[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1606 Engrossed in House (EH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1606
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To amend the Small Business Act to codify the Boots to Business
Program, 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 ``Veteran Entrepreneurship Training
Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. BOOTS TO BUSINESS PROGRAM.
Section 32 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657b) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(h) Boots to Business Program.--
``(1) Covered individual defined.--In this subsection, the
term `covered individual' means--
``(A) a member of the Armed Forces, including the
National Guard or Reserves;
``(B) an individual who is participating in the
Transition Assistance Program established under section
1144 of title 10, United States Code;
``(C) an individual who--
``(i) served on active duty in any branch
of the Armed Forces, including the National
Guard or Reserves; and
``(ii) was discharged or released from such
service under conditions other than
dishonorable; and
``(D) a spouse or dependent of an individual
described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C).
``(2) Establishment.--During the period beginning on the
date of enactment of this subsection and ending on September
30, 2028, the Administrator shall carry out a program to be
known as the `Boots to Business Program' to provide
entrepreneurship training to covered individuals.
``(3) Goals.--The goals of the Boots to Business Program
are to--
``(A) provide assistance and in-depth training to
covered individuals interested in business ownership;
and
``(B) provide covered individuals with the tools,
skills, and knowledge necessary to identify a business
opportunity, draft a business plan, identify sources of
capital, connect with local resources for small
business concerns, and start up a small business
concern.
``(4) Program components.--
``(A) In general.--The Boots to Business Program
may include--
``(i) a presentation providing exposure to
the considerations involved in self-employment
and ownership of a small business concern;
``(ii) an online, self-study course focused
on the basic skills of entrepreneurship, the
language of business, and the considerations
involved in self-employment and ownership of a
small business concern;
``(iii) an in-person classroom instruction
component providing an introduction to the
foundations of self employment and ownership of
a small business concern; and
``(iv) in-depth training delivered through
online instruction, including an online course
that leads to the creation of a business plan.
``(B) Collaboration.--The Administrator may--
``(i) collaborate with public and private
entities to develop course curricula for the
Boots to Business Program; and
``(ii) modify program components in
coordination with entities participating in a
Warriors in Transition program, as defined in
section 738(e) of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (10
U.S.C. 1071 note).
``(C) Use of resource partners and district
offices.--
``(i) In general.--The Administrator
shall--
``(I) ensure that Veteran Business
Outreach Centers regularly participate,
on a nationwide basis, in the Boots to
Business Program; and
``(II) to the maximum extent
practicable, use district offices of
the Administration and a variety of
other resource partners and entities in
administering the Boots to Business
Program.
``(ii) Grant authority.--In carrying out
clause (i), the Administrator may make grants,
subject to the availability of appropriations
in advance, to Veteran Business Outreach
Centers, other resource partners, or other
entities to carry out components of the Boots
to Business Program.
``(D) Availability to department of defense and the
department of labor.--The Administrator shall make
available to the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary
of Labor information regarding the Boots to Business
Program, including all course materials and outreach
materials related to the Boots to Business Program, for
inclusion on the websites of the Department of Defense
and the Department of Labor relating to the Transition
Assistance Program, in the Transition Assistance
Program manual, and in other relevant materials
available for distribution from the Secretary of
Defense and the Secretary of Labor.
``(E) Availability to department of veterans
affairs.--In consultation with the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, the Administrator shall make
available for distribution and display on the website
of the Department of Veterans Affairs and at local
facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs
outreach materials regarding the Boots to Business
Program, which shall, at a minimum--
``(i) describe the Boots to Business
Program and the services provided; and
``(ii) include eligibility requirements for
participating in the Boots to Business Program.
``(F) Availability to other participating
agencies.--The Administrator shall ensure information
regarding the Boots to Business program, including all
course materials and outreach materials related to the
Boots to Business Program, is made available to other
participating agencies in the Transition Assistance
Program and upon request of other agencies.
``(5) Competitive bidding procedures.--The Administration
shall use relevant competitive bidding procedures with respect
to any contract or cooperative agreement executed by the
Administration under the Boots to Business Program.
``(6) Publication of notice of funding opportunity.--Not
later than 30 days before the deadline for submitting
applications for any funding opportunity under the Boots to
Business Program, the Administration shall publish a notice of
the funding opportunity.
``(7) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this subsection, and not less frequently than
annually thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate
and the Committee on Small Business of the House of
Representatives a report on the performance and effectiveness
of the Boots to Business Program, which--
``(A) may be included as part of another report
submitted to such committees by the Administrator
related to the Office of Veterans Business Development;
and
``(B) shall summarize available information
relating to--
``(i) grants awarded under paragraph
(4)(C);
``(ii) the total cost of the Boots to
Business Program;
``(iii) the number of program participants
using each component of the Boots to Business
Program;
``(iv) the completion rates for each
component of the Boots to Business Program;
``(v) to the extent possible--
``(I) the demographics of program
participants, to include gender, age,
race, ethnicity, and relationship to
military;
``(II) the number of program
participants that connect with a
district office of the Administration,
a Veteran Business Outreach Center, or
another resource partner of the
Administration;
``(III) the number of program
participants that start a small
business concern;
``(IV) the results of the Boots to
Business and Boots to Business Reboot
course quality surveys conducted by the
Office of Veterans Business Development
before and after attending each of
those courses, including a summary of
any comments received from program
participants;
``(V) the results of the Boots to
Business Program outcome surveys
conducted by the Office of Veterans
Business Development, including a
summary of any comments received from
program participants; and
``(VI) the results of other germane
participant satisfaction surveys;
``(C) an evaluation of the overall effectiveness of
the Boots to Business Program based on each geographic
region covered by the Administration during the most
recent fiscal year;
``(D) an assessment of additional performance
outcome measures for the Boots to Business Program, as
identified by the Administrator;
``(E) any recommendations of the Administrator for
improvement of the Boots to Business Program, which may
include expansion of the types of individuals who are
covered individuals;
``(F) an explanation of how the Boots to Business
Program has been integrated with other transition
programs and related resources of the Administration
and other Federal agencies; and
``(G) any additional information the Administrator
determines necessary.''.
Passed the House of Representatives June 20, 2023.
Attest:
Clerk.
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1606
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To amend the Small Business Act to codify the Boots to Business
Program, and for other purposes.