HR 4480 — SERV Act

changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is 
printed in italics and existing law in which no change is 
proposed is shown in roman):

 SMALL BUSINESS ACT

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SEC. 32. VETERANS PROGRAMS.

 (a) Office of Veterans Business Development.--There is 
established in the Administration an Office of Veterans 
Business Development, which shall be administered by the 
Associate Administrator for Veterans Business Development (in 
this section referred to as the ``Associate Administrator'') 
appointed under section 4(b)(1).
 (b) Associate Administrator for Veterans Business 
Development.--The Associate Administrator--
 (1) shall be an appointee in the Senior Executive 
 Service;
 (2) shall be responsible for the formulation, 
 execution, and promotion of policies and programs of 
 the Administration that provide assistance to small 
 business concerns owned and controlled by veterans and 
 small business concerns owned and controlled by 
 service-disabled veterans. The Associate Administrator 
 shall act as an ombudsman for full consideration of 
 veterans in all programs of the Administration; and
 (3) shall report to and be responsible directly to 
 the Administrator.
 (c) Interagency Task Force.--
 (1) Establishment.--Not later than 90 days after the 
 date of enactment of this subsection, the President 
 shall establish an interagency task force to coordinate 
 the efforts of Federal agencies necessary to improve 
 capital and business development opportunities for, and 
 ensure achievement of the pre-established Federal 
 contracting goals for, small business concerns owned 
 and controlled by service-disabled veterans and small 
 business concerns owned and controlled by veterans (in 
 this section referred to as the ``task force'').
 (2) Membership.--The members of the task force shall 
 include--
 (A) the Administrator, who shall serve as 
 chairperson of the task force; and
 (B) a senior level representative from--
 (i) the Department of Veterans 
 Affairs;
 (ii) the Department of Defense;
 (iii) the Administration (in addition 
 to the Administrator);
 (iv) the Department of Labor;
 (v) the Department of the Treasury;
 (vi) the General Services 
 Administration;
 (vii) the Office of Management and 
 Budget; and
 (viii) 4 representatives from a 
 veterans service organization or 
 military organization or association, 
 selected by the President.
 (3) Duties.--The task force shall--
 (A) consult regularly with veterans service 
 organizations and military organizations in 
 performing the duties of the task force; and
 (B) coordinate administrative and regulatory 
 activities and develop proposals relating to--
 (i) improving capital access and 
 capacity of small business concerns 
 owned and controlled by service-
 disabled veterans and small business 
 concerns owned and controlled by 
 veterans through loans, surety bonding, 
 and franchising;
 (ii) ensuring achievement of the pre-
 established Federal contracting goals 
 for small business concerns owned and 
 controlled by service-disabled veterans 
 and small business concerns owned and 
 controlled by veterans through expanded 
 mentor-protege assistance and matching 
 such small business concerns with 
 contracting opportunities;
 (iii) increasing the integrity of 
 certifications of status as a small 
 business concern owned and controlled 
 by service-disabled veterans or a small 
 business concern owned and controlled 
 by veterans;
 (iv) reducing paperwork and 
 administrative burdens on veterans in 
 accessing business development and 
 entrepreneurship opportunities;
 (v) increasing and improving training 
 and counseling services provided to 
 small business concerns owned and 
 controlled by veterans; and
 (vi) making other improvements 
 relating to the support for veterans 
 business development by the Federal 
 Government.
 (4) Report.--Along with the budget justification 
 documents for the Small Business Administration 
 submitted to Congress in connection with the budget for 
 a fiscal year submitted under 1105 of title 31, United 
 States Code, the Administrator shall submit a report--
 (A) discussing the appointments made to and 
 activities of the task force; and
 (B) identifying and outlining a plan for 
 outreach and promotion of the programs and 
 services for veterans, including Veteran 
 Business Outreach Centers, Boots to Business, 
 Boots to Business Reboot, Service-Disabled 
 Entrepreneurship Development Training Program, 
 Veteran Institute for Procurement, Women 
 Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Program, and 
 Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of 
 Entrepreneurship.
 (d) Participation in TAP Workshops.--
 (1) In general.--The Associate Administrator shall 
 increase veteran outreach by ensuring that Veteran 
 Business Outreach Centers regularly participate, on a 
 nationwide basis, in the workshops of the Transition 
 Assistance Program of the Department of Labor.
 (2) Presentations.--In carrying out paragraph (1), a 
 Veteran Business Outreach Center may provide grants to 
 entities located in Transition Assistance Program 
 locations to make presentations on the opportunities 
 available from the Administration for recently 
 separating or separated veterans. Each presentation 
 under this paragraph shall include, at a minimum, a 
 description of the entrepreneurial and business 
 training resources available from the Administration.
 (3) Written materials.--The Associate Administrator 
 shall--
 (A) create written materials that provide 
 comprehensive information on self-employment 
 and veterans entrepreneurship, including 
 information on resources available from the 
 Administration on such topics; and
 (B) make the materials created under 
 subparagraph (A) available to the Secretary of 
 Labor for inclusion in the Transition 
 Assistance Program manual.
 (4) Reports.--The Associate Administrator shall 
 submit to Congress progress reports on the 
 implementation of this subsection.
 (e) Women Veterans Business Training.--The Associate 
Administrator shall--
 (1) compile information on existing resources 
 available to women veterans for business training, 
 including resources for--
 (A) vocational and technical education;
 (B) general business skills, such as 
 marketing and accounting; and
 (C) business assistance programs targeted to 
 women veterans; and
 (2) disseminate the information compiled under 
 paragraph (1) through Veteran Business Outreach Centers 
 and women's business centers.
 (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to 
be appropriated to carry out this section--
 (1) $1,500,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
 (2) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
 (g) Access to Surplus Property for Veteran-owned Small 
Businesses.--
 (1) Definitions.--In this subsection--
 (A) the term ``foreign excess property'' has 
 the meaning given the term in section 102 of 
 title 40, United States Code; and
 (B) the term ``state agency'' has the meaning 
 given the term, including the roles and 
 responsibilities assigned, in section 549 of 
 title 40, United States Code.
 (2) Requirement.--The Administrator, in coordination 
 with the Administrator of General Services, shall 
 provide access to and manage the distribution of 
 surplus property, and foreign excess property returned 
 to a State for handling as surplus property, owned by 
 the United States under chapter 7 of title 40, United 
 States Code, to small business concerns owned and 
 controlled by veterans (as verified by the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs under section 8127 of title 38, United 
 States Code) pursuant to a memorandum of agreement 
 between the Administrator, the Administrator of General 
 Services, and the head of the applicable state agency 
 for surplus properties and in accordance with section 
 549 of title 40, United States Code.

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