[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1000 Reported in Senate (RS)]
Calendar No. 110
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1000
To strengthen resources for entrepreneurs by improving the SCORE
program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 16, 2015
Mr. Risch (for himself, Mr. Coons, Ms. Ayotte, Mr. Peters, and Mr.
Udall) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred
to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
June 10, 2015
Reported by Mr. Vitter, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To strengthen resources for entrepreneurs by improving the SCORE
program, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``SCORE for Small Business
Act of 2015''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. SCORE REAUTHORIZATION.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Section 20 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 note)
is amended--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) by redesignating subsection (j) as subsection
(f); and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) by adding at the end the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(g) SCORE Program.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Administrator to carry out the SCORE program
authorized by section 8(b)(1) such sums as are necessary for the
Administrator to make grants or enter into cooperative agreements in a
total amount that does not exceed $10,500,000 in each of fiscal years
2016, 2017, and 2018.''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 3. SCORE PROGRAM.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Section 8 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637) is
amended--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) in subsection (b)(1)(B), by striking ``a
Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)'' and inserting
``the SCORE program described in subsection (c)'';
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the
following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(c) SCORE Program.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) Definition.--In this subsection, the term
`SCORE program' means the SCORE program authorized by
subsection (b)(1)(B).</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) Volunteers.--A volunteer participating in
the SCORE program shall--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(A) based on the business experience and
knowledge of the volunteer--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(i) provide at no cost to
individuals who own, or aspire to own, small
business concerns personal counseling,
mentoring, and coaching relating to the process
of starting, expanding, managing, buying, and
selling a business; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(ii) facilitate low-cost
education workshops for individuals who own, or
aspire to own, small business concerns;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(B) as appropriate, use tools,
resources, and expertise of other organizations to
carry out the SCORE program.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(3) Plans and goals.--The Administrator, in
consultation with the SCORE Association, shall ensure that the
SCORE program and each chapter of the SCORE program develop and
implement plans and goals to more effectively and efficiently
provide services to individuals in rural areas, economically
disadvantaged communities, and other traditionally underserved
communities, including plans for electronic initiatives, web-
based initiatives, chapter expansion, partnerships, and the
development of new skills by volunteers participating in the
SCORE program.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(4) Annual report.--The SCORE Association shall
submit to the Administrator an annual report that contains--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(A) the number of individuals counseled
or trained under the SCORE program;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(B) the number of hours of counseling
provided under the SCORE program; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(C) to the extent possible--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(i) the number of small business
concerns formed with assistance from the SCORE
program;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(ii) the number of small
business concerns expanded with assistance from
the SCORE program; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(iii) the number of jobs created
with assistance from the SCORE
program.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(5) Privacy requirements.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(A) In general.--Neither the
Administrator nor the SCORE Association may disclose
the name, address, or telephone number of any
individual or small business concern receiving
assistance from the SCORE Association without the
consent of such individual or small business concern,
unless--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(i) the Administrator is ordered
to make such a disclosure by a court in any
civil or criminal enforcement action initiated
by a Federal or State agency; or</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(ii) the Administrator
determines such a disclosure to be necessary
for the purpose of conducting a financial audit
of the SCORE program, in which case disclosure
shall be limited to the information necessary
for the audit.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(B) Administrator use of information.--
This paragraph shall not--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(i) restrict the access of the
Administrator to program activity data;
or</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(ii) prevent the Administrator
from using client information to conduct client
surveys.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(C) Regulations.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(i) In general.--The
Administrator shall issue regulations to
establish standards for--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(I) disclosures with
respect to financial audits under
subparagraph (A)(ii); and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(II) conducting client
surveys, including standards for
oversight of the surveys and for
dissemination and use of client
information.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(ii) Maximum privacy
protection.--The regulations issued under this
subparagraph shall, to the extent practicable,
provide for the maximum amount of privacy
protection.''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 4. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Small Business Act.--The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
631 et seq.) is amended--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) in section 7(m)(3)(A)(i)(VIII) (15 U.S.C.
636(m)(3)(A)(i)(VIII)), by striking ``Service Corps of Retired
Executives'' and inserting ``SCORE program''; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) in section 22 (15 U.S.C. 649)--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) in subsection (b)--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) in paragraph (1), by striking
``Service Corps of Retired Executives'' and
inserting ``SCORE program''; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) in paragraph (3), by striking
``Service Corps of Retired Executives'' and
inserting ``SCORE program''; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) in subsection (c)(12), by striking
``Service Corps of Retired Executives'' and inserting
``SCORE program''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Other Laws.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Section 621 of the Children's Health Insurance
Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (15 U.S.C. 657p) is
amended--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) in subsection (a), by striking
paragraph (4) and inserting the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(4) the term `SCORE program' means the SCORE
program authorized by section 8(b)(1)(B) of the Small Business
Act (15 U.S.C. 637(b)(1)(B));''; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) in subsection (b)(4)(A)(iv), by
striking ``Service Corps of Retired Executives'' and
inserting ``SCORE program''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Section 337(d)(2)(A) of the Energy Policy and
Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6307(d)(2)(A)) is amended by
striking ``Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)'' and
inserting ``SCORE program''.</DELETED>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``SCORE for Small Business Act of
2015''.
SEC. 2. SCORE REAUTHORIZATION.
Section 20 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 note) is
amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (j) as subsection (f); and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(g) SCORE Program.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Administrator to carry out the SCORE program authorized by section
8(b)(1) such sums as are necessary for the Administrator to make grants
or enter into cooperative agreements in a total amount that does not
exceed $10,500,000 in each of fiscal years 2016, 2017, and 2018.''.
SEC. 3. SCORE PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Section 8 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
637) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(1)(B), by striking ``a Service Corps
of Retired Executives (SCORE)'' and inserting ``the SCORE
program described in subsection (c)''; and
(2) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
``(c) SCORE Program.--
``(1) Definition.--In this subsection, the term `SCORE
program' means the SCORE program authorized by subsection
(b)(1)(B).
``(2) Volunteers.--A volunteer participating in the SCORE
program shall--
``(A) based on the business experience and
knowledge of the volunteer--
``(i) provide at no cost to individuals who
own, or aspire to own, small business concerns
personal counseling, mentoring, and coaching
relating to the process of starting, expanding,
managing, buying, and selling a business; and
``(ii) facilitate low-cost education
workshops for individuals who own, or aspire to
own, small business concerns; and
``(B) as appropriate, use tools, resources, and
expertise of other organizations to carry out the SCORE
program.
``(3) Plans and goals.--The Administrator, in consultation
with the SCORE Association, shall ensure that the SCORE program
and each chapter of the SCORE program develop and implement
plans and goals to more effectively and efficiently provide
services to individuals in rural areas, economically
disadvantaged communities, and other traditionally underserved
communities, including plans for electronic initiatives, web-
based initiatives, chapter expansion, partnerships, and the
development of new skills by volunteers participating in the
SCORE program.
``(4) Annual report.--The SCORE Association shall submit to
the Administrator an annual report that contains--
``(A) the number of individuals counseled or
trained under the SCORE program;
``(B) the number of hours of counseling provided
under the SCORE program; and
``(C) to the extent possible--
``(i) the number of small business concerns
formed with assistance from the SCORE program;
``(ii) the number of small business
concerns expanded with assistance from the
SCORE program; and
``(iii) the number of jobs created with
assistance from the SCORE program.
``(5) Privacy requirements.--
``(A) In general.--Neither the Administrator nor
the SCORE Association may disclose the name, address,
or telephone number of any individual or small business
concern receiving assistance from the SCORE Association
without the consent of such individual or small
business concern, unless--
``(i) the Administrator is ordered to make
such a disclosure by a court in any civil or
criminal enforcement action initiated by a
Federal or State agency; or
``(ii) the Administrator determines such a
disclosure to be necessary for the purpose of
conducting a financial audit of the SCORE
program, in which case disclosure shall be
limited to the information necessary for the
audit.
``(B) Administrator use of information.--This
paragraph shall not--
``(i) restrict the access of the
Administrator to program activity data; or
``(ii) prevent the Administrator from using
client information to conduct client surveys.
``(C) Regulations.--
``(i) In general.--The Administrator shall
issue regulations to establish standards for--
``(I) disclosures with respect to
financial audits under subparagraph
(A)(ii); and
``(II) conducting client surveys,
including standards for oversight of
the surveys and for dissemination and
use of client information.
``(ii) Maximum privacy protection.--The
regulations issued under this subparagraph
shall, to the extent practicable, provide for
the maximum amount of privacy protection.''.
(b) Offset.--In carrying out the Entrepreneurship Education Program
during each of fiscal years 2016, 2017, and 2018, the Administrator of
the Small Business Administration--
(1) may not obligate more than $5,000,000; and
(2) may not obligate less than $2,500,000 of the amount
obligated for the Entrepreneurship Education Program to carry
out the Emerging Leaders Initiative.
SEC. 4. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
(a) Small Business Act.--The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et
seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 7(m)(3)(A)(i)(VIII) (15 U.S.C.
636(m)(3)(A)(i)(VIII)), by striking ``Service Corps of Retired
Executives'' and inserting ``SCORE program''; and
(2) in section 22 (15 U.S.C. 649)--
(A) in subsection (b)--
(i) in paragraph (1), by striking ``Service
Corps of Retired Executives'' and inserting
``SCORE program''; and
(ii) in paragraph (3), by striking
``Service Corps of Retired Executives'' and
inserting ``SCORE program''; and
(B) in subsection (c)(12), by striking ``Service
Corps of Retired Executives'' and inserting ``SCORE
program''.
(b) Other Laws.--
(1) Section 621 of the Children's Health Insurance Program
Reauthorization Act of 2009 (15 U.S.C. 657p) is amended--
(A) in subsection (a), by striking paragraph (4)
and inserting the following:
``(4) the term `SCORE program' means the SCORE program
authorized by section 8(b)(1)(B) of the Small Business Act (15
U.S.C. 637(b)(1)(B));''; and
(B) in subsection (b)(4)(A)(iv), by striking
``Service Corps of Retired Executives'' and inserting
``SCORE program''.
(2) Section 337(d)(2)(A) of the Energy Policy and
Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6307(d)(2)(A)) is amended by
striking ``Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)'' and
inserting ``SCORE program''.
Calendar No. 110
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1000
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To strengthen resources for entrepreneurs by improving the SCORE
program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
June 10, 2015
Reported with an amendment