,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ccdj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #h1  
#bjba,mr4 ,padilla 7for himself and ,mr4
 ,wicker7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,environment and      
,public ,works  ,a ,,bill  ,to establish
 a competitive grant program to provide 
assistance to support small businesses  
and business district revitalization in 
low-income1 rural1 and minority         
communities1 and for other purposes4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,revitalizing ,small and ,local 
,businesses ,act4  #b4 ,revitalizing    
business districts program  7a7 ,in     
general ,title ,,ii of the ,public      
,works and ,economic ,development ,act  
of #aife 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cada et seq47  
is amended by adding at the end the     
following3  #bai4 ,revitalizing business
 districts program  7a7 ,definitions ,in
 this section3 7#a7 ,national nonprofit 
organization ,the term national         

nonprofit organization means a nonprofit
 organization that-- 7,a7 operates in   
each geographic area served by a        
regional office of the ,economic        
,development ,administration2 and  7,b7 
has experience and expertise in         
providing technical assistance and      
capacity building programs in support of
 community-based organizations that     
focus on revitalizing business districts
 and commercial corridors1 including    
through support of underserved small    
businesses4  7#b7 ,nonprofit            
organization ,the term nonprofit        
organization means an organization that 
is-- 7,a7 described in paragraph 7#c71  
7#d71 7#e71 or 7#f7 of section #eja7;c7 
of the ,internal ,revenue ,code of      
#aihf2 and  7,b7 exempt from taxation   
under section #eja7;a7 of that ,code4   
7b7 ,program ,the ,secretary shall      
establish a national program under which
 the ,secretary shall award grants on a 
competitive basis to national nonprofit 
organizations to carry out place-based  

programs1 in partnership with           
locally-based nonprofit or public       
community and economic development      
partners1 to provide specialized        
technical assistance1 capacity building1
 and related services that support small
 businesses and business district       
revitalization in low-income1 rural1 and
 minority communities4  7c7 ,application
 ,a national nonprofit organization     
seeking a grant under this section shall
 submit an application to the ,secretary
 at such time1 in such manner1 and      
containing such information as the      
,secretary may require4  7d7            
,partnerships ,in order to receive a    
grant under this section1 a national    
nonprofit organization shall demonstrate
 a track record of1 and a strategy for1 
supporting local business district      
organizations or similar place-based    
business or economic development        
organizations and serving disadvantaged 
businesses or communities that are      
socially and economically disadvantaged1

 including rural communities4  7e7      
,prioritization ,notwithstanding section
 #bjf1 in selecting grant recipients    
under this section1 the ,secretary shall
 give priority to an applicant-- 7#a7   
that would serve communities that are   
socially and economically disadvantaged1
 including rural communities2 and  7#b7 
that has the demonstrated capacity to   
serve multiple ,states1 and multiple    
geographies within a ,state4  7f7       
,administration ,the ,secretary shall   
carry out this section through the      
headquarters office of the ,economic    
,development ,administration4  7g7      
,federal share  7#a7 ,in general        
,subject to paragraphs 7#b7 and 7#c7 and
 notwithstanding section #bjd or any    
other provision of law1 the ,federal    
share of the cost of a project carried  
out with assistance under this section  
shall be not more than #hj percent4     
7#b7 ,use of other ,federal funds ,a    
grant recipient may use other ,federal  
funds provided to the grant recipient to

 increase the ,federal share under      
paragraph 7#a7 up to #ajj percent1 as   
the ,secretary determines to be         
appropriate4  7#c7 ,waiver ,the         
,secretary may increase the ,federal    
share under paragraph 7#a7 up to #ajj   
percent if the ,secretary determines    
that the grant recipient is unable to   
pay1 or would experience significant    
financial hardship if required to pay1  
the non-,federal share4  7h7            
,administrative costs ,of the amounts   
made available to carry out this section
 for a fiscal year1 the ,secretary may  
use not more than #b percent for the    
administrative costs of carrying out    
this section4  7i7 ,authorization of    
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated to the ,secretary       
#ej1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years    
#bjbb through #bjbf1 to remain available
 until expended1 to carry out this      
section4  4  7b7 ,direct expenditure or 
redistribution by recipient ,section    
#bag7;a7 of the ,public ,works and      

,economic ,development ,act of #aife    
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #caed;c7a77 is amended by
 striking or #bjg and inserting #bjg1 or
 #bai4