On May 13, the House Small Business Committee approved, by voice vote, H.R. 2352, the Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act. The measure incorporates several bills to improve and modernize the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) entrepreneurship development programs, including the Women’s Business Centers program.
Sponsored by Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC), H.R. 2352 incorporates, in its entirety, H.R. 1838, sponsored by Rep. Mary Fallin (R-OK). The House Small Business Rural Development, Entrepreneurship and Trade Subcommittee approved H.R. 1838 on April 30 (see The Source, 5/1/09 for the bill’s provisions).
Rep. Fallin noted that the purpose of her legislation is to “rearrange the distribution” of funding so that the program “offers temporary assistance instead of permanent dependency.”
H.R. 2352 also incorporates legislation regarding the Veterans Business Centers program; the Office of Native American Affairs and Tribal Business Information Centers; SCORE (formerly known as the Service Corps of Retired Executives); the Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) program; and efforts to stimulate job creation and entrepreneurship.
During consideration of H.R. 2352, the committee adopted, by voice vote, an amendment by Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-IL) to make surviving spouses of veterans eligible for assistance from the Veterans Business Centers program.
