[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2099 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 170
118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2099

 To establish an Office of Community Financial Institutions within the 
   Small Business Administration that will strengthen the ability of 
 Community Financial Institutions to support the development of small 
 business concerns in underserved communities, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 21, 2023

  Mr. Hickenlooper (for himself, Mr. Braun, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, and Mr. 
    Warner) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
    referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

                             July 25, 2023

               Reported by Mr. Cardin, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish an Office of Community Financial Institutions within the 
   Small Business Administration that will strengthen the ability of 
 Community Financial Institutions to support the development of small 
 business concerns in underserved communities, 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 ``Supporting Community 
Lenders Act''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. OFFICE OF COMMUNITY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Section 7 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(o) Office of Community Financial Institutions.--
</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) the term `Associate Administrator' 
                means the Associate Administrator of the Office of 
                Capital Access of the Administration;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) the term `community financial 
                institution' has the meaning given the term in 
                paragraph (36); and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(C) the term `Director' means the 
                Director of the Office of Community Financial 
                Institutions.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) Establishment.--There is established within 
        the Administration the Office of Community Financial 
        Institutions, which shall be--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) under the general management and 
                oversight of the Administration; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) responsible for the planning, 
                coordination, implementation, evaluation, and 
                improvement of the efforts of the Administrator to 
                enhance the performance of community financial 
                institutions and support access to capital for small 
                business concerns.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(3) Director.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days 
                after the date of enactment of the Supporting Community 
                Lenders Act, the Administrator shall appoint a Director 
                of the Office of Community Financial Institutions, who 
                shall--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) supervise the Office of 
                        Community Financial Institutions and report to 
                        the Associate Administrator;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) be in the Senior Executive 
                        Service; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(iii) have knowledge of 
                        community financial institutions and experience 
                        providing access to capital to small business 
                        concerns in underserved communities.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) Duties.--The Director shall--
                </DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) create and implement 
                        strategies and programs that support the 
                        activities, development, and growth of 
                        community financial institutions;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) administer and manage 
                        outreach, technical support, and training 
                        programs to existing, and potential, community 
                        financial institutions;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(iii) establish partnerships 
                        within the Administration and with relevant 
                        Federal agencies, including the Department of 
                        the Treasury, the Federal Deposit Insurance 
                        Corporation, the Department of Agriculture, and 
                        the Minority Business Development Agency, to 
                        advance the goal of supporting the economic 
                        success of small business concerns through 
                        community financial institutions;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(iv) review the effectiveness 
                        and impact of community financial 
                        institutions;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(v) when appropriate, advocate 
                        on behalf of community financial institutions 
                        within the Administration, and to outside 
                        organizations, including other relevant Federal 
                        agencies;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(vi) hold public meetings with 
                        relevant stakeholders not less frequently than 
                        once every 6 months beginning 1 year after the 
                        date of enactment of the Supporting Community 
                        Lenders Act; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(vii) not later than 3 years 
                        after the date of enactment of the Supporting 
                        Community Lenders Act, and not less frequently 
                        than once every 3 years thereafter, submit to 
                        Congress a report on the major activities of 
                        the Office of Community Financial Institutions, 
                        recommendations for congressional action based 
                        on the expertise of the Office, and areas for 
                        growth within the Office.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(C) Consultation.--In carrying out the 
                duties under this paragraph, the Director shall consult 
                with--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) district offices of the 
                        Administration; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) other relevant Federal 
                        agencies, including the Department of the 
                        Treasury, the Federal Deposit Insurance 
                        Corporation, and the Minority Business 
                        Development Agency.''.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Supporting Community Lenders Act''.

SEC. 2. COORDINATOR FOR COMMUNITY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.

    Section 7 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
    ``(o) Coordinator for Community Financial Institutions.--
            ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection--
                    ``(A) the term `Associate Administrator' means the 
                Associate Administrator of the Office of Capital Access 
                of the Administration;
                    ``(B) the term `community financial institution' 
                has the meaning given the term in paragraph (36); and
                    ``(C) the term `Coordinator' means the Coordinator 
                for Community Financial Institutions.
            ``(2) Establishment.--There is established within the 
        Office of Capital Access of the Administration the position of 
        Coordinator for Community Financial Institutions, the occupant 
        of which shall be responsible for the planning, coordination, 
        implementation, evaluation, and improvement of the efforts of 
        the Administrator to enhance the performance of community 
        financial institutions and support access to capital for small 
        business concerns.
            ``(3) Coordinator.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after 
                the date of enactment of the Supporting Community 
                Lenders Act, the Administrator shall designate an 
                individual to serve as Coordinator, who shall--
                            ``(i) report to the Associate 
                        Administrator; and
                            ``(ii) have knowledge of community 
                        financial institutions and experience providing 
                        access to capital to small business concerns in 
                        underserved communities.
                    ``(B) Duties.--The Coordinator shall--
                            ``(i) create and implement strategies and 
                        programs that support the activities, 
                        development, and growth of community financial 
                        institutions;
                            ``(ii) administer and manage outreach, 
                        technical support, and training programs to 
                        existing, and potential, community financial 
                        institutions;
                            ``(iii) establish partnerships within the 
                        Administration and with relevant Federal 
                        agencies, including the Department of the 
                        Treasury, the Federal Deposit Insurance 
                        Corporation, the Department of Agriculture, and 
                        the Minority Business Development Agency, to 
                        advance the goal of supporting the economic 
                        success of small business concerns through 
                        community financial institutions;
                            ``(iv) review the effectiveness and impact 
                        of community financial institutions;
                            ``(v) when appropriate, advocate on behalf 
                        of community financial institutions within the 
                        Administration, and to outside organizations, 
                        including other relevant Federal agencies;
                            ``(vi) hold public meetings with relevant 
                        stakeholders not less frequently than once 
                        every 6 months beginning 1 year after the date 
                        of enactment of the Supporting Community 
                        Lenders Act; and
                            ``(vii) not later than 3 years after the 
                        date of enactment of the Supporting Community 
                        Lenders Act, and not less frequently than once 
                        every 3 years thereafter, submit to Congress a 
                        report on the major activities of the 
                        Coordinator, recommendations for congressional 
                        action based on the expertise of the 
                        Coordinator, and potential for growth within 
                        the areas in which the Coordinator operates.
                    ``(C) Consultation.--In carrying out the duties 
                under this paragraph, the Coordinator shall consult 
                with--
                            ``(i) district offices of the 
                        Administration; and
                            ``(ii) other relevant Federal agencies, 
                        including the Department of the Treasury, the 
                        Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the 
                        Minority Business Development Agency.''.

SEC. 3. OFFICE OF ADVOCACY EMPLOYEE ELIGIBILITY FOR FAMILY AND MEDICAL 
              LEAVE.

    The Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration 
shall immediately notify the Committee on Small Business and 
Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of 
the House of Representatives if, at any point, an employee, including a 
contracted employee, of the Office of Advocacy who has been employed at 
the Office of Advocacy for more than 1 year is not eligible for paid 
leave under subchapter V of chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code.
                                                       Calendar No. 170

118th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                S. 2099

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To establish an Office of Community Financial Institutions within the 
   Small Business Administration that will strengthen the ability of 
 Community Financial Institutions to support the development of small 
 business concerns in underserved communities, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             July 25, 2023

                       Reported with an amendment