[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4873 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4873
To authorize the Minority Business Development Agency of the Department
of Commerce to establish business centers at historically Black
colleges and universities, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 26 (legislative day, October 19), 2020
Mr. Wicker (for himself, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mr.
Tillis, and Mr. Coons) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Minority Business Development Agency of the Department
of Commerce to establish business centers at historically Black
colleges and universities, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Reaching America's Rural Minority
Businesses Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
(1) Agency.--The term ``Agency'' means the Minority
Business Development Agency of the Department of Commerce.
(2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate;
(B) the Committee on Small Business and
Entrepreneurship of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives; and
(D) the Committee on Small Business of the House of
Representatives.
(3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) a historically Black college or university; or
(B) a consortium of institutions of higher
education that is led by a historically Black college
or university.
(4) Historically black college or university.--The term
``historically Black college or university'' has the meaning
given the term ``part B institution'' in section 322 of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
(5) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001).
(6) MBDA center.--The term ``MBDA center'' means any
business center established by the Agency.
(7) MBDC agreement.--The term ``MBDC agreement'' means a
collaborative agreement entered into between the Agency and an
eligible entity under section 3(b)(2).
(8) Minority business enterprise.--The term ``minority
business enterprise'' has the meaning given the term in section
1108(a) of the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9007(a)).
(9) Rural area.--The term ``rural area'' means an area
located outside a metropolitan statistical area (as designated
by the Office of Management and Budget).
(10) Rural business center.--The term ``rural business
center'' means an MBDA center with the functions described in
section 3(c).
(11) Rural minority business enterprise.--The term ``rural
minority business enterprise'' means a minority business
enterprise located in a rural area.
SEC. 3. BUSINESS CENTERS.
(a) In General.--The Agency may establish not more than 10 rural
business centers.
(b) Partnership.--
(1) In general.--The agency shall establish each rural
business center in partnership with an eligible entity in
accordance with paragraph (2).
(2) MBDC agreement.--
(A) In general.--With respect to each rural
business center established by the Agency, the Agency
shall enter into a collaborative agreement with an
eligible entity that provides that--
(i) the eligible entity shall provide
space, facilities, and staffing for the rural
business center;
(ii) the Agency shall provide funding for,
and oversight with respect to, the rural
business center; and
(iii) subject to subparagraph (B), the
eligible entity shall match 20 percent of the
amount of the funding provided by the Agency
under clause (ii), which may be calculated to
include the costs of providing the space,
facilities, and staffing under clause (i).
(B) Lower match requirement.--Based on the
available resources of an eligible entity, the Agency
may enter into a collaborative agreement with the
eligible entity that provides that the eligible entity
shall match less than 20 percent of the amount of the
funding provided by the Agency under subparagraph
(A)(ii).
(3) Term.--The term of an MBDC agreement shall be 5 years.
(4) Renewal.--The Agency and an eligible entity may agree
to extend the term of an MBDC agreement with respect to a rural
business center for an additional 5 years.
(c) Functions.--A rural business center shall--
(1) primarily serve clients that are--
(A) rural minority business enterprises; or
(B) minority business enterprises that are located
more than 50 miles from an MBDA center (other than that
rural business center);
(2) focus on issues relating to--
(A) the adoption of broadband internet access
service (as defined in section 8.1(b) of title 47, Code
of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation),
digital literacy skills, and e-commerce by rural
minority business enterprises;
(B) advanced manufacturing;
(C) the promotion of manufacturing in the United
States;
(D) ways in which rural minority business
enterprises can meet gaps in the supply chain of
critical supplies and essential goods and services for
the United States;
(E) improving the connectivity of rural minority
business enterprises through transportation and
logistics;
(F) promoting trade and export opportunities by
rural minority business enterprises;
(G) securing financial capital; and
(H) facilitating entrepreneurship in rural areas;
and
(3) provide education, training, and technical assistance
to minority business enterprises.
(d) Applications.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Agency shall issue a request for
applications from eligible entities that desire to enter into
MBDC agreements with the Agency.
(2) Criteria and priority.--In selecting an eligible entity
with which to enter into an MBDC agreement, the Agency shall--
(A) select an eligible entity that demonstrates--
(i) the ability to collaborate with
governmental and private sector entities to
leverage capabilities of minority business
enterprises through public-private
partnerships;
(ii) the research and extension capacity to
support minority business enterprises;
(iii) knowledge of the community that the
eligible entity serves and the ability to
conduct effective outreach to that community to
advance the goals of a rural business center;
(iv) the ability to provide innovative
business solutions, including access to
contracting opportunities, markets, and
capital;
(v) the ability to provide services that
advance the development of science, technology,
engineering, and math jobs within minority
business enterprises;
(vi) the ability to leverage resources from
within the eligible entity to advance a rural
business center;
(vii) that the mission of the eligible
entity aligns with the mission of the Agency;
and
(viii) the ability to leverage
relationships with rural minority business
enterprises; and
(B) give priority to an eligible entity located in
a State or region that lacks an MBDA center, as of the
date of enactment of this Act.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Agency to establish rural business centers under
this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.
SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Agency shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a
report that includes--
(1) a summary of the efforts of the Agency to provide
services to minority business enterprises located in States
that lack an MBDA center, as of the date of enactment of this
Act, and especially in those States that have significant
minority populations; and
(2) recommendations for extending the outreach of the
Agency to underserved areas.
SEC. 5. STUDY AND REPORT.
(a) In General.--The Agency, in coordination with the Administrator
of the Small Business Administration, shall conduct a study on the ways
in which minority business enterprises can meet gaps in the supply
chain of the United States, with a particular focus on the supply chain
of advanced manufacturing and essential goods and services.
(b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Agency shall submit to Congress a report that includes--
(1) the results of the study conducted under subsection
(a); and
(2) recommendations on the ways in which minority business
enterprises can meet gaps in the supply chain of the United
States.
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