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I
116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 6349
To establish grant programs for small business development centers, women’s
business centers, and chapters of the Service Corps of Retired Executives
in response to COVID–19, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 23, 2020
Mr. GOLDEN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Small Business
A BILL
To establish grant programs for small business development
centers, women’s business centers, and chapters of the
Service Corps of Retired Executives in response to
COVID–19, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Continuity of Business
4
Operations Support Act of 2020’’.
5
SEC. 2. SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER GRANTS.
6
(a) SMALL
BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT
CENTER
7
GRANTS.—The Administrator of the Small Business Ad-
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ministration shall provide grants to small business devel-
1
opment centers for the purposes described in subsection
2
(b).
3
(b) USE OF FUNDS.—Grant funds under this section
4
shall be used to educate, train, and advise owners and em-
5
ployees of small business concerns on the following mat-
6
ters:
7
(1) The hazards of and prevention of the trans-
8
mission and communication of COVID–19 and simi-
9
lar communicable diseases.
10
(2) The potential effects to the supply chains,
11
distribution, and sale of products of the concern,
12
and the mitigation of such effects, during a period
13
of a public health emergency declared because of
14
COVID–19 or a similar communicable disease.
15
(3) The management and practice of telework
16
or remote customer service by electronic or other
17
means to reduce possible transmission of COVID–19
18
and other communicable diseases.
19
(4) The risks and mitigation of cyber threats in
20
remote customer service or telework practices.
21
(5) The mitigation of the effects of reduced
22
travel or outside activities during a period of a pub-
23
lic health emergency declared because of COVID–19
24
or a similar communicable disease.
25
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(6) Business continuity plans during a period of
1
a public health emergency declared because of
2
COVID–19 or a similar communicable disease.
3
(7) Any other relevant business practices nec-
4
essary to mitigate any economic effects experienced
5
during a period of a public health emergency de-
6
clared because of COVID–19 or a similar commu-
7
nicable disease.
8
(c) FORMULA.—The Administrator and the associa-
9
tion authorized under section 21(a)(3)(A) of the Small
10
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648(a)(3)(A)) shall jointly estab-
11
lish a formula under which grants under this section shall
12
be awarded.
13
(d) METRICS AND GOALS.—
14
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator and the
15
association described in subsection (c) shall jointly
16
establish goals and metrics for the use of funds
17
made available under this section. Such goals and
18
metrics shall—
19
(A) consider the extent of the cir-
20
cumstances relating to the spread of COVID–
21
19 or a similar communicable disease that af-
22
fect small business concerns served by each
23
grant recipient, particularly rural areas or eco-
24
nomically distressed areas;
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(B) ensure grant recipients comply with
1
the requirements of subsection (b) while also
2
ensuring that grant recipients may have flexi-
3
bility in responding to unique situations; and
4
(C) encourage grant recipients to develop
5
and provide services to small business concerns
6
that are located in areas substantially affected
7
by COVID–19.
8
(2) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The Administrator
9
shall make publicly available the methodology by
10
which the Administrator and the association jointly
11
developed the metrics and goals described in para-
12
graph (1).
13
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
14
authorized to be appropriated $75,000,000, to remain
15
available until expended, to the Administrator to carry out
16
this section.
17
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER
18
AND SERVICE CORPS OF RETIRED EXECU-
19
TIVES GRANTS.
20
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Small
21
Business Administration shall provide grants to women’s
22
business centers and to chapters of the Service Corps of
23
Retired Executives for the purposes described in sub-
24
section (b).
25
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(b) USE OF FUNDS.—Grant funds under this section
1
shall be used to educate, train, and advise owners and em-
2
ployees of small business concerns on the following mat-
3
ters:
4
(1) The hazards of and prevention of the trans-
5
mission and communication of COVID–19 and simi-
6
lar communicable diseases.
7
(2) The potential effects to the supply chains,
8
distribution, and sale of products of the concern,
9
and the mitigation of such effects, during a period
10
of a public health emergency declared because of
11
COVID–19 or a similar communicable disease.
12
(3) The management and practice of telework
13
or remote customer service by electronic or other
14
means to reduce possible transmission of COVID–19
15
and other communicable diseases.
16
(4) The risks and mitigation of cyber threats in
17
remote customer service or telework practices.
18
(5) The mitigation of the effects of reduced
19
travel or outside activities during a period of a pub-
20
lic health emergency declared because of COVID–19
21
or a similar communicable disease.
22
(6) Business continuity plans during a period of
23
a public health emergency declared because of
24
COVID–19 or a similar communicable disease.
25
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(7) Any other relevant business practices nec-
1
essary to mitigate any economic effects experienced
2
during a period of a public health emergency de-
3
clared because of COVID–19 or a similar commu-
4
nicable disease.
5
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
6
authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000, to remain
7
available until expended, to the Administrator to carry out
8
this section.
9
SEC. 4. REPORT.
10
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment
11
of this Act, and annually thereafter until the amounts au-
12
thorized in section 2(c) and section 1(e) have been ex-
13
pended, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee
14
on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate
15
and the Committee on Small Business of the House of
16
Representatives a report that—
17
(1) describes, with respect to the initial year
18
covered by the report, the programs and services de-
19
veloped and provided by the Administrator, small
20
business development centers, women’s business cen-
21
ters, and chapters of the Service Corps of Retired
22
Executives in response to a public health emergency
23
declared because of COVID–19; and
24
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(2) describes, with respect to the subsequent
1
years covered by the report—
2
(A) the efforts of the Administrator, small
3
business development centers, women’s business
4
centers, and chapters of the Service Corps of
5
Retired Executives to develop services to assist
6
small business concerns affected by COVID–19;
7
(B) the challenges faced by owners of
8
small business concerns in accessing services
9
provided by the Administrator, small business
10
development centers, women’s business centers,
11
and chapters of the Service Corps of Retired
12
Executives in response to a public health emer-
13
gency declared because of COVID–19;
14
(C) the number of unique small business
15
concerns that were served by the Administrator,
16
small business development centers, women’s
17
business centers, and chapters of the Service
18
Corps of Retired Executives under the pro-
19
grams established by this Act; and
20
(D) other relevant performance data with
21
respect to small business concerns affected by
22
COVID–19, including the number of employees
23
affected, the effect on sales of the concern, any
24
disruptions of supply chains, and the efforts
25
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made by the Administrator, small business de-
1
velopment centers, women’s business centers,
2
and chapters of the Service Corps of Retired
3
Executives (as applicable) to mitigate these ef-
4
fects.
5
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
6
In this Act:
7
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
8
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Small Busi-
9
ness Administration.
10
(2) SERVICE
CORPS
OF
RETIRED
EXECU-
11
TIVES.—The term ‘‘Service Corps of Retired Execu-
12
tives’’ means the Service Corps of Retired Execu-
13
tives established under section 8(b)(1)(B) of the
14
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(b)(1)(B)).
15
(3) SMALL
BUSINESS
CONCERN.—The term
16
‘‘small business concern’’ has the meaning given
17
under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15
18
U.S.C. 632).
19
(4) SMALL
BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT
CEN-
20
TER.—The term ‘‘small business development cen-
21
ter’’ has the meaning given in section 3 of the Small
22
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).
23
(5) WOMEN’S
BUSINESS
CENTER.—The term
24
‘‘women’s business center’’ means a women’s busi-
25
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ness center as described under section 29 of the
1
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656).
2
Æ
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