Bill Sponsor
Senate Bill 121
115th Congress(2017-2018)
Veterans Small Business Ownership Improvements Act
Introduced
Introduced
Introduced in Senate on Jan 12, 2017
Overview
Text
Introduced
Jan 12, 2017
Latest Action
Jan 12, 2017
Origin Chamber
Senate
Type
Bill
Bill
The primary form of legislative measure used to propose law. Depending on the chamber of origin, bills begin with a designation of either H.R. or S. Joint resolution is another form of legislative measure used to propose law.
Bill Number
121
Congress
115
Policy Area
Commerce
Commerce
Primary focus of measure is business investment, development, regulation; small business; consumer affairs; competition and restrictive trade practices; manufacturing, distribution, retail; marketing; intellectual property. Measures concerning international competitiveness and restrictions on imports and exports may fall under Foreign Trade and International Finance policy area.
Sponsorship by Party
Republican
Nevada
Democrat
Virginia
Senate Votes (0)
House Votes (0)
No Senate votes have been held for this bill.
Summary

Veterans Small Business Ownership Improvements Act

This bill amends the Small Business Act to establish the Boots to Business Program under which the Small Business Administration (SBA) shall provide entrepreneurship training to:

  • members of the Armed Forces,
  • individuals participating in the Transition Assistance Program (Department of Defense),
  • individuals who served on active duty and who were discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable, and
  • their spouses or dependents.

The SBA shall establish: (1) a Women Veterans Business Training Program, and (2) a Business Training Program for Service Disabled Veterans.

The SBA shall establish a veterans' business outreach center program to provide financial assistance to educational institutions, veterans' nonprofit community-based organizations, and federal, state, and local departments and agencies to conduct renewable five-year projects for the benefit of small businesses owned and controlled by veterans.

An assisted entity shall establish or operate a veterans' business outreach center to provide veterans, service-disabled veterans, and reservists, as well as their spouses, and the spouses of active duty members of the Armed Forces with:

  • financial, management, and marketing advice and training; and
  • technical assistance and training for obtaining federal procurement opportunities.

The SBA may discontinue financial assistance to an entity at any time for poor performance.

The SBA shall designate at least one individual in each SBA district office as a veterans business development officer to coordinate district office activities with entities receiving financial assistance under this bill.

The SBA shall establish the Veterans Business Owners Initiative Pilot Program to provide grants to nonprofit entities for peer support groups that provide small business career training to:

  • members of the Armed Forces,
  • individuals participating in the Transition Assistance Program (Department of Defense),
  • Reservists,
  • veterans, and
  • their spouses or dependents.

The SBA shall establish an online mechanism to assist veterans' assistance providers.

The SBA shall establish an online mechanism that serves as a one-stop online resource for veterans regarding SBA entrepreneurial development programs.

The SBA's duties are expanded to include making grants to, or entering into cooperative agreements with, nonprofit entities to operate federal contracting training programs for veteran-owned small businesses.

Text (1)
January 12, 2017
Actions (2)
01/12/2017
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
01/12/2017
Introduced in Senate
Public Record
Record Updated
Jan 11, 2023 1:34:08 PM