOPMENT CENTERS IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2022'' H.R. 6441, ``WOMEN'S 
BUSINESS CENTERS IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2022'' H.R. 6450, ``SCORE FOR SMALL 
 BUSINESS ACT OF 2022'' H.R. 4877, ``ONE STOP SHOP FOR SMALL BUSINESS 
         COMPLIANCE ACT OF 2021'' H.R. 6454, ``SMALL BUSINESS 
                  ADVOCACY IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 2022''

                              ----------                              


                       THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2022

                  House of Representatives,
               Committee on Small Business,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The committee met, pursuant to call, at 10:00 a.m., in Room 
2360, Rayburn House Office Building and on Zoom. Hon. Sharice 
Davids [member of the Committee] presiding.
    Present: Representatives Davids, Golden, Crow, Mfume, 
Phillips, Newman, Bourdeaux, Carter, Chu, Evans, Delgado, 
Houlahan, Andy Kim, Craig, Luetkemeyer, Williams, Hagedorn, 
Stauber, Meuser, Tenney, Garbarino, Young Kim, Van Duyne, 
Donalds, Salazar, and Fitzgerald.
    Ms. DAVIDS. Good morning. With a quorum being present I 
call this morning's meeting of the Committee on Small Business 
to order.
    Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare a 
recess at any time.
    First, I want to start off by stating that I have the 
pleasure of chairing this hearing in place of Chairwoman 
Velazquez who is unable to attend.
    I would like to begin by noting some important 
requirements. Let me begin by saying that standing House and 
Committee rules and practice will continue to apply during 
hybrid proceedings. All Members are reminded that they are 
expected to adhere to these standing rules including decorum.
    House regulations require Members to be visible through a 
video connection throughout the proceeding, so please keep your 
cameras on. Also, please remember to remain muted until you are 
recognized to minimize background noise.
    For those Members and staff physically present in the 
Committee room today, in accordance with the attending 
physician's most recent guidance, all Members and staff who 
attend this hybrid markup in person will be required to wear 
masks in the hearing room.
    As required by House rules, copies of the measures have 
been made available to Members and the public at least 24 hours 
in advance.
    Small businesses are the cornerstones of our communities 
and have been hit hard throughout the pandemic. It is important 
that we come together to ensure small businesses across the 
country have access to SBA programs that will help them thrive.
    SBA offers a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem that offers 
free or low-cost counseling and training to small business 
owners across the country. Whether it is helping to create a 
business plan, navigating the procurement process, marketing a 
new product, or identifying trade opportunities, SBA, through 
its resource partners, offers a wide range of services and 
helps more than a million small business owners every year. 
These programs have a proven track record of success in 
assisting America's entrepreneurs and small business owners.
    Throughout this Congress, we have consistently asked our 
witnesses, how can we better assist America's small businesses? 
Are SBA's entrepreneurial development programs working 
effectively? How can the Committee modernize and expand their 
reach? We have heard time and time again that SBA's 
entrepreneurial development programs are vital to small 
employers and access to them is pivotal to success. Witnesses 
also shared that more can be done to expand their reach, 
particularly in rural and traditionally underserved areas. This 
Committee has taken what we learned to heart and crafted three 
bipartisan bills to strengthen the counseling and training 
programs at SBA.
    In addition to those three bills, we are considering a bill 
that would improve access to federal small business compliance 
guides and a bill that would ensure American small business 
interests are represented on the global stage.
    The five bills the Committee is considering today are H.R. 
6445, the ``Small Business Development Centers Improvement Act 
of 2022,'' introduced by Mr. Golden and cosponsored by Mr. 
Hagedorn; H.R. 6441, the ``Women's Business Centers Improvement 
Act of 2022,'' introduced by myself and cosponsored by Ms. 
Tenney; H.R. 6450, the ``SCORE for Small Business Act of 
2022,'' introduced by Mrs. Young Kim and cosponsored by Ms. 
Craig; H.R. 4877, the ``One Stop Shop for Small Business 
Compliance Act of 2021,'' introduced by Mr. Delgado and 
cosponsored by Ms. Van Duyne; and finally, H.R. 6454, the 
``Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act of 2022,'' 
introduced by Ranking Member Luetkemeyer and Mr. Carter.
    I am proud to be lending my strong support for these five 
bipartisan bills. I want to thank the Ranking Member and his 
staff for collaborating on this package. I would also like to 
thank all our Members on both sides of the aisle for their 
efforts to improve SBA's programs.
    I would now like to recognize the Ranking Member, Mr. 
Luetkemeyer, for his opening statement.
    Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Good morning. Thank you, Madam Chair, for 
holding this markup on legislation that I think will continue 
to put the nation's job creators first.
    Small businesses in every shape and form continue to feel 
the devastating effects of strong economic headwinds, from the 
highest inflation rate in 40 years to supply chain issues, to 
labor shortages that have left the nation with 10.9 million 
open jobs, small businesses are facing severe economic 
conditions. Too often, storefronts and other main street 
businesses have had to reduce hours or change their operations 
due to these challenges.
    However, small business owners and their employees are some 
of the most resilient workers in America. This is apparent 
through their innovation and risk taking. These are the 
characteristics that drive our economy to new heights. These 
are the factors that support our communities and neighbors. 
These are the qualities that build our next entrepreneurs.
    When small business owners are able to plan with certainty 
and make calculated risks, our nation moves forward.
    Now, let me tell you, our nation is not short of great 
business concepts or ideas that could turn into the next great 
American product or service. Unfortunately, all too often the 
federal government gets in their way. This is why it was a 
victory for small businesses when the vaccine mandate was 
halted.
    Congress must be aware of these federal policies that 
disadvantage the nation's true job creators. Pro-growth 
policies work. They put small business owners in charge instead 
of the federal government. We know we must create a small 
business environment that fosters expansion, prudent risk 
taking, and job growth.
    At the same time, it is also critical to examine the 
federal agency that was created to assist and help the nation's 
small businesses, and that is what we are here today to 
discuss.
    The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in new awareness of the 
Small Business Administration's tools and services. Millions of 
small businesses now have a better understanding of the SBA. 
Given this heightened attention, the SBA's entrepreneurial 
development programs must be right-sized and recalibrated to 
meet the needs of today's business workers and owners.
    Today's markup will feature three bills that improve the 
SBA's Small Business Development Centers program, the SBA's 
Women's Business Centers program, and the SBA's SCORE program. 
Additionally, the Committee will look to enhance and streamline 
information that is published by agencies as it pertains to the 
impact of federal regulations on small businesses. Federal 
regulations have an outside impact on small businesses, and we 
need to take a look at those. We must work to ensure regulatory 
red tape is limited and H.R. 4877 is a step in this direction.
    Lastly, the Committee will examine my bill to bolster the 
SBA's independent Office of Advocacy and its role in reporting 
on international economic matters. Having an independent voice 
that speaks on behalf of small business is critical to all 
trade matters. H.R. 6454 will ensure the SBA's Office of 
Advocacy does just that.
    Every piece of legislation before us today will work for 
and on behalf of the nation's small businesses, entrepreneurs, 
startups, and innovators. These are important reforms that need 
our attention.
    I would like to thank each Member for working with their 
colleagues to address and highlight these matters. 
Additionally, I would like to thank the Chair for working to 
advance these bipartisan bills. It is important to remember, 
when small businesses are growing, so is our economy.
    Before I conclude, I would like to mention that this 
Committee needs to continue to examine the approximately $1 
trillion in COVID relief that flowed to small businesses over 
the last 2 years. A part of this examination is hearing from 
administration officials in charge of these programs. 
Unfortunately, Secretary Yellen, who is required by law to 
testify before this Committee, and thus far, she has refused to 
do so. She continues to turn her back on small businesses. This 
cannot be allowed to continue. She is also required by this 
same law to report to this Committee two times this coming 
year. Will she finally show up? Will she finally do her 
statutory duty? Who knows? The bottom line is that she needs to 
finally submit to the law, discontinue her blatant disregard 
for the law and this Committee.
    With that, Madam Chair, I look forward to today's markup 
and I yield back.
    Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you very much. The gentleman yields back.
    Before we get into the individual bills, are there any 
Members present who seek recognition for the purpose of making 
an opening statement?
    Seeing none, we will move to consideration of H.R. 6445, 
the ``Small Business Development Centers Improvement Act of 
2022,'' introduced by Representative Golden and cosponsored by 
Representative Hagedorn. This bill would modernize and improve 
the Small Business Development Centers program.
    I would now like to recognize the gentleman from Maine, Mr. 
Golden, the sponsor of the bill for an opening statement.
    H.R. 6445
    Mr. GOLDEN. Thank you, Madam Chair.
    Small business development centers (SBDCs) are SBA's 
largest resource partner. In Maine, the state's lead SBDC runs 
11 outreach locations in my district. Maine's SBDCs have an 
annual impact that includes advising 2,956 small businesses.
    The impact that SBDC services have on local business owners 
should not be underestimated. I have heard from numerous 
business owners about the great value they found in SBDC 
services. Some of them have said things to myself in meetings 
or to SBDC staff in the district or to my team back home in 
Maine--things like the following:
    ``Risking everything we had to pursue dreams of starting 
our own business was terrifying but access to our local SBDC 
program and advisors gave us tools we needed to persevere over 
the many hurdles confronting small business startups.''
    ``We cannot stress enough how invaluable we have found 
their services to be.''
    Another success story is a veteran-owned Frenchman Bay 
Oyster Company. The owner, Graham, who I know well, told my 
staff that his relationship with the Maine SBDC is 
irreplaceable. He worked with an SBDC advisor on a business 
plan and a successful grant application that is helping him to 
grow his business.
    As impressive as these stories and statistics are, they 
represent only a fraction of Maine's 33,500 small businesses. 
My bipartisan bill, the ``Small Business Development Centers 
Improvement Act of 2022,'' H.R. 6445, will help more small 
businesses access these services in two ways.
    First, by clarifying that centers are allowed to market 
their services, it will address the common feedback I hear that 
Maine small businesses do not know about the valuable resources 
that SBDCs provide. Greater awareness of the services available 
through these programs will allow more small businesses to 
receive entrepreneurial assistance without imposing any more 
financial burdens on SBDCs, the SBA, or the taxpayer.
    Second, it will increase SBDC's capacity and impact by 
raising their funding authorization by $40 million annually. 
Along with other provisions in the bill, these changes will 
help small businesses across the country reach their full 
potential.
    I would like to thank Mr. Hagedorn, the Chairwoman, the 
Ranking Member, and their staff for their bipartisan work in 
support of this important program and I yield back.
    Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentleman yields back.
    I would now like to recognize the gentleman from Minnesota, 
Mr. Hagedorn, for an opening statement.
    Mr. Hagedorn, you are muted currently.
    Mr. HAGEDORN. How about that? Is that better?
    Ms. DAVIDS. Sounds good.
    Mr. HAGEDORN. Okay. Madam Chair, thank you for the 
opportunity. I appreciate it very much and it is good to be 
with everyone on this really bipartisan day in small business 
and that is the way we should be doing our business. I am 
pleased that things are going along that way today. I want to 
thank my colleague, Representative Golden, Chairman Golden for 
his bipartisan work, and those on the Committee that want to 
help us move along with our small business development centers. 
This is an important bill that we have been working on for a 
little while and let's just face it, over the last 40 years 
America's small business development centers have served as a 
pillar for both emerging entrepreneurs and long-time small 
business owners alike. I have spoken with many people in my 
district who have really gotten their start or gotten a lot of 
help early on in order to get their businesses going through 
the small business development centers. Some of them are very 
lucrative businesses today so this is a program that is working 
and reauthorizing, it makes a lot of sense.
    The services our SBDCs are able to offer have become 
increasingly critical to help ensure our main street business 
partners can survive through the COVID pandemic. Hopefully, we 
are turning the corner there, but it has been a long road here 
the last couple of years, no doubt about that. This legislation 
would reauthorize the SBDC program at $175 million through 
fiscal year 2025 to further modernize and strengthen the SBDC 
network. Specifically, H.R. 6445 would increase much-needed 
oversight by requiring SBA to provide Congress with an annual 
report on program effectiveness while also enabling increased 
awareness of the services of the SBDC programs it has to offer. 
That is all by eliminating the prohibition on marketing for 
SBDCs, some that are probably long overdue.
    The feedback my office has received from small business 
owners often revolved around these businesses not having been 
aware of the SBDC services available to them. I guess there 
just was not enough marketing out there. We needed to make sure 
people knew what was going on. This bill is going to help in 
that regard. I am pleased that we are going to address these 
concerns through this legislation.
    Minnesota's 1st District is home to two SBDC locations, the 
South Central Regional SBDC located at Rochester Community 
College and Technical College, and then, of course, the 
Southeast Regional SBDC located at Minnesota State University 
in Mankato. They have multiple satellite locations across 
Minnesota, especially southern Minnesota. Our SBDCs have been a 
lifeline to our small business owners and in some of the most 
hopeless and uncertain times they have helped get them through. 
It is important that the Committee act in bipartisan fashion to 
ensure these services continue to assist our small businesses 
in their long-term economic growth.
    I humbly ask that my colleagues support H.R. 6445 and I 
yield back. Thank you.
    Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you, Mr. Hagedorn. It is good to see you.
    The gentleman yields back.
    Are there any other Members who wish to be recognized for a 
statement on H.R. 6445?
    I would now like to recognize the Ranking Member.
    Mr. LUETKEMEYER. I would like to thank the gentleman from 
Maine, Mr. Golden, and the gentleman from Minnesota, Mr. 
Hagedorn, for working on this legislation in the 117th 
Congress. This Congress, the Committee has heard from small 
business development centers (SBDCs) and small businesses who 
have benefitted from SBDC's services. Specifically, in March of 
last year, the Subcommittee on Underserved, Agricultural, and 
Rural Business Development heard from the Minnesota SBDC state 
director on the important work SBDCs conduct for small 
businesses. Small business development centers provide valuable 
resources to entrepreneurs and throughout the pandemic have 
supported countless small businesses in accessing SBA's COVID-
19 relief programs. This important legislation will allow SBDCs 
to market their services and expand their network. This 
legislation also ensures SBDC's client information is protected 
and that cooperation, communication, and collaboration between 
the SBA and SBDC networks is improved.
    I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6445 to modernize the 
SBDC program and ensure that SBDCs can continue their important 
services for small businesses.
    With that, Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
    Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentleman yields back.
    I would now like to recognize myself briefly.
    The Small Business Development Centers program is SBA's 
largest resource partner, delivering vital management and 
technical assistance through a network of 62 lead centers and 
nearly 1,000 subcenters throughout the country.
    Since the pandemic began, SBDCs have been inundated with a 
record number of requests for their services. In 2020, SBDCs 
provided counseling and training to almost 500,000 unique 
entrepreneurs and small business owners and helped clients 
start more than 17,000 small businesses and obtain $8.4 billion 
in financing, a 70 percent increase from financing obtained in 
2019.
    First and foremost, this bill would reauthorize the program 
for 4 years and increase the authorization level to $175 
million for each fiscal year. To increase awareness of SBA's 
resource partners, the bill would expand the SBDC programs 
marketing and advertising authority. Finally, this bill, like 
the other entrepreneurial development bills we are considering 
today, would require an annual report to ensure that programs 
are working effectively and aligned with congressional intent.
    Launching a business is not for the faint of heart. 
Strengthening the SBDC network will enable SBDCs to continue to 
provide in-depth business training for aspiring entrepreneurs 
and small business owners, which in turn will spur local 
economic development.
    I want to thank Representative Golden and Representative 
Hagedorn for their bipartisan work on this bill and I urge a 
yes vote.
    If there is no further discussion, the Committee will move 
on to consideration of H.R. 6445.
    The clerk will report the bill.
    The CLERK. H.R. 6445, the Small Business Development 
Centers----
    Ms. DAVIDS. Without objection, H.R. 6445 is considered as 
read and open for amendment at any point.
    Does anyone seek recognition to offer an amendment?
    Seeing none, the question is now on H.R. 6445.
    All in favor, say aye.
    All those opposed, say no.
    In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and H.R. 6445 
is agreed to.
    The question now occurs on reporting H.R. 6445 favorably to 
the House.
    All those in favor, say aye.
    All those opposed, say no.
    In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it. H.R. 6445 is 
reported to the House.
    Without objection, Committee staff is authorized to correct 
punctuation and make other necessary technical corrections and 
conforming changes.
    Without objection, Members have 2 business days to file 
additional, supplemental, dissenting, and minority views.
    Our second bill today is H.R. 6441, the ``Women's Business 
Centers Improvement Act of 2022,'' introduced by myself and 
cosponsored by Congresswoman Tenney. H.R. 6441 would modernize 
and strengthen the Women's Business Centers program.
    I would now like to recognize the gentlewoman from New 
York, Ms. Tenney, for an opening statement.
    Ms. Tenney, I believe you are muted.
    One more try. There we go.
    Ms. TENNEY. How about now?
    Ms. DAVIDS. There we go.
    H.R. 6441
    Ms. TENNEY. All right, good. Thanks.
    As a long-time small business owner in upstate New York, I 
am in support of H.R. 6441, the Women's Business Centers 
Improvement Act legislation that I am honored to lead with 
Representative Davids, who has also spent some time in upstate 
New York and also attended Cornell University Law School, as 
did my dad many, many years ago.
    Throughout our country, women-owned businesses employ 9.4 
million workers and contribute $1.2 trillion to our national 
economy. They play an important part in our communities and 
provide female entrepreneurs an invaluable opportunity to build 
wealth and care for their families.
    Over the past 30 years, the Women's Business Center program 
has helped these entrepreneurs access greater resources and 
find opportunities to grow and build their businesses. Across 
the country there are now 150 locations providing a full range 
of counseling and technical services to 150,000 business owners 
annually.
    In the fiscal year 2020 alone, the Small Business 
Administration revealed there were almost 70,000 jobs supported 
by the Women's Business Centers. These jobs represented 
communities from urban to rural to minority to chronically 
unserved.
    To build on this success and expand the reach of these 
centers into communities like the one I represent in upstate 
New York, I joined with Congresswoman Davids to introduce the 
bipartisan Women's Business Centers Improvement Act. This 
legislation will increase funding available to this proven 
service while enacting commonsense taxpayer protections, and 
oversight provisions to safeguard these public resources and 
ensure the program efficiently serves the American people.
    Finally, this bill will double the cap on grants offered by 
the program, allowing it to better support entrepreneurs while 
also reducing some of the administrative and compliance costs. 
These changes will ensure that the Women's Business Centers can 
meet the modern demands and needs of small businesses for years 
to come.
    Thank you all for your support. I urge you all to join with 
me and Congresswoman Davids to support our nation's small 
businesswomen and entrepreneurs and vote yes on H.R. 6441.
    I yield back.
    Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentlewoman yields back.
    Are there any other Members who wish to be recognized for a 
statement on H.R. 6441?
    Ms. NEWMAN. I do.
    Ms. DAVIDS. I would now like to recognize the gentlewoman 
from Illinois, Ms. Newman, for a statement.
    Ms. NEWMAN. Well, thank you, Madam Chair. I move to strike 
the last word and speak in support of H.R. 6441, the Women's 
Business Centers bill.
    Ms. DAVIDS. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.
    Ms. NEWMAN. Thank you.
    I rise in strong support of H.R. 6441. As a former small 
businessowner, I know that when our small businesses are 
strong, our country is strong.
    Small business has been hit very hard by the pandemic and 
women entrepreneurs have particularly struggled as we all know 
and are still attempting to recover. This legislation comes at 
a very critical time. It will provide women entrepreneurs with 
the resources they need for their businesses to thrive. 
Furthermore, it allows women business centers to expand 
services in counseling, training, and technical assistance. 
Supporting this bill means supporting a more diverse small 
business landscape and investing in the next generation of 
women entrepreneurs.
    Thank you, Madam, and I yield back.
    Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentlewoman yields back.
    Are there any other Members who wish to be recognized?
    I would now like to recognize the Ranking Member.
    Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Thank you, Madam Chair, and Ms. Tenney, 
for your leadership on this bill. Women's Business Centers 
(WBCs) support over 150,000 women entrepreneurs each year 
through training, mentoring, business development, and 
financing opportunities. Unfortunately, on May 4, 2021, the 
SBA's Office of Inspector General released a report that found 
SBA did not provide effective oversight over the WBC program. 
To that end, H.R. 6441 will bring increased oversight to the 
WBC program and long overdue modernizations. This legislation 
improves collaboration with SBA's Office of Women's Business 
Ownership, requires the SBA to develop policies and procedures 
to reduce the possibility of awarding grants to a WBC that will 
not remain in compliance with the program, and requires an 
annual report to Congress to measure the effectiveness of the 
WBC program.
    I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6441, and with that, 
Madam Chair, I yield back.
    Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentleman yields back.
    I would now like to recognize myself.
    The Women's Business Centers program is emblematic of a 
good government program that was created to bridge opportunity 
gaps and promote equity. Since its inception, the WBC program 
has sought to reach more female entrepreneurs, particularly 
those who are socially and economically disadvantaged. To that 
end, many Women's Business Centers provide multilingual 
services, evening and weekend hours, and childcare for mothers 
in training sessions. In 2020 alone, the WBC program increased 
its outreach by 22 percent and counseled and trained more than 
82,000 entrepreneurs. In addition, they helped start and 
sustain more than 30,000 small businesses. This is a solid 
record of success.
    The bill we are considering today will enhance the WBC 
program and ensure women entrepreneurs all across the country 
have increased access to the vital counseling and training 
services. I have seen it in action in the Kansas City WBC and 
it is why I introduced and strongly supported this bipartisan 
legislation. It would raise the cap on grants from $150,000 to 
$300,000 and establish an accreditation program that would 
raise the standards of excellence for counseling and training, 
ensuring funds are being spent wisely to help those growing 
entrepreneurs.
    Raising the grant caps will allow WBCs to expand their 
reach and resources. The Kansas City WBC currently serves the 
entire state of Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. They served 
over 800 clients last year. How many more could they have 
reached with increased funding?
    Last week, I held a roundtable with women small business 
owners in the Kansas 3rd District who have benefitted from the 
support and guidance of the Kansas City WBC. I heard firsthand 
from a diverse group of entrepreneurs spanning retail, IT, and 
consulting industries about how critical this program was to 
their success. They cited the flexible hours tailored to their 
needs and the supportive community as standpoint parts of their 
experience with the WBC. Expanding the reach and capacity of 
our WBCs will provide real-world benefits to female 
entrepreneurs across the country. I am proud to have introduced 
this important legislation alongside Ms. Tenney and I urge a 
yes vote.
    If there is no further discussion, the Committee will move 
on to consideration of H.R. 6441.
    The clerk will report the bill.
    The CLERK. H.R. 6441, the Women's Business----
    Ms. DAVIDS. Without objection, H.R. 6441 is considered as 
read and open for amendment at any point.
    Does anyone seek recognition to offer an amendment?
    Seeing none, the question is now on H.R. 6441.
    All in favor, say aye.
    All opposed, say no.
    In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and H.R. 6441 
is agreed to.
    The question now occurs on reporting H.R. 6441 favorably to 
the House.
    All those in favor, say aye.
    All those opposed, say no.
    In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and H.R. 6441 
is reported to the House.
    Without objection, Committee staff is authorized to correct 
punctuation and make other necessary technical corrections and 
conforming changes.
    Without objection, Members have 2 business days to file 
additional, supplemental, dissenting, and minority views.
    The next bill under consideration is H.R. 6450, the ``SCORE 
for Small Business Act of 2022,'' introduced by Representative 
Young Kim and cosponsored by Representative Craig. The bill 
would reauthorize the SCORE program for 2 years, maintaining 
vital oversight mechanisms and ensuring taxpayer dollars are 
spent wisely.
    I would now like to recognize the gentlewoman from 
California, Mrs. Young Kim, the sponsor of the bill, for an 
opening statement.
    H.R. 6450
    Mrs. YOUNG KIM. Thank you, Madam Chair Davids. I would also 
like to thank our Ranking Member Luetkemeyer for holding this 
very important markup and for working in a very bipartisan 
manner to consider vital pieces of legislation for our small 
businesses and entrepreneurs.
    And thank you to my colleague, Representative Angie Craig, 
from Minnesota, for your partnership to introduce H.R. 6450, 
the ``SCORE for Small Business Act of 2022.''
    H.R. 6450 provides an authorization of $13.5 million for 
the SCORE program for fiscal years 2022 and 2023. The 
authorization will allow SCORE to expand counseling and 
training through online webinars, electronic mentoring 
platforms, and online toolkits to better serve small businesses 
and entrepreneurs. Additionally, the legislation would 
implement oversight mechanisms to better protect taxpayers' 
dollars by requiring the SBA to conduct a financial review of 
the program every 2 years and improving protections for our 
whistleblowers.
    The SCORE for Small Business Act would also expand services 
and promote diversity by requiring SCORE to develop and 
implement plans to better serve clients in rural areas and 
underserved communities. Since 1964, SCORE has served more than 
11 million small business owners and entrepreneurs to 
establish, expand, or serve a small business. According to 
SCORE, since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, SCORE 
has seen a 30 percent increase in demand for their mentoring 
and educational services. Despite the challenges, 89 percent of 
SCORE clients stayed in business throughout 2020. This is an 
amazing accomplishment that we should look to preserve by 
reauthorizing the program. Ninety-six percent of workers 
employed in California's 39th district are employed by small 
businesses. Thanks to the volunteers and mentors in the SCORE 
program, countless small businesses in my district have been 
able to weather the COVID-19 pandemic and keep their businesses 
running.
    I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6450 and allow SCORE 
to keep providing valuable information and resources for small 
businesses across the country.
    Thank you, and I yield back my time.
    Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentlewoman yields back.
    Are there any other Members who wish to be recognized for a 
statement on H.R. 6450?
    I would now like to recognize the gentlewoman from 
Minnesota, Ms. Craig, for an opening statement.
    Ms. CRAIG. Well, thank you so much, Chairwoman, for 
yielding and for convening this really strong bipartisan 
markup. Thank you, too, Congressman Young Kim for your 
leadership on this important bill.
    I am so proud to cosponsor H.R. 6450, the SCORE for Small 
Business Act bipartisan legislation that will ensure the SCORE 
program can provide the support and assistance America's small 
businesses deserve.
    Small businesses are the economic engine that drive our 
country and I am so proud to represent the small businesses 
which make up 93 percent of employers in Minnesota's 2nd 
Congressional District. The real-world experienced mentorship 
that the SCORE program provides has launched more than 45,000 
businesses in 2020 alone with a return on investment of over 
$67 for every $1 in federal appropriations. Back home in my 
district, SCORE South Metro has been hard at work mentoring 
more than 100 Minnesotans who need help opening a new business 
or learning how to get their idea off the ground.
    SCORE can be an incredible resource for entrepreneurs all 
across the country but there is no doubt that there is room for 
improvement, especially when it comes to their service of rural 
and underserved communities as noted by a recent Inspector 
General report. Those improvements are exactly what our 
legislation seeks to provide. I know small businesses in my 
district and in rural communities across the country will 
benefit from the programmatic improvements this bill makes.
    I thank the Chairwoman for advancing the bill today and 
urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
    With that, thank you. I yield back.
    Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentlewoman yields back.
    Are there any other Members who wish to be recognized for a 
statement on H.R. 6450?
    I would now like to recognize the Ranking Member, Mr. 
Luetkemeyer.
    Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Thank you, Madam Chair. I thank Mrs. Young 
Kim and Ms. Craig for your fine work on this legislation. 
Congresswoman Kim, I know, is a great advocate for small 
businesses and their resource partners and I appreciate her 
work on this legislation to reauthorize the SCORE program and 
add new program safeguard data standards and reporting 
requirements.
    SCORE is the largest network of free volunteer small 
business mentors and provides entrepreneurs with training in 
starting a business, succession planning and management, 
finance and marketing tools. I am confident that the provisions 
in this bill will support small businesses, improve the SBA's 
and Congress's oversight of the SCORE program, and ensure the 
integrity of the SCORE association is restored and maintained.
    I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6450. With that, Madam 
Chair, I yield back.
    Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentleman yields back.
    I would now like to recognize myself briefly.
    SBA's SCORE program is the nation's largest network of 
volunteer business mentors. Since 1964, they have provided 
education and mentorship to over 11 million entrepreneurs. With 
250 chapters and 10,000 volunteers nationwide, SCORE is well-
positioned to provide virtual and face-to-face counseling to 
entrepreneurs throughout the country.
    As we know the SCORE program has experienced some oversight 
challenges in the past. This bill reflects the immense work the 
new leadership at SCORE has done to resolve outstanding 
recommendations of the Office of Inspector General. This bill 
reflects the Committee's oversight efforts and ensures the 
steps SCORE has taken to restore integrity, accounting, and 
performance standards are carried into the future.
    Today's bill is a culmination of bipartisan work to 
strengthen the SCORE program and ensure its efficient operation 
on behalf of America's small business community.
    Thank you to both Mrs. Young Kim and Ms. Angie Craig for 
your bipartisan commitment to modernize and improve the SCORE 
program. I urge a yes vote.
    If there is no further discussion, the Committee will move 
on to consideration of H.R. 6450.
    The clerk will report the title.
    The CLERK. H.R. 6450, the SCORE for Small Business----
    Ms. DAVIDS. Without objection, H.R. 6450 is considered as 
read and open for amendment at any point.
    Does anyone seek recognition to offer an amendment?
    Seeing none, the question is now on H.R. 6450.
    All in favor, say aye.
    All those opposed, say no.
    In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and H.R. 6450 
is agreed to.
    The question now occurs on reporting H.R. 6450 favorably to 
the House.
    All those in favor, say aye.
    All those opposed, say no.
    In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and H.R. 6450 
is reported to the House.
    Without objection, Committee staff is authorized to correct 
punctuation and make other necessary technical corrections and 
conforming changes.
    Without objection, Members have 2 business days to file 
additional, supplemental, dissenting, and minority views.
    We will now consider H.R. 4877, the ``One Stop Shop for 
Small Business Compliance Act of 2021,'' introduced by 
Congressman Delgado and cosponsored by Congresswoman Van Duyne.
    H.R. 4877 would require the Office of the National 
Ombudsman to create and maintain a centralized website with 
hyperlinks to small business compliance guides and related 
points of contact for each federal agency. Doing so makes it 
easier for small businesses to comply with federal regulations.
    I would now like to recognize the gentleman from New York, 
Mr. Delgado, the sponsor of the bill, for an opening statement.
    H.R. 4877
    Mr. DELGADO. Thank you, Chairwoman, and Ranking Member. I 
appreciate the opportunity to speak in support of my bipartisan 
bill, the One Stop Shop for Small Business Compliance Act.
    I introduced this legislation with my colleague, 
Congresswoman Van Duyne, who is also a Member of this 
Committee. I want to thank her for her partnership on this 
bill.
    Since 2002, Congress has required federal agencies to 
publish small business compliance guides to assist small 
business owners in navigating onerous federal regulations. For 
the past 2 decades, these guides have been housed in various 
places across different agencies websites and it can get very, 
very difficult for small business owners to find and utilize 
them. Our legislation, the One Stop Shop for Small Business 
Compliance Act would require the Small Business Administration 
to create a centralized website that houses all of these 
compliance guides, in turn, creating a one stop shop for small 
business owners. Our bill would also require the SBA website to 
list contact information for the appropriate agency staff to 
provide regulatory assistance to small businesses.
    By making these guides and agency contact information more 
accessible, we can help small business owners, many of whom 
often lack the resources to hire staff to focus on compliance 
issues. While the small business owners continue to navigate 
the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their business, they 
should not also have to navigate a maze of government websites 
just to find the very resources meant to help them in the first 
place. Our bill helps to cut the red tape, lowers the cost of 
complying with regulations and makes life simpler for our small 
business owners. I know for the 27,000 small business owners, 
including self-employed in my district, it will make a big 
difference.
    With that in mind, I want to thank the Chairwoman for 
including our bill in the markup today, and I urge the 
Committee to join me in supporting this commonsense, bipartisan 
legislation.
    I yield back the balance of my time.
    Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentleman yields back.
    I would now like to recognize the gentlewoman from Texas, 
Ms. Van Duyne, for an opening statement.
    Ms. VAN DUYNE. Thank you very much, Madam Chair, who, by 
the way, until today, even though we shared an entire season in 
softball, I never knew that you were a fellow Cornellian 
either--so on this very small panel we have got three of us 
including Congressman Meuser.
    Ms. DAVIDS. Go Big Red.
    Ms. VAN DUYNE. It is a small world.
    I want to thank you and Ranking Member Luetkemeyer for 
holding this markup and including this critical bill for 
reducing red tape for small business owners.
    I want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from New York, 
Mr. Delgado, for his leadership on this bill, the One Stop Shop 
for Small Business Compliance Act.
    One of the significant challenges for our smallest 
employers is dealing with an overzealous, regulatory state 
while they work to grow their businesses. Not only are some of 
these regulations complicated but the process of simply 
locating what regulations they need to be following can be 
overtime and very consuming. This bill would solve this problem 
by creating one centralized website for small business owners 
to access resources and compliance guides for certain federal 
regulations. Our entrepreneurs must spend more time on their 
business and less time sifting through federal regulations, 
especially during this challenging environment for all small 
businesses.
    I am proud to partner with Representative Delgado on this 
bill and look forward to continued work together. I urge my 
colleagues to offer their support, and I yield back.
    Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentlewoman yields back.
    I would now like to recognize the Ranking Member.
    Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you to my 
colleagues, Mr. Delgado from New York and Ms. Van Duyne from 
Texas for leading this effort.
    Federal agencies are required to publish small business 
compliance guides for certain regulations. These guides are 
housed on different agency websites, making it difficult for 
small businesses to find and utilize. The bipartisan 
legislation we have before us today will create a one stop shop 
that will make it easier for small businesses to comply with 
federal regulations and to be brief, I support this commonsense 
bill and urge my colleagues to do the same.
    With that, Madam Chair, I yield back.
    Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentleman yields back.
    I would now like to recognize myself briefly.
    In 1996, Congress established the Office of the National 
Ombudsman to serve as a powerful voice for small businesses 
within the federal government. This little-known office within 
SBA works to reduce unfair regulatory burdens on small 
businesses and assist them in complying with new regulations. 
This bill would require the Office of the National Ombudsman to 
create and maintain a public website that includes hyperlinks 
to compliance guides required by Section 212 of the Small 
Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act. These guides are 
valuable tools for small firms, helping them to come into 
compliance with the rules promulgated by federal agencies and 
could save them a significant amount of time and effort.
    I want to thank Congressman Delgado and Congresswoman Van 
Duyne for their work on this bill and I urge a yes vote.
    If there is no further discussion, the Committee will move 
on to consideration of H.R. 4877.
    The clerk will report the bill.
    The CLERK. H.R. 4877, the One Stop----
    Ms. DAVIDS. Without objection, H.R. 4877 is considered as 
read and open for amendment at any point.
    Does anyone seek recognition to offer an amendment?
    Seeing none, the question is now on H.R. 4877.
    All in favor, say aye.
    All opposed, say no.
    In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and H.R. 4877 
is agreed to.
    The question now occurs on reporting H.R. 4877 favorably to 
the House.
    All those in favor, say aye.
    All those opposed, say no.
    In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and H.R. 4877 
is reported to the House.
    Without objection, Committee staff is authorized to correct 
punctuation and make other necessary technical corrections and 
conforming changes.
    Without objection, Members have 2 business days to file 
additional, supplemental, dissenting, and minority views.
    We will now take up the final bill on the agenda, H.R. 
6454, the ``Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act of 2022,'' 
introduced by Ranking Member Luetkemeyer and cosponsored by 
Congressman Carter. H.R. 6454 clarifies that SBA's Office of 
Advocacy has the authority to examine international data, and 
represent small business interests in international 
discussions, particularly in trade negotiations.
    I would now like to recognize the gentleman from Missouri, 
Ranking Member Luetkemeyer, the sponsor of the bill, for an 
opening statement.
    H.R. 6454
    Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate your 
willingness to bring this up this morning, and I appreciate my 
cosponsor, Representative Carter.
    SBA's Office of Advocacy is a critically important group 
that operates independently and solely on behalf of the 
nation's small businesses. While it produces research and 
statistics on the state of small business and our economy as a 
whole at the national, state, and congressional level, it also 
monitors federal agency compliance with regulatory matters. My 
bill, H.R. 6454, the ``Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act 
of 2022,'' expands the office's authority to be an independent 
voice for America's small businesses on international economic 
matters, including those dealing with trade which is so vitally 
important to our economy and to our small businesses today. 
Enhancing the Office of Advocacy's mission when it comes to 
trade matters will only serve to assist America's job creators.
    I would like to thank the Chair again for bringing this 
bill up to vote and again thank my colleague, Mr. Carter, from 
Louisiana for joining me to ensure that the country's small 
businesses are represented and informed on all matters both 
domestically and internationally. It is my hope this Congress 
can finally advance this legislation as it has received 
bipartisan support in the past.
    Madam Chair, with that, it is an important bill that I urge 
all my colleagues to support. I also yield back. Thank you.
    Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentleman yields back.
    I would now like to recognize the gentleman from Louisiana, 
Mr. Carter, for an opening statement.
    Mr. CARTER. Madam Chair, thank you very much for this 
opportunity. Ranking Member Luetkemeyer, it is an honor to co-
lead this bill with you. I am proud to advance this bipartisan 
bill that makes clear that the SBA Office of Advocacy has the 
authority to examine international economic data and represent 
small businesses'--interests in international discussions, 
particularly in trade negotiations.
    Small businesses are the backbone of our American economy, 
and we need to lift them up at every possible opportunity. 
Louisiana's 2nd district is an international one. We have some 
of the most important ports in the country and our businesses 
connect with others across the world every day. Today's small 
businesses are more global than ever before, selling their 
products and buying goods from countries around the world. 
Opening up new markets overseas helps our businesses here at 
home. When the U.S. makes decisions on trade and other 
international economic issues, the concerns of small businesses 
must be considered. This will ensure that all small business 
owners have someone in the federal government fighting for the 
nation's small businesses at home and abroad. I am honored to 
be a part of advancing this legislation.
    I would like to thank our Chair for leading this markup and 
certainly thank my dear friend and the Ranking Member, Mr. 
Luetkemeyer, for his incredible leadership on this issue. I 
urge a favorable passage. I yield back.
    Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentleman yields back.
    Are there any other Members who wish to be recognized for a 
statement on H.R. 6454?
    I would now like to recognize myself briefly.
    As the independent voice for small entities within the 
federal government, SBA's Office of Advocacy advances the views 
of our nation's 30 million small firms before Congress, the 
White House, federal agencies, federal courts and state 
policymakers. Since 2012, the Office of Advocacy has 
participated in international regulatory cooperation and 
international trade initiatives that impact small businesses. 
Their ability to conduct this outreach is vital to ensuring 
small businesses receive due consideration during international 
negotiations. That is why I support this bill to authorize the 
Office of Advocacy to represent American small business 
interests before foreign governments and international 
entities.
    Thank you, Ranking Member Luetkemeyer and Representative 
Carter for your work on this legislation. I urge a yes vote.
    If there is no further discussion, the Committee will move 
on to consideration of H.R. 6454.
    The clerk will report the bill.
    The CLERK. H.R. 6454, the Small Business----
    Ms. DAVIDS. Without objection, H.R. 6454 is considered as 
read and open for amendment at any point.
    Does anyone seek recognition to offer an amendment?
    Seeing none, the question is now on H.R. 6454.
    All in favor, say aye.
    All opposed, say no.
    In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and H.R. 6454 
is agreed to.
    The question now occurs on reporting H.R. 6454 favorably to 
the House.
    All those in favor, say aye.
    All those opposed, say no.
    In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and H.R. 6454 
is reported to the House.
    Without objection, Committee staff is authorized to correct 
punctuation and make other necessary technical corrections and 
conforming changes.
    Without objection, Members have 2 business days to file 
additional, supplemental, dissenting, and minority views.
    I want to thank all the Members for their participation 
today. If there is no further business to come before the 
Committee, without objection, this meeting is adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 10:50 a.m., the committee was adjourned.]
                            
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