,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dfac  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #h1 #bjad ,mr4  
,garcia 7for himself and ,mr4 ,rodney   
,davis of ,illinois7 introduced the     
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,small ,business  ,a  
,,bill  ,to authorize the ,small        
,business ,administrator to establish a 
grant program to empower encore         
entrepreneurs4  #a4 ,short title ,this  
,act may be cited as the ,empowering    
,encore ,entrepreneurs ,act of #bjad4   
#b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3  7#a7   
,administration ,the term               
,administration means the ,small        
,business ,administration4  7#b7        
,administrator ,the term ,administrator 
means the ,administrator of the ,small  
,business ,administration4  7#c7 ,encore
 entrepreneur ,the term encore          
entrepreneur means an entrepreneur1     
businessperson1 or owner of a small     
business concern--  7,a7 who is seeking 
to start a new small business concern or

 expand an existing small business      
concern2 and  7,b7 who--  7i7 is not    
less than #ej years of age2 or  7ii7 has
 not less than #bj years of experience  
in a workplace4  7#d7 ,nonprofit        
organization ,the term nonprofit        
organization means an organization that 
is described in section #eja7;c77#c7 of 
the ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf   
and is exempt from taxation under       
section #eja7;a7 of such ,code4  7#e7   
,small business concern ,the term small 
business concern has the meaning given  
that term under section #c of the ,small
 ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcb74   
7#f7 ,small business development center 
,the term small business development    
center means a small business           
development center described in section 
#ba of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae   
,u4,s4,c4 #fdh74  7#g7 ,women's business
 center ,the term women's business      
center means a project carried out under
 section #bi of the ,small ,business    
,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fef74  #c4         

,empowering encore entrepreneurs program
  7a7 ,in general ,subject to the       
availability of appropriations1 the     
,administrator shall establish a program
 under which the ,administrator may     
enter into contracts or cooperative     
agreements with1 or make grants to1     
nonprofit organizations1 including small
 business development centers1 women's  
business centers1 chapters participating
 in the ,,score program authorized by   
section #h7;b77#a77;,b7 of the ,small   
,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4           
#fcg7;b77#a77;,b771 and other resource  
partners of the ,administration1 and    
appropriate private sector organizations
 or entities to provide technical       
assistance1 mentoring1 and other        
specialized training activities for     
encore entrepreneurs4  7b7 ,uses of     
funds ,amounts made available under     
subsection 7a7 may be used to provide   
technical assistance1 mentoring1 and    
other specialized training activities   
including--  7#a7 online resources and  

training for encore entrepreneurs1      
including virtual networking and        
mentoring tools2  7#b7 workshops1       
training1 and business networking events
 for encore entrepreneurs2 or  7#c7     
programs to assist encore entrepreneurs 
in remaining in or re-entering the labor
 market through self-employment4  7c7   
,application ,an entity desiring a      
grant1 contract1 or cooperative         
agreement under subsection 7a7 shall    
submit to the ,administrator an         
application that contains--  7#a7 a     
description of the goals of the project 
to be funded2  7#b7 a list of any       
partners that plan to participate in the
 project to be funded2 and  7#c7 any    
other information the ,administrator    
determines is necessary4  7d7 ,special  
consideration ,the ,administrator shall 
give special consideration to           
applications seeking funding for        
programs for--  7#a7 members of the     
,armed ,forces impacted by base closures
 or realignment2 or  7#b7 encore        

entrepreneurs unemployed for a period of
 not less than #a year4  7e7            
,termination ,the program established in
 subsection 7a7 shall terminate on      
,september #cj1 #bjag4  #d4 ,report on  
barriers faced by encore entrepreneurs  
7a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj    
days after the date of enactment of this
 ,act1 the ,administrator1 in           
consultation with other relevant        
,federal agencies1 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 that
 describes the barriers and obstacles   
faced by encore entrepreneurs in        
starting new small business concerns or 
expanding existing small business       
concerns4  7b7 ,contents ,the report    
required under subsection 7a7 shall     
include--  7#a7 a review of the         
accessibility and availability of credit
 and other forms of financing for encore
 entrepreneurs2  7#b7 a review of the   

availability of ,federal contracting    
opportunities for encore entrepreneurs2 
7#c7 a review of the accessibility and  
availability of counseling and mentoring
 programs for encore entrepreneurs2 and 
7#d7 policy recommendations1 if any1 for
 improving ,federal assistance and      
coordination on programs assisting      
encore entrepreneurs4