House Passes Entrepreneurship Development Bill

On May 20, the House passed, 406-15, H.R. 2352, the Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act, sponsored by Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC), after approving a motion to recommit by Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). The House Small Business Committee approved the legislation on May 13 (see The Source, 5/15/09).

During consideration of the bill, the House approved:

• an amendment by Rep. Betsy Markey (D-CO) to authorize the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide funding to the women’s business centers for projects that are for cost-saving energy usage, by voice vote;
• an amendment by Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) to establish a Microenterprise Training Center program to provide low-income and unemployed individuals with training and counseling to start a microenterprise, a business defined as having less than six employees and less than $40,000 in initial investments, by voice vote;
• an amendment by Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-MD) to establish a Rural Entrepreneurship Advisory Council within the SBA, 427-0; and
• an amendment by Rep. Scott Murphy (D-NY) to authorize $12 million in FY2010 and $14 million in FY2011 for the veterans’ business centers program, by voice vote. The underlying legislation would authorize $10 million and $12 million in FY2010 and FY2011, respectively.