,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #agcf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #bj1      
#bjba,mr4 ,hickenlooper introduced the  
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,small   
,business and ,entrepreneurship  ,a     
,,bill  ,to amend the ,small ,business  
,act to address the participation of    
cooperatives in the program carried out 
under section #g7;a7 of that ,act1 and  
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,capital 
for ,cooperatives ,act4  #b4 ,findings  
,congress finds the following3 7#a7     
,cooperative businesses operate on the  
basis of #a member1 #a vote4  7#b7      
,cooperatives have helped to improve the
 economic conditions of the people of   
the ,united ,states for more than a     
century by increasing competition and   
helping small players gain parity in the
 market4  7#c7 ,research has shown that 
cooperatives are more resilient to      
economic business cycles than other     

business models because cooperatives    
require member-owners of the cooperative
 to work together and prepare for the   
future4  7#d7 ,the mission of the ,small
 ,business ,administration 7referred to 
in this ,act as the ,administration7 is 
to help the people of the ,united       
,states start1 build1 and grow          
businesses4  7#e7 ,the requirement of   
the ,administration that some borrowers 
provide a personal guarantee with       
respect to certain ,administration loans
 has prevented cooperatives from        
accessing the safe and affordable       
financing available from the            
,administration4  #c4 ,cooperatives  7a7
 ,in general ,section                   
#g7;a77#ae77;,b77iv7 of the ,small      
,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4           
#fcf7;a77#ae77;,b77iv77 is amended--    
7#a7 in the matter preceding subclause  
7,i71 by striking 1 or to a cooperative 
in accordance with paragraph 7#ce72 and 
7#b7 in subclause 7,i71 by striking or  
cooperative4  7b7 ,,sba responsibilities

  7#a7 ,definitions ,in this subsection3
 7,a7 ,administrator ,the term          
,administrator means the ,administrator 
of the ,administration4  7,b7           
,cooperative ,the term cooperative has  
the meaning given the term in section   
#g7;a77#ce7 of the ,small ,business ,act
 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcf7;a77#ce774  7,c7   
,program ,the term ,program means the   
program carried out under section #g7;a7
 of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae      
,u4,s4,c4 #fcf7;a774  7,d7 ,small       
business concern ,the term small        
business concern has the meaning given  
the term in section #c7;a7 of the ,small
 ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4          
#fcb7;a774  7,e7 ,working ,group ,the   
term ,working ,group means the          
interagency working group coordinated   
and chaired by the ,secretary of        
,agriculture pursuant to section        
#caj;,b7e77#ab7 of the ,consolidated    
,farm and ,rural ,development ,act 7#g  
,u4,s4,c4 #aicb7;e77#ab771 as amended by
 subsection 7c74  7#b7 ,coordination2   

amendments to rules2 report ,the        
,administrator shall-- 7,a7 beginning   
not later than #fj days after the date  
of enactment of this ,act1 coordinate   
and participate with the ,working ,group
 to-- 7i7 develop recommendations       
regarding how the ,administrator can    
coordinate with the heads of other      
,federal agencies to promote1 support1  
and increase the number of cooperatives2
 and  7ii7 ensure coordination between  
the ,administrator and-- 7,i7 other     
,federal agencies2 and  7,,ii7 national 
and local organizations representing    
cooperatives and small business         
concerns2  7,b7 not later than #ahj days
 after the date of enactment of this    
,act-- 7i7 amend the rules of the       
,administration with respect to         
guarantees for loans made to            
cooperatives under the ,program1 which  
may include-- 7,i7 requiring the        
,administrator to guarantee a loan made 
to a cooperative under the ,program if  
the lender with respect to the loan can 

demonstrate that the cooperative is able
 to repay the loan2 and  7,,ii7         
establishing lending criteria for       
cooperatives under the ,program that are
 not based on personal or entity        
guarantees provided by the member-owners
 of the cooperative2 and  7ii7 submit to
 ,congress a report documenting the     
amendments made under clause 7i72 and   
7,c7 not later than #a year after the   
date of enactment of this ,act1 submit  
to ,congress a report regarding-- 7i7   
education regarding cooperatives that   
the ,administrator has provided to--    
7,i7 officials of the ,administration2  
7,,ii7 lenders participating in the     
,program2 and  7,,iii7 small business   
development centers described in section
 #ba of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae  
,u4,s4,c4 #fdh72 and  7ii7 during the   
period beginning on the date of         
enactment of this ,act and ending on the
 date on which the report is submitted--
 7,i7 the number of applications        
submitted by cooperatives for loans     

under the ,program2 and  7,,ii7 the     
number of applications received under   
subclause 7,i7 that were approved by the
 ,administrator4  7c7 ,interagency      
,working ,group on ,cooperative         
,development ,section #caj;,b7e77#ab7 of
 the ,consolidated ,farm and ,rural     
,development ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4         
#aicb7;e77#ab77 is amended-- 7#a7 by    
striking ,not later and inserting the   
following3  7,a7 ,in general ,not later 
2 and  7#b7 by adding at the end the    
following3  7,b7 ,meetings ,the         
interagency working group described in  
subparagraph 7,a7-- 7i7 shall meet--    
7,i7 at such times determined necessary 
by the ,secretary2 and  7,,ii7 not less 
frequently than biannually2 and  7ii7   
may conduct meetings in person or       
through the use of electronic resources4
  4