[House Hearing, 117 Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] MARKUP OF: H.R. 6445, ``SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2022'' H.R. 6441, ``WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTERS IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2022'' H.R. 6450, ``SCORE FOR SMALL BUSINESS ACT OF 2022'' H.R. 4877, ``ONE STOP SHOP FOR SMALL BUSINESS COMPLIANCE ACT OF 2021'' H.R. 6454, ``SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCACY IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 2022'' ======================================================================= HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION __________ HEARING HELD FEBRUARY 3, 2022 __________ [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] Small Business Committee Document Number 117-044 Available via the GPO Website: www.govinfo.gov __________ U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 46-929 WASHINGTON : 2022 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOUSE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS NYDIA VELAZQUEZ, New York, Chairwoman JARED GOLDEN, Maine JASON CROW, Colorado SHARICE DAVIDS, Kansas KWEISI MFUME, Maryland DEAN PHILLIPS, Minnesota MARIE NEWMAN, Illinois CAROLYN BOURDEAUX, Georgia TROY CARTER, Louisiana JUDY CHU, California DWIGHT EVANS, Pennsylvania ANTONIO DELGADO, New York CHRISSY HOULAHAN, Pennsylvania ANDY KIM, New Jersey ANGIE CRAIG, Minnesota BLAINE LUETKEMEYER, Missouri, Ranking Member ROGER WILLIAMS, Texas JIM HAGEDORN, Minnesota PETE STAUBER, Minnesota DAN MEUSER, Pennsylvania CLAUDIA TENNEY, New York ANDREW GARBARINO, New York YOUNG KIM, California BETH VAN DUYNE, Texas BYRON DONALDS, Florida MARIA SALAZAR, Florida SCOTT FITZGERALD, Wisconsin Melissa Jung, Majority Staff Director Ellen Harrington, Majority Deputy Staff Director David Planning, Staff Director C O N T E N T S OPENING STATEMENTS Page Hon. Sharice Davids.............................................. 1 Hon. Blaine Luetkemeyer.......................................... 3 APPENDIX Additional Material for the Record: H.R. 6445, ``Small Business Development Centers Improvement Act of 2022''.............................................. 18 H.R. 6441, ``Women's Business Centers Improvement Act of 2022''..................................................... 31 H.R. 6450, ``Score for Small Business Act of 2022''.......... 67 H.R. 4877, ``One Stop Shop for Small Business Compliance Act of 2021''.................................................. 86 H.R. 6454, ``Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act of 2022''..................................................... 88 MARKUP OF: H.R. 6445, ``SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2022'' H.R. 6441, ``WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTERS IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2022'' H.R. 6450, ``SCORE FOR SMALL BUSINESS ACT OF 2022'' H.R. 4877, ``ONE STOP SHOP FOR SMALL BUSINESS COMPLIANCE ACT OF 2021'' H.R. 6454, ``SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCACY IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 2022'' ---------- THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2022 House of Representatives, Committee on Small Business, Washington, DC. The committee met, pursuant to call, at 10:00 a.m., in Room 2360, Rayburn House Office Building and on Zoom. Hon. Sharice Davids [member of the Committee] presiding. Present: Representatives Davids, Golden, Crow, Mfume, Phillips, Newman, Bourdeaux, Carter, Chu, Evans, Delgado, Houlahan, Andy Kim, Craig, Luetkemeyer, Williams, Hagedorn, Stauber, Meuser, Tenney, Garbarino, Young Kim, Van Duyne, Donalds, Salazar, and Fitzgerald. Ms. DAVIDS. Good morning. With a quorum being present I call this morning's meeting of the Committee on Small Business to order. Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare a recess at any time. First, I want to start off by stating that I have the pleasure of chairing this hearing in place of Chairwoman Velazquez who is unable to attend. I would like to begin by noting some important requirements. Let me begin by saying that standing House and Committee rules and practice will continue to apply during hybrid proceedings. All Members are reminded that they are expected to adhere to these standing rules including decorum. House regulations require Members to be visible through a video connection throughout the proceeding, so please keep your cameras on. Also, please remember to remain muted until you are recognized to minimize background noise. For those Members and staff physically present in the Committee room today, in accordance with the attending physician's most recent guidance, all Members and staff who attend this hybrid markup in person will be required to wear masks in the hearing room. As required by House rules, copies of the measures have been made available to Members and the public at least 24 hours in advance. Small businesses are the cornerstones of our communities and have been hit hard throughout the pandemic. It is important that we come together to ensure small businesses across the country have access to SBA programs that will help them thrive. SBA offers a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem that offers free or low-cost counseling and training to small business owners across the country. Whether it is helping to create a business plan, navigating the procurement process, marketing a new product, or identifying trade opportunities, SBA, through its resource partners, offers a wide range of services and helps more than a million small business owners every year. These programs have a proven track record of success in assisting America's entrepreneurs and small business owners. Throughout this Congress, we have consistently asked our witnesses, how can we better assist America's small businesses? Are SBA's entrepreneurial development programs working effectively? How can the Committee modernize and expand their reach? We have heard time and time again that SBA's entrepreneurial development programs are vital to small employers and access to them is pivotal to success. Witnesses also shared that more can be done to expand their reach, particularly in rural and traditionally underserved areas. This Committee has taken what we learned to heart and crafted three bipartisan bills to strengthen the counseling and training programs at SBA. In addition to those three bills, we are considering a bill that would improve access to federal small business compliance guides and a bill that would ensure American small business interests are represented on the global stage. The five bills the Committee is considering today are H.R. 6445, the ``Small Business Development Centers Improvement Act of 2022,'' introduced by Mr. Golden and cosponsored by Mr. Hagedorn; H.R. 6441, the ``Women's Business Centers Improvement Act of 2022,'' introduced by myself and cosponsored by Ms. Tenney; H.R. 6450, the ``SCORE for Small Business Act of 2022,'' introduced by Mrs. Young Kim and cosponsored by Ms. Craig; H.R. 4877, the ``One Stop Shop for Small Business Compliance Act of 2021,'' introduced by Mr. Delgado and cosponsored by Ms. Van Duyne; and finally, H.R. 6454, the ``Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act of 2022,'' introduced by Ranking Member Luetkemeyer and Mr. Carter. I am proud to be lending my strong support for these five bipartisan bills. I want to thank the Ranking Member and his staff for collaborating on this package. I would also like to thank all our Members on both sides of the aisle for their efforts to improve SBA's programs. I would now like to recognize the Ranking Member, Mr. Luetkemeyer, for his opening statement. Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Good morning. Thank you, Madam Chair, for holding this markup on legislation that I think will continue to put the nation's job creators first. Small businesses in every shape and form continue to feel the devastating effects of strong economic headwinds, from the highest inflation rate in 40 years to supply chain issues, to labor shortages that have left the nation with 10.9 million open jobs, small businesses are facing severe economic conditions. Too often, storefronts and other main street businesses have had to reduce hours or change their operations due to these challenges. However, small business owners and their employees are some of the most resilient workers in America. This is apparent through their innovation and risk taking. These are the characteristics that drive our economy to new heights. These are the factors that support our communities and neighbors. These are the qualities that build our next entrepreneurs. When small business owners are able to plan with certainty and make calculated risks, our nation moves forward. Now, let me tell you, our nation is not short of great business concepts or ideas that could turn into the next great American product or service. Unfortunately, all too often the federal government gets in their way. This is why it was a victory for small businesses when the vaccine mandate was halted. Congress must be aware of these federal policies that disadvantage the nation's true job creators. Pro-growth policies work. They put small business owners in charge instead of the federal government. We know we must create a small business environment that fosters expansion, prudent risk taking, and job growth. At the same time, it is also critical to examine the federal agency that was created to assist and help the nation's small businesses, and that is what we are here today to discuss. The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in new awareness of the Small Business Administration's tools and services. Millions of small businesses now have a better understanding of the SBA. Given this heightened attention, the SBA's entrepreneurial development programs must be right-sized and recalibrated to meet the needs of today's business workers and owners. Today's markup will feature three bills that improve the SBA's Small Business Development Centers program, the SBA's Women's Business Centers program, and the SBA's SCORE program. Additionally, the Committee will look to enhance and streamline information that is published by agencies as it pertains to the impact of federal regulations on small businesses. Federal regulations have an outside impact on small businesses, and we need to take a look at those. We must work to ensure regulatory red tape is limited and H.R. 4877 is a step in this direction. Lastly, the Committee will examine my bill to bolster the SBA's independent Office of Advocacy and its role in reporting on international economic matters. Having an independent voice that speaks on behalf of small business is critical to all trade matters. H.R. 6454 will ensure the SBA's Office of Advocacy does just that. Every piece of legislation before us today will work for and on behalf of the nation's small businesses, entrepreneurs, startups, and innovators. These are important reforms that need our attention. I would like to thank each Member for working with their colleagues to address and highlight these matters. Additionally, I would like to thank the Chair for working to advance these bipartisan bills. It is important to remember, when small businesses are growing, so is our economy. Before I conclude, I would like to mention that this Committee needs to continue to examine the approximately $1 trillion in COVID relief that flowed to small businesses over the last 2 years. A part of this examination is hearing from administration officials in charge of these programs. Unfortunately, Secretary Yellen, who is required by law to testify before this Committee, and thus far, she has refused to do so. She continues to turn her back on small businesses. This cannot be allowed to continue. She is also required by this same law to report to this Committee two times this coming year. Will she finally show up? Will she finally do her statutory duty? Who knows? The bottom line is that she needs to finally submit to the law, discontinue her blatant disregard for the law and this Committee. With that, Madam Chair, I look forward to today's markup and I yield back. Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you very much. The gentleman yields back. Before we get into the individual bills, are there any Members present who seek recognition for the purpose of making an opening statement? Seeing none, we will move to consideration of H.R. 6445, the ``Small Business Development Centers Improvement Act of 2022,'' introduced by Representative Golden and cosponsored by Representative Hagedorn. This bill would modernize and improve the Small Business Development Centers program. I would now like to recognize the gentleman from Maine, Mr. Golden, the sponsor of the bill for an opening statement. H.R. 6445 Mr. GOLDEN. Thank you, Madam Chair. Small business development centers (SBDCs) are SBA's largest resource partner. In Maine, the state's lead SBDC runs 11 outreach locations in my district. Maine's SBDCs have an annual impact that includes advising 2,956 small businesses. The impact that SBDC services have on local business owners should not be underestimated. I have heard from numerous business owners about the great value they found in SBDC services. Some of them have said things to myself in meetings or to SBDC staff in the district or to my team back home in Maine--things like the following: ``Risking everything we had to pursue dreams of starting our own business was terrifying but access to our local SBDC program and advisors gave us tools we needed to persevere over the many hurdles confronting small business startups.'' ``We cannot stress enough how invaluable we have found their services to be.'' Another success story is a veteran-owned Frenchman Bay Oyster Company. The owner, Graham, who I know well, told my staff that his relationship with the Maine SBDC is irreplaceable. He worked with an SBDC advisor on a business plan and a successful grant application that is helping him to grow his business. As impressive as these stories and statistics are, they represent only a fraction of Maine's 33,500 small businesses. My bipartisan bill, the ``Small Business Development Centers Improvement Act of 2022,'' H.R. 6445, will help more small businesses access these services in two ways. First, by clarifying that centers are allowed to market their services, it will address the common feedback I hear that Maine small businesses do not know about the valuable resources that SBDCs provide. Greater awareness of the services available through these programs will allow more small businesses to receive entrepreneurial assistance without imposing any more financial burdens on SBDCs, the SBA, or the taxpayer. Second, it will increase SBDC's capacity and impact by raising their funding authorization by $40 million annually. Along with other provisions in the bill, these changes will help small businesses across the country reach their full potential. I would like to thank Mr. Hagedorn, the Chairwoman, the Ranking Member, and their staff for their bipartisan work in support of this important program and I yield back. Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentleman yields back. I would now like to recognize the gentleman from Minnesota, Mr. Hagedorn, for an opening statement. Mr. Hagedorn, you are muted currently. Mr. HAGEDORN. How about that? Is that better? Ms. DAVIDS. Sounds good. Mr. HAGEDORN. Okay. Madam Chair, thank you for the opportunity. I appreciate it very much and it is good to be with everyone on this really bipartisan day in small business and that is the way we should be doing our business. I am pleased that things are going along that way today. I want to thank my colleague, Representative Golden, Chairman Golden for his bipartisan work, and those on the Committee that want to help us move along with our small business development centers. This is an important bill that we have been working on for a little while and let's just face it, over the last 40 years America's small business development centers have served as a pillar for both emerging entrepreneurs and long-time small business owners alike. I have spoken with many people in my district who have really gotten their start or gotten a lot of help early on in order to get their businesses going through the small business development centers. Some of them are very lucrative businesses today so this is a program that is working and reauthorizing, it makes a lot of sense. The services our SBDCs are able to offer have become increasingly critical to help ensure our main street business partners can survive through the COVID pandemic. Hopefully, we are turning the corner there, but it has been a long road here the last couple of years, no doubt about that. This legislation would reauthorize the SBDC program at $175 million through fiscal year 2025 to further modernize and strengthen the SBDC network. Specifically, H.R. 6445 would increase much-needed oversight by requiring SBA to provide Congress with an annual report on program effectiveness while also enabling increased awareness of the services of the SBDC programs it has to offer. That is all by eliminating the prohibition on marketing for SBDCs, some that are probably long overdue. The feedback my office has received from small business owners often revolved around these businesses not having been aware of the SBDC services available to them. I guess there just was not enough marketing out there. We needed to make sure people knew what was going on. This bill is going to help in that regard. I am pleased that we are going to address these concerns through this legislation. Minnesota's 1st District is home to two SBDC locations, the South Central Regional SBDC located at Rochester Community College and Technical College, and then, of course, the Southeast Regional SBDC located at Minnesota State University in Mankato. They have multiple satellite locations across Minnesota, especially southern Minnesota. Our SBDCs have been a lifeline to our small business owners and in some of the most hopeless and uncertain times they have helped get them through. It is important that the Committee act in bipartisan fashion to ensure these services continue to assist our small businesses in their long-term economic growth. I humbly ask that my colleagues support H.R. 6445 and I yield back. Thank you. Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you, Mr. Hagedorn. It is good to see you. The gentleman yields back. Are there any other Members who wish to be recognized for a statement on H.R. 6445? I would now like to recognize the Ranking Member. Mr. LUETKEMEYER. I would like to thank the gentleman from Maine, Mr. Golden, and the gentleman from Minnesota, Mr. Hagedorn, for working on this legislation in the 117th Congress. This Congress, the Committee has heard from small business development centers (SBDCs) and small businesses who have benefitted from SBDC's services. Specifically, in March of last year, the Subcommittee on Underserved, Agricultural, and Rural Business Development heard from the Minnesota SBDC state director on the important work SBDCs conduct for small businesses. Small business development centers provide valuable resources to entrepreneurs and throughout the pandemic have supported countless small businesses in accessing SBA's COVID- 19 relief programs. This important legislation will allow SBDCs to market their services and expand their network. This legislation also ensures SBDC's client information is protected and that cooperation, communication, and collaboration between the SBA and SBDC networks is improved. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6445 to modernize the SBDC program and ensure that SBDCs can continue their important services for small businesses. With that, Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time. Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentleman yields back. I would now like to recognize myself briefly. The Small Business Development Centers program is SBA's largest resource partner, delivering vital management and technical assistance through a network of 62 lead centers and nearly 1,000 subcenters throughout the country. Since the pandemic began, SBDCs have been inundated with a record number of requests for their services. In 2020, SBDCs provided counseling and training to almost 500,000 unique entrepreneurs and small business owners and helped clients start more than 17,000 small businesses and obtain $8.4 billion in financing, a 70 percent increase from financing obtained in 2019. First and foremost, this bill would reauthorize the program for 4 years and increase the authorization level to $175 million for each fiscal year. To increase awareness of SBA's resource partners, the bill would expand the SBDC programs marketing and advertising authority. Finally, this bill, like the other entrepreneurial development bills we are considering today, would require an annual report to ensure that programs are working effectively and aligned with congressional intent. Launching a business is not for the faint of heart. Strengthening the SBDC network will enable SBDCs to continue to provide in-depth business training for aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners, which in turn will spur local economic development. I want to thank Representative Golden and Representative Hagedorn for their bipartisan work on this bill and I urge a yes vote. If there is no further discussion, the Committee will move on to consideration of H.R. 6445. The clerk will report the bill. The CLERK. H.R. 6445, the Small Business Development Centers---- Ms. DAVIDS. Without objection, H.R. 6445 is considered as read and open for amendment at any point. Does anyone seek recognition to offer an amendment? Seeing none, the question is now on H.R. 6445. All in favor, say aye. All those opposed, say no. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and H.R. 6445 is agreed to. The question now occurs on reporting H.R. 6445 favorably to the House. All those in favor, say aye. All those opposed, say no. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it. H.R. 6445 is reported to the House. Without objection, Committee staff is authorized to correct punctuation and make other necessary technical corrections and conforming changes. Without objection, Members have 2 business days to file additional, supplemental, dissenting, and minority views. Our second bill today is H.R. 6441, the ``Women's Business Centers Improvement Act of 2022,'' introduced by myself and cosponsored by Congresswoman Tenney. H.R. 6441 would modernize and strengthen the Women's Business Centers program. I would now like to recognize the gentlewoman from New York, Ms. Tenney, for an opening statement. Ms. Tenney, I believe you are muted. One more try. There we go. Ms. TENNEY. How about now? Ms. DAVIDS. There we go. H.R. 6441 Ms. TENNEY. All right, good. Thanks. As a long-time small business owner in upstate New York, I am in support of H.R. 6441, the Women's Business Centers Improvement Act legislation that I am honored to lead with Representative Davids, who has also spent some time in upstate New York and also attended Cornell University Law School, as did my dad many, many years ago. Throughout our country, women-owned businesses employ 9.4 million workers and contribute $1.2 trillion to our national economy. They play an important part in our communities and provide female entrepreneurs an invaluable opportunity to build wealth and care for their families. Over the past 30 years, the Women's Business Center program has helped these entrepreneurs access greater resources and find opportunities to grow and build their businesses. Across the country there are now 150 locations providing a full range of counseling and technical services to 150,000 business owners annually. In the fiscal year 2020 alone, the Small Business Administration revealed there were almost 70,000 jobs supported by the Women's Business Centers. These jobs represented communities from urban to rural to minority to chronically unserved. To build on this success and expand the reach of these centers into communities like the one I represent in upstate New York, I joined with Congresswoman Davids to introduce the bipartisan Women's Business Centers Improvement Act. This legislation will increase funding available to this proven service while enacting commonsense taxpayer protections, and oversight provisions to safeguard these public resources and ensure the program efficiently serves the American people. Finally, this bill will double the cap on grants offered by the program, allowing it to better support entrepreneurs while also reducing some of the administrative and compliance costs. These changes will ensure that the Women's Business Centers can meet the modern demands and needs of small businesses for years to come. Thank you all for your support. I urge you all to join with me and Congresswoman Davids to support our nation's small businesswomen and entrepreneurs and vote yes on H.R. 6441. I yield back. Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentlewoman yields back. Are there any other Members who wish to be recognized for a statement on H.R. 6441? Ms. NEWMAN. I do. Ms. DAVIDS. I would now like to recognize the gentlewoman from Illinois, Ms. Newman, for a statement. Ms. NEWMAN. Well, thank you, Madam Chair. I move to strike the last word and speak in support of H.R. 6441, the Women's Business Centers bill. Ms. DAVIDS. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes. Ms. NEWMAN. Thank you. I rise in strong support of H.R. 6441. As a former small businessowner, I know that when our small businesses are strong, our country is strong. Small business has been hit very hard by the pandemic and women entrepreneurs have particularly struggled as we all know and are still attempting to recover. This legislation comes at a very critical time. It will provide women entrepreneurs with the resources they need for their businesses to thrive. Furthermore, it allows women business centers to expand services in counseling, training, and technical assistance. Supporting this bill means supporting a more diverse small business landscape and investing in the next generation of women entrepreneurs. Thank you, Madam, and I yield back. Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentlewoman yields back. Are there any other Members who wish to be recognized? I would now like to recognize the Ranking Member. Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Thank you, Madam Chair, and Ms. Tenney, for your leadership on this bill. Women's Business Centers (WBCs) support over 150,000 women entrepreneurs each year through training, mentoring, business development, and financing opportunities. Unfortunately, on May 4, 2021, the SBA's Office of Inspector General released a report that found SBA did not provide effective oversight over the WBC program. To that end, H.R. 6441 will bring increased oversight to the WBC program and long overdue modernizations. This legislation improves collaboration with SBA's Office of Women's Business Ownership, requires the SBA to develop policies and procedures to reduce the possibility of awarding grants to a WBC that will not remain in compliance with the program, and requires an annual report to Congress to measure the effectiveness of the WBC program. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6441, and with that, Madam Chair, I yield back. Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentleman yields back. I would now like to recognize myself. The Women's Business Centers program is emblematic of a good government program that was created to bridge opportunity gaps and promote equity. Since its inception, the WBC program has sought to reach more female entrepreneurs, particularly those who are socially and economically disadvantaged. To that end, many Women's Business Centers provide multilingual services, evening and weekend hours, and childcare for mothers in training sessions. In 2020 alone, the WBC program increased its outreach by 22 percent and counseled and trained more than 82,000 entrepreneurs. In addition, they helped start and sustain more than 30,000 small businesses. This is a solid record of success. The bill we are considering today will enhance the WBC program and ensure women entrepreneurs all across the country have increased access to the vital counseling and training services. I have seen it in action in the Kansas City WBC and it is why I introduced and strongly supported this bipartisan legislation. It would raise the cap on grants from $150,000 to $300,000 and establish an accreditation program that would raise the standards of excellence for counseling and training, ensuring funds are being spent wisely to help those growing entrepreneurs. Raising the grant caps will allow WBCs to expand their reach and resources. The Kansas City WBC currently serves the entire state of Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. They served over 800 clients last year. How many more could they have reached with increased funding? Last week, I held a roundtable with women small business owners in the Kansas 3rd District who have benefitted from the support and guidance of the Kansas City WBC. I heard firsthand from a diverse group of entrepreneurs spanning retail, IT, and consulting industries about how critical this program was to their success. They cited the flexible hours tailored to their needs and the supportive community as standpoint parts of their experience with the WBC. Expanding the reach and capacity of our WBCs will provide real-world benefits to female entrepreneurs across the country. I am proud to have introduced this important legislation alongside Ms. Tenney and I urge a yes vote. If there is no further discussion, the Committee will move on to consideration of H.R. 6441. The clerk will report the bill. The CLERK. H.R. 6441, the Women's Business---- Ms. DAVIDS. Without objection, H.R. 6441 is considered as read and open for amendment at any point. Does anyone seek recognition to offer an amendment? Seeing none, the question is now on H.R. 6441. All in favor, say aye. All opposed, say no. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and H.R. 6441 is agreed to. The question now occurs on reporting H.R. 6441 favorably to the House. All those in favor, say aye. All those opposed, say no. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and H.R. 6441 is reported to the House. Without objection, Committee staff is authorized to correct punctuation and make other necessary technical corrections and conforming changes. Without objection, Members have 2 business days to file additional, supplemental, dissenting, and minority views. The next bill under consideration is H.R. 6450, the ``SCORE for Small Business Act of 2022,'' introduced by Representative Young Kim and cosponsored by Representative Craig. The bill would reauthorize the SCORE program for 2 years, maintaining vital oversight mechanisms and ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. I would now like to recognize the gentlewoman from California, Mrs. Young Kim, the sponsor of the bill, for an opening statement. H.R. 6450 Mrs. YOUNG KIM. Thank you, Madam Chair Davids. I would also like to thank our Ranking Member Luetkemeyer for holding this very important markup and for working in a very bipartisan manner to consider vital pieces of legislation for our small businesses and entrepreneurs. And thank you to my colleague, Representative Angie Craig, from Minnesota, for your partnership to introduce H.R. 6450, the ``SCORE for Small Business Act of 2022.'' H.R. 6450 provides an authorization of $13.5 million for the SCORE program for fiscal years 2022 and 2023. The authorization will allow SCORE to expand counseling and training through online webinars, electronic mentoring platforms, and online toolkits to better serve small businesses and entrepreneurs. Additionally, the legislation would implement oversight mechanisms to better protect taxpayers' dollars by requiring the SBA to conduct a financial review of the program every 2 years and improving protections for our whistleblowers. The SCORE for Small Business Act would also expand services and promote diversity by requiring SCORE to develop and implement plans to better serve clients in rural areas and underserved communities. Since 1964, SCORE has served more than 11 million small business owners and entrepreneurs to establish, expand, or serve a small business. According to SCORE, since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, SCORE has seen a 30 percent increase in demand for their mentoring and educational services. Despite the challenges, 89 percent of SCORE clients stayed in business throughout 2020. This is an amazing accomplishment that we should look to preserve by reauthorizing the program. Ninety-six percent of workers employed in California's 39th district are employed by small businesses. Thanks to the volunteers and mentors in the SCORE program, countless small businesses in my district have been able to weather the COVID-19 pandemic and keep their businesses running. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6450 and allow SCORE to keep providing valuable information and resources for small businesses across the country. Thank you, and I yield back my time. Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentlewoman yields back. Are there any other Members who wish to be recognized for a statement on H.R. 6450? I would now like to recognize the gentlewoman from Minnesota, Ms. Craig, for an opening statement. Ms. CRAIG. Well, thank you so much, Chairwoman, for yielding and for convening this really strong bipartisan markup. Thank you, too, Congressman Young Kim for your leadership on this important bill. I am so proud to cosponsor H.R. 6450, the SCORE for Small Business Act bipartisan legislation that will ensure the SCORE program can provide the support and assistance America's small businesses deserve. Small businesses are the economic engine that drive our country and I am so proud to represent the small businesses which make up 93 percent of employers in Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District. The real-world experienced mentorship that the SCORE program provides has launched more than 45,000 businesses in 2020 alone with a return on investment of over $67 for every $1 in federal appropriations. Back home in my district, SCORE South Metro has been hard at work mentoring more than 100 Minnesotans who need help opening a new business or learning how to get their idea off the ground. SCORE can be an incredible resource for entrepreneurs all across the country but there is no doubt that there is room for improvement, especially when it comes to their service of rural and underserved communities as noted by a recent Inspector General report. Those improvements are exactly what our legislation seeks to provide. I know small businesses in my district and in rural communities across the country will benefit from the programmatic improvements this bill makes. I thank the Chairwoman for advancing the bill today and urge my colleagues to support this legislation. With that, thank you. I yield back. Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentlewoman yields back. Are there any other Members who wish to be recognized for a statement on H.R. 6450? I would now like to recognize the Ranking Member, Mr. Luetkemeyer. Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Thank you, Madam Chair. I thank Mrs. Young Kim and Ms. Craig for your fine work on this legislation. Congresswoman Kim, I know, is a great advocate for small businesses and their resource partners and I appreciate her work on this legislation to reauthorize the SCORE program and add new program safeguard data standards and reporting requirements. SCORE is the largest network of free volunteer small business mentors and provides entrepreneurs with training in starting a business, succession planning and management, finance and marketing tools. I am confident that the provisions in this bill will support small businesses, improve the SBA's and Congress's oversight of the SCORE program, and ensure the integrity of the SCORE association is restored and maintained. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6450. With that, Madam Chair, I yield back. Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentleman yields back. I would now like to recognize myself briefly. SBA's SCORE program is the nation's largest network of volunteer business mentors. Since 1964, they have provided education and mentorship to over 11 million entrepreneurs. With 250 chapters and 10,000 volunteers nationwide, SCORE is well- positioned to provide virtual and face-to-face counseling to entrepreneurs throughout the country. As we know the SCORE program has experienced some oversight challenges in the past. This bill reflects the immense work the new leadership at SCORE has done to resolve outstanding recommendations of the Office of Inspector General. This bill reflects the Committee's oversight efforts and ensures the steps SCORE has taken to restore integrity, accounting, and performance standards are carried into the future. Today's bill is a culmination of bipartisan work to strengthen the SCORE program and ensure its efficient operation on behalf of America's small business community. Thank you to both Mrs. Young Kim and Ms. Angie Craig for your bipartisan commitment to modernize and improve the SCORE program. I urge a yes vote. If there is no further discussion, the Committee will move on to consideration of H.R. 6450. The clerk will report the title. The CLERK. H.R. 6450, the SCORE for Small Business---- Ms. DAVIDS. Without objection, H.R. 6450 is considered as read and open for amendment at any point. Does anyone seek recognition to offer an amendment? Seeing none, the question is now on H.R. 6450. All in favor, say aye. All those opposed, say no. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and H.R. 6450 is agreed to. The question now occurs on reporting H.R. 6450 favorably to the House. All those in favor, say aye. All those opposed, say no. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and H.R. 6450 is reported to the House. Without objection, Committee staff is authorized to correct punctuation and make other necessary technical corrections and conforming changes. Without objection, Members have 2 business days to file additional, supplemental, dissenting, and minority views. We will now consider H.R. 4877, the ``One Stop Shop for Small Business Compliance Act of 2021,'' introduced by Congressman Delgado and cosponsored by Congresswoman Van Duyne. H.R. 4877 would require the Office of the National Ombudsman to create and maintain a centralized website with hyperlinks to small business compliance guides and related points of contact for each federal agency. Doing so makes it easier for small businesses to comply with federal regulations. I would now like to recognize the gentleman from New York, Mr. Delgado, the sponsor of the bill, for an opening statement. H.R. 4877 Mr. DELGADO. Thank you, Chairwoman, and Ranking Member. I appreciate the opportunity to speak in support of my bipartisan bill, the One Stop Shop for Small Business Compliance Act. I introduced this legislation with my colleague, Congresswoman Van Duyne, who is also a Member of this Committee. I want to thank her for her partnership on this bill. Since 2002, Congress has required federal agencies to publish small business compliance guides to assist small business owners in navigating onerous federal regulations. For the past 2 decades, these guides have been housed in various places across different agencies websites and it can get very, very difficult for small business owners to find and utilize them. Our legislation, the One Stop Shop for Small Business Compliance Act would require the Small Business Administration to create a centralized website that houses all of these compliance guides, in turn, creating a one stop shop for small business owners. Our bill would also require the SBA website to list contact information for the appropriate agency staff to provide regulatory assistance to small businesses. By making these guides and agency contact information more accessible, we can help small business owners, many of whom often lack the resources to hire staff to focus on compliance issues. While the small business owners continue to navigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their business, they should not also have to navigate a maze of government websites just to find the very resources meant to help them in the first place. Our bill helps to cut the red tape, lowers the cost of complying with regulations and makes life simpler for our small business owners. I know for the 27,000 small business owners, including self-employed in my district, it will make a big difference. With that in mind, I want to thank the Chairwoman for including our bill in the markup today, and I urge the Committee to join me in supporting this commonsense, bipartisan legislation. I yield back the balance of my time. Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentleman yields back. I would now like to recognize the gentlewoman from Texas, Ms. Van Duyne, for an opening statement. Ms. VAN DUYNE. Thank you very much, Madam Chair, who, by the way, until today, even though we shared an entire season in softball, I never knew that you were a fellow Cornellian either--so on this very small panel we have got three of us including Congressman Meuser. Ms. DAVIDS. Go Big Red. Ms. VAN DUYNE. It is a small world. I want to thank you and Ranking Member Luetkemeyer for holding this markup and including this critical bill for reducing red tape for small business owners. I want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from New York, Mr. Delgado, for his leadership on this bill, the One Stop Shop for Small Business Compliance Act. One of the significant challenges for our smallest employers is dealing with an overzealous, regulatory state while they work to grow their businesses. Not only are some of these regulations complicated but the process of simply locating what regulations they need to be following can be overtime and very consuming. This bill would solve this problem by creating one centralized website for small business owners to access resources and compliance guides for certain federal regulations. Our entrepreneurs must spend more time on their business and less time sifting through federal regulations, especially during this challenging environment for all small businesses. I am proud to partner with Representative Delgado on this bill and look forward to continued work together. I urge my colleagues to offer their support, and I yield back. Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentlewoman yields back. I would now like to recognize the Ranking Member. Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you to my colleagues, Mr. Delgado from New York and Ms. Van Duyne from Texas for leading this effort. Federal agencies are required to publish small business compliance guides for certain regulations. These guides are housed on different agency websites, making it difficult for small businesses to find and utilize. The bipartisan legislation we have before us today will create a one stop shop that will make it easier for small businesses to comply with federal regulations and to be brief, I support this commonsense bill and urge my colleagues to do the same. With that, Madam Chair, I yield back. Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentleman yields back. I would now like to recognize myself briefly. In 1996, Congress established the Office of the National Ombudsman to serve as a powerful voice for small businesses within the federal government. This little-known office within SBA works to reduce unfair regulatory burdens on small businesses and assist them in complying with new regulations. This bill would require the Office of the National Ombudsman to create and maintain a public website that includes hyperlinks to compliance guides required by Section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act. These guides are valuable tools for small firms, helping them to come into compliance with the rules promulgated by federal agencies and could save them a significant amount of time and effort. I want to thank Congressman Delgado and Congresswoman Van Duyne for their work on this bill and I urge a yes vote. If there is no further discussion, the Committee will move on to consideration of H.R. 4877. The clerk will report the bill. The CLERK. H.R. 4877, the One Stop---- Ms. DAVIDS. Without objection, H.R. 4877 is considered as read and open for amendment at any point. Does anyone seek recognition to offer an amendment? Seeing none, the question is now on H.R. 4877. All in favor, say aye. All opposed, say no. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and H.R. 4877 is agreed to. The question now occurs on reporting H.R. 4877 favorably to the House. All those in favor, say aye. All those opposed, say no. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and H.R. 4877 is reported to the House. Without objection, Committee staff is authorized to correct punctuation and make other necessary technical corrections and conforming changes. Without objection, Members have 2 business days to file additional, supplemental, dissenting, and minority views. We will now take up the final bill on the agenda, H.R. 6454, the ``Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act of 2022,'' introduced by Ranking Member Luetkemeyer and cosponsored by Congressman Carter. H.R. 6454 clarifies that SBA's Office of Advocacy has the authority to examine international data, and represent small business interests in international discussions, particularly in trade negotiations. I would now like to recognize the gentleman from Missouri, Ranking Member Luetkemeyer, the sponsor of the bill, for an opening statement. H.R. 6454 Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate your willingness to bring this up this morning, and I appreciate my cosponsor, Representative Carter. SBA's Office of Advocacy is a critically important group that operates independently and solely on behalf of the nation's small businesses. While it produces research and statistics on the state of small business and our economy as a whole at the national, state, and congressional level, it also monitors federal agency compliance with regulatory matters. My bill, H.R. 6454, the ``Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act of 2022,'' expands the office's authority to be an independent voice for America's small businesses on international economic matters, including those dealing with trade which is so vitally important to our economy and to our small businesses today. Enhancing the Office of Advocacy's mission when it comes to trade matters will only serve to assist America's job creators. I would like to thank the Chair again for bringing this bill up to vote and again thank my colleague, Mr. Carter, from Louisiana for joining me to ensure that the country's small businesses are represented and informed on all matters both domestically and internationally. It is my hope this Congress can finally advance this legislation as it has received bipartisan support in the past. Madam Chair, with that, it is an important bill that I urge all my colleagues to support. I also yield back. Thank you. Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentleman yields back. I would now like to recognize the gentleman from Louisiana, Mr. Carter, for an opening statement. Mr. CARTER. Madam Chair, thank you very much for this opportunity. Ranking Member Luetkemeyer, it is an honor to co- lead this bill with you. I am proud to advance this bipartisan bill that makes clear that the SBA Office of Advocacy has the authority to examine international economic data and represent small businesses'--interests in international discussions, particularly in trade negotiations. Small businesses are the backbone of our American economy, and we need to lift them up at every possible opportunity. Louisiana's 2nd district is an international one. We have some of the most important ports in the country and our businesses connect with others across the world every day. Today's small businesses are more global than ever before, selling their products and buying goods from countries around the world. Opening up new markets overseas helps our businesses here at home. When the U.S. makes decisions on trade and other international economic issues, the concerns of small businesses must be considered. This will ensure that all small business owners have someone in the federal government fighting for the nation's small businesses at home and abroad. I am honored to be a part of advancing this legislation. I would like to thank our Chair for leading this markup and certainly thank my dear friend and the Ranking Member, Mr. Luetkemeyer, for his incredible leadership on this issue. I urge a favorable passage. I yield back. Ms. DAVIDS. Thank you. The gentleman yields back. Are there any other Members who wish to be recognized for a statement on H.R. 6454? I would now like to recognize myself briefly. As the independent voice for small entities within the federal government, SBA's Office of Advocacy advances the views of our nation's 30 million small firms before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts and state policymakers. Since 2012, the Office of Advocacy has participated in international regulatory cooperation and international trade initiatives that impact small businesses. Their ability to conduct this outreach is vital to ensuring small businesses receive due consideration during international negotiations. That is why I support this bill to authorize the Office of Advocacy to represent American small business interests before foreign governments and international entities. Thank you, Ranking Member Luetkemeyer and Representative Carter for your work on this legislation. I urge a yes vote. If there is no further discussion, the Committee will move on to consideration of H.R. 6454. The clerk will report the bill. The CLERK. H.R. 6454, the Small Business---- Ms. DAVIDS. Without objection, H.R. 6454 is considered as read and open for amendment at any point. Does anyone seek recognition to offer an amendment? Seeing none, the question is now on H.R. 6454. All in favor, say aye. All opposed, say no. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and H.R. 6454 is agreed to. The question now occurs on reporting H.R. 6454 favorably to the House. All those in favor, say aye. All those opposed, say no. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and H.R. 6454 is reported to the House. Without objection, Committee staff is authorized to correct punctuation and make other necessary technical corrections and conforming changes. Without objection, Members have 2 business days to file additional, supplemental, dissenting, and minority views. I want to thank all the Members for their participation today. If there is no further business to come before the Committee, without objection, this meeting is adjourned. [Whereupon, at 10:50 a.m., the committee was adjourned.] A P P E N D I X [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] [all]