January 8, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 4 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
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PRISON TO PROPRIETORSHIP FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED ACT; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 4
(House of Representatives - January 08, 2020)
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[Pages H35-H37] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] {time} 1500 PRISON TO PROPRIETORSHIP FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED ACT Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5065) to amend the Small Business Act to provide re- entry entrepreneurship counseling and training services for formerly incarcerated individuals, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 5065 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 ``Prison to Proprietorship for Formerly Incarcerated Act''. SEC. 2. RE-ENTRY ENTREPRENEURSHIP COUNSELING AND TRAINING FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS. The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended-- (1) by redesignating section 49 as section 50; and (2) by inserting after section 48 the following new section: ``SEC. 49. RE-ENTRY ENTREPRENEURSHIP COUNSELING AND TRAINING FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS. ``(a) Services Required.--The Administrator, in coordination with the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, shall require the Service Corps of Retired Executives to provide entrepreneurship counseling and training services to individuals formerly incarcerated in a Federal prison (hereinafter referred to as `covered individuals') on a nationwide basis. ``(b) Goals.--The goal of the services provided under this section is to provide covered individuals with the following: ``(1) Mentoring, workshops, and instructional videos designed specifically for covered individuals on how to start or expand a small business concern. ``(2) Tools, skills, and knowledge necessary to identify a business opportunity, including how to-- ``(A) draft a skills profile, business plan, and transition plan; ``(B) identify sources of capital; and ``(C) connect with local resources for small business concerns. ``(c) Additional Requirements.--The services provided under this section shall include-- ``(1) regular individualized mentoring sessions, to take place over the course of a year, to support development of the business plans of covered individuals and the growth of covered individuals as entrepreneurs; ``(2) assistance with identifying of local resources for small business concerns for covered individuals; ``(3) assistance with identifying sources of capital, and when appropriate, assistance with preparing applications for loans and other funding opportunities; and ``(4) workshops on topics specifically tailored to meet the needs of covered individuals. ``(d) Survey.--The Service Corps of Retired Executives shall survey covered individuals who received services under this section to assess the satisfaction of such covered individuals with such services. ``(e) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section and annually thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate a report on the performance and effectiveness of the services provided under this section, which may be included as part of another report submitted to such committees by the Administrator, and which shall include-- ``(1) the number of covered individuals mentored under this section; ``(2) the number of hours of mentorship provided by the Service Corps of Retired Executives under this section; ``(3) the demographics of covered individuals who received services, including age, gender, race, and ethnicity; ``(4) a summary and analysis of surveys conducted under subsection (d); and ``(5) any additional information the Administrator may require.''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York. General Leave Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from New York? There was no objection. Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 5065, the Prison to Proprietorship for Formerly Incarcerated Act. Madam Speaker, I commend the sponsors of this legislation, Mr. Jeffries from New York and Mr. Burchett from Tennessee, for their commitment and dedication to providing opportunities to the formerly incarcerated, giving them a chance to bring their business ideas to fruition, and, in turn, offering hope for a better life. After paying their debt to society, former inmates return to their communities with hopes and goals of starting fresh. Unfortunately, for numerous reasons, many end up being locked out of the labor market. It is my firm belief that entrepreneurship is a great way to help individuals overcome the barriers to reentering the workforce. For the formerly incarcerated, it can be the difference between successfully reintegrating back into a community or returning to prison. This bill complements the Prison to Proprietorship Act by requiring the Service Corps of Retired Executives, SCORE, to provide entrepreneurship training via mentoring, workshops, and training videos to individuals upon their release from Federal prison. The mentorship will be invaluable in helping these folks launch small businesses, and the workshops will help connect them with their community and other small business owners. As Ben Franklin once said: Tell me and I forget; teach me and I may remember; involve me and I will learn. Entrepreneurship can be one of the best options for gainful employment, and SCORE, with more than 300 chapters across the country and the Nation's largest network of volunteer expert business mentors, is uniquely positioned to teach and provide this business advice to those reentering society. Madam Speaker, I urge Members to support this bipartisan piece of legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5065, the Prison to Proprietorship for Formerly Incarcerated Act. As our committee heard in a hearing on this topic last fall, up to 60 percent of people released from prison will remain unemployed after a year. It is not surprising, then, that half of all former inmates recidivate. In other words, they commit another crime after they have been released within 3 years of release from prison. This is not good for them, and it is certainly not good for society. We want these former prisoners to be constructive members of our communities. Small business ownership can provide steady employment to nonviolent individuals, which can drastically lower the risk of recidivism. This bill, H.R. 5065, the Prison to Proprietorship for Formerly Incarcerated Act, directs the SBA Administrator to work with the Bureau of Prisons to provide entrepreneurship counseling and training services for those who have served time in Federal prison. This counseling will be conducted by SCORE, a resource partner of the SBA and the Nation's largest network of volunteer expert business mentors, with more than 10,000 volunteers in 300 chapters. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries) for their bipartisan work on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. [[Page H36]] Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries), the chair of the House Democratic Caucus and sponsor of the bill. Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend, the distinguished gentlewoman from the Seventh Congressional District of the great State of New York and the chairwoman of the Small Business Committee, for yielding and for her tremendous leadership. I rise in support of H.R. 5065, the Prison to Proprietorship for Formerly Incarcerated Act. Here in America, we have a mass incarceration epidemic. Last Congress, we worked in a bipartisan fashion to pass the First Step Act to help propel formerly incarcerated individuals toward success when they return home, to reduce recidivism, and to save taxpayer dollars. But the First Step Act was just that, a first step. That is why, together, we introduced the Prison to Proprietorship for Formerly Incarcerated Act, to address one of the many challenges faced by returning citizens. This bill is designed to make sure that formerly incarcerated individuals can use their God-given skills, talent, and ability to bring business and entrepreneurial activities to life in their communities. Throughout our Federal Bureau of Prisons system, there are incarcerated individuals who have the same intellect, the same ability, and the same resiliency as some of the most successful people on Wall Street back home in New York. The difference between them can often be as simple as a lack of opportunity, not a lack of entrepreneurial spirit. That is what this legislation is designed to change. This bill will make sure that we provide opportunities to those who have been left behind. It is designed to make sure that the American Dream is accessible for formerly incarcerated individuals, their families, and their communities. This effort, of course, is consistent with our core values here in America, where we believe that hard work and dedication should be rewarded and that opportunities should be available to everyone. H.R. 5065 directs the Service Corps of Retired Executives, otherwise known as SCORE, to provide mentoring, workshops, and training videos for formerly incarcerated individuals on how to launch and grow a small business. It would provide individualized business mentoring to support the development of business plans and entrepreneurial growth for recipients of prison-to-proprietorship services up to a year after their release, connect these individuals with small business networks and resources, and identify opportunities to access capital. Madam Speaker, I thank, again, Chairwoman Velazquez and Ranking Member Chabot of the Small Business Committee for their tremendous leadership in this effort. I also thank the lead Republican, Representative Burchett from Tennessee, for his great leadership. A philosopher once said: Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day, but teach him to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. That is what this effort ultimately is all about. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 5065 and lift up formerly incarcerated returning citizens by providing them with entrepreneurial resources. Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett), and I thank him for his leadership on this legislation. Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Prison to Proprietorship for Formerly Incarcerated Act, legislation I was proud to author with Representative Jeffries. I really appreciate his kind words. Some individuals who have paid their debt to society deserve a second chance at success. This includes giving folks reentering the workforce a shot at entrepreneurship and small business ownership. Included in this legislation are counseling and training services for incarcerated individuals who want to start their own small businesses. I am a firm believer in giving folks an opportunity to succeed, and this bill makes sure those who are joining society have the skills and knowledge to do so. Madam Speaker, I encourage all Members who feel the same to support this important piece of legislation. I thank Representative Jeffries for his efforts on this bill, as well as Ranking Member Chabot and Chairwoman Velazquez. I hope I said her name correctly. I have been working on it. I thank them all for their leadership on the Small Business Committee in helping this bill come to the floor. Madam Speaker, on a personal note, I always appreciate Chairwoman Velazquez reaching across the aisle to me and for her friendship from day one. I appreciate Ranking Member Chabot's mentorship and for always having time for a wet-behind-the-ears freshman. Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schneider), a valued member of the Small Business Committee. Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5065, the Prison to Proprietorship for Formerly Incarcerated Act, of which I am proud to be a cosponsor. Empowering the formerly incarcerated with the skills to start their own small businesses can be a powerful benefit, both for these individuals and their communities. By creating economic opportunity, entrepreneurship also has the power to break the cycle of incarceration and reduce recidivism. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues Hakeem Jeffries and Tim Burchett for introducing this bipartisan legislation. I have long been a proponent of the Small Business Administration's SCORE program and how it helps burgeoning small businesses expand and grow. Mentorship can play a vital role in the success of entrepreneurs, and citizens returning to society after serving time face unique challenges when trying to start their own small businesses. Today's legislation would expand SCORE programming to help the formerly incarcerated specifically. I know this legislation would have a positive impact in my district. Our Small Business Development Center based out of the College of Lake County is in the process, in conjunction with the local county jail, of offering entrepreneurship training to a cohort of inmates. I am proud of the initiative of our SBDC and, in particular, its director, Mitch Bienvenue, for what he has undertaken in designing and offering this program. I look forward to hearing about the success stories of these inmates once they return to our communities. I am excited to push this bill forward because I know that SCORE would provide these individuals with valuable mentorship that could be instrumental to their success. No one starts a successful business on their own, and SCORE can be an invaluable pipeline for the help necessary to make the dream of running one's own small business a reality. Madam Speaker, I thank, again, my colleagues Mr. Burchett and Mr. Jeffries for the work each of them has done on this important bill. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.'' Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I have no further Members seeking time, and I am prepared to close if the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) is prepared as well. Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I have another speaker. Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Ms. Kendra S. Horn). Ms. KENDRA S. HORN of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairwoman and ranking member, and Representatives Jeffries and Burchett, for bringing this important legislation forward. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5065, the Prison to Proprietorship for Formerly Incarcerated Act. Incarceration rates in the U.S. are disturbingly high, and my home State of Oklahoma has the highest rates of any in our country. According to a study done by the Prison Policy Initiative, more than 1 in 100 Oklahoma adults were in jail at any given time in 2018. The numbers are even more disturbing for African Americans in Oklahoma, with nearly 4 in 100 incarcerated in 2010. High incarceration rates have both economic and human costs. They are [[Page H37]] costly to taxpayers and crippling to communities, which lose so many individuals to incarceration. While Congress has spent time focusing on how people end up in prison, we have not committed enough time focusing on how to prevent formerly incarcerated individuals from returning. While Oklahoma and other States have also made positive steps in criminal justice reform to reduce the unnecessarily harsh prison sentences, releasing individuals is only one step in decreasing incarceration rates. According to the Justice Center's National Reentry Resource Center, employment after an individual is released from prison is the single most important predictor of recidivism. Sadly, 75 percent of incarcerated individuals are still unemployed after a year of being released from prison, causing them too often to resort to criminal activity, leading back to prison. H.R. 5065 addresses the critical issue of employment and helps break this devastating cycle by creating a program where SCORE association volunteer business counselors can mentor formerly incarcerated individuals. The counselors provide formerly incarcerated individuals with entrepreneurial development training and workshops to help them utilize their skills and gain new experience to go into workplaces or run businesses of their own. {time} 1515 Helping individuals find a job and career opportunities after leaving prison is a critical step in addressing our Nation's high incarceration rate and ensuring those who have gone to prison don't return. I am proud to cosponsor this legislation and encourage my colleagues to vote for H.R. 5065. Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Madam Speaker, entrepreneurship has the power to equip those returning from incarceration with tools to overcome barriers to employment, which they often face upon their release. Recidivism rates in America remain today, unfortunately, alarmingly high; yet, entrepreneurship can be a pathway to success and an antidote to recidivism for the formerly incarcerated. This bill is designed to help individuals reacclimate to society, utilizing their desire to start and own a small business. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Entrepreneurship has always been a bedrock of American life, and it is particularly important for those who have to overcome employment barriers. Today's legislation will provide opportunity and hope for those who face steep challenges to employment. By requiring SCORE to provide mentorship to those who completed the Prison to Proprietorship program, we can ensure that the investment made for increasing instruction will be fully utilized upon release for those who opt to launch a small business. With the cost to incarcerate a Federal inmate of nearly $100 a day and more than $36,000 a year, it makes economic sense to invest in training and give these folks the tools they need to succeed. I thank both Representatives Jeffries and Burchett for leading this important effort, and I also thank Ranking Member Chabot and his staff for working with us to increase opportunities and resources for those who seek to rebuild their lives. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5065. The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________
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