,,ii #aagth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #eaia ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,december #f1 #bjbb,mr4 ,coons 7for himself and ,mr4 ,cardin7 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 reauthorize the ,,score program1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,,score for ,small ,business ,act of #bjbb4 #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,administration2 ,administrator ,the terms ,administration and ,administrator mean the ,small ,business ,administration and the ,administrator thereof1 respectively4 7#b7 ,,score ,association2 ,,score ,program ,the terms ,,score ,association and ,,score program have the meanings given those terms in subsection 7gg7 of section #c of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcb71 as added by section #f of this ,act4 7#c7 ,small business concern ,the term small business concern has the meaning given the term in section #c of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcb74 #c4 ,,score ,program provisions and requirements ,section #h of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcg7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7b77#a77;,b7-- 7,a7 by striking a ,service ,corps of ,retired ,executives 7,,score7 and inserting the ,,score program2 and 7,b7 by striking ,,score may and inserting the ,,score ,association may2 and 7#b7 by striking subsection 7c7 and inserting the following3 7c7 ,,score program 7#a7 ,cooperative agreement ,the ,administrator shall enter into a cooperative agreement with the ,,score ,association to carry out the ,,score program1 which shall include the following requirements3 7,a7 ,administrator duties ,the ,administrator shall-- 7i7 every #b years1 conduct a financial examination of the ,,score ,association to ensure that any costs paid for with ,federal funds are allowable1 allocable1 and reasonable2 7ii7 review and approve contracts entered into by the ,,score ,association to provide goods or services for the ,,score program of a value greater than an amount determined by the ,administrator2 7iii7 maintain a system through which the ,,score ,association provides documentation relating to those contracts2 and 7iv7 not later than #cj days after the receipt of a quarterly report on the achievements of the ,,score program submitted by the ,,score ,association1 reconcile differences between that report and the performance results of the ,,score program reported in a management information system of the ,office of ,entrepreneurial ,development4 7,b7 ,,score ,association duties ,the ,,score ,association shall-- 7i7 manage nationwide chapters of the ,,score program2 7ii7 provide annual training to employees of the ,,score ,association on generating and using program income from the ,,score program2 7iii7 submit documentation to the ,administrator verifying the annual training is completed2 7iv7 maintain separation of funds donated to the ,,score ,association from program income and funds received pursuant to a cooperative agreement2 and 7v7 maintain and enforce requirements for volunteers participating in the ,,score program1 including requirements that each volunteer shall-- 7,i7 based on the business experience and knowledge of the volunteer-- 7aa7 provide personal counseling1 mentoring1 and coaching on the process of starting1 expanding1 managing1 buying1 and selling a business at no cost to individuals who own1 or aspire to own1 small business concerns2 and 7bb7 facilitate free or low-cost education workshops for individuals who own1 or aspire to own1 small business concerns2 and 7,,ii7 as appropriate1 use tools1 resources1 and expertise of other organizations to carry out the ,,score program4 7,c7 ,joint duties ,the ,administrator1 in consultation with the ,,score ,association1 shall ensure that the ,,score program and each chapter of the ,,score program-- 7i7 develop and implement plans and goals to effectively and efficiently provide services to individuals in rural areas1 economically disadvantaged communities1 or other traditionally underserved communities1 including plans for virtual1 remote1 and web-based initiatives1 chapter expansion1 partnerships1 and the development of new skills by volunteers participating in the ,,score program2 and 7ii7 reinforce an inclusive culture by recruiting diverse volunteers for the chapters of the ,,score program4 7#b7 ,online component ,in addition to providing in-person services1 the ,,score ,association shall maintain and expand online counseling services including webinars1 electronic mentoring platforms1 and online toolkits to further support entrepreneurs4 7#c7 ,accounting ,the ,,score ,association shall-- 7,a7 maintain a centralized accounting and financing system for each chapter of the ,,score program2 7,b7 maintain a uniform policy and procedures to manage ,federal funds received pursuant to a cooperative agreement described in paragraph 7#a72 and 7,c7 maintain an employee of the ,,score ,association to serve as a compliance officer to ensure expenditures of the ,,score program are fully compliant with any law1 regulation1 or cooperative agreement relating to the ,,score program4 7#d7 ,compensation ,the ,,score ,association shall-- 7,a7 maintain a documented compensation policy that-- 7i7 specifies the maximum rate of pay allowable for any individual in the ,,score ,association2 7ii7 specifies the maximum percent of the aggregate salaries of employees of the ,,score ,association that may be spent on individual performance awards to employees of the ,,score ,association2 and 7iii7 shall be reviewed annually by the ,,score ,association and the ,administrator2 7,b7 prohibit payment of salaries or performance awards that exceed the limits set by the ,,score ,association compensation policy2 and 7,c7 prohibit members of the ,board of ,directors of the ,,score ,association or any employees of the ,,score ,association from simultaneously serving on the ,board of ,directors of1 or receiving compensation from1 the ,,score ,foundation without written approval from the ,administrator4 7#e7 ,whistleblower protection requirements ,the ,,score ,association shall-- 7,a7 annually update all manuals or other documents applicable to employees and volunteers of the ,,score ,association or the ,,score program to include requirements relating to reporting procedures and protections for whistleblowers2 and 7,b7 conduct an annual training for employees and volunteers of the ,,score ,association or the ,,score program on the requirements described in subparagraph 7,a7 and encourage the use of the hotline established by the ,office of the ,inspector ,general of the ,administration to submit whistleblower reports4 7#f7 ,published materials ,the ,,score ,association shall ensure all published materials include written acknowledgment of ,administration support of the ,,score program if those materials are paid for in whole or in part by ,federal funds4 7#g7 ,privacy requirements 7,a7 ,in general ,neither the ,administrator nor the ,,score ,association may disclose the name1 email address1 address1 or telephone number of any individual or small business concern receiving assistance from the ,,score ,association without the consent of the individual or small business concern1 unless-- 7i7 the ,administrator is ordered to make a disclosure by a court in any civil or criminal enforcement action initiated by a ,federal or ,state agency2 or 7ii7 the ,administrator determines that a disclosure is necessary for the purpose of conducting a financial audit of the ,,score program1 in which case disclosure shall be limited to the information necessary for the audit4 7,b7 ,administrator use of information ,this paragraph shall not-- 7i7 restrict the access of the ,administrator to ,,score program activity data2 or 7ii7 prevent the ,administrator from using ,,score program client information to conduct client surveys4 7,c7 ,standards 7i7 ,in general ,the ,administrator shall1 after opportunity for notice and comment1 establish standards for-- 7,i7 disclosures with respect to financial audits described in subparagraph 7,a77ii72 and 7,,ii7 conducting client surveys1 including standards for oversight of the surveys and for dissemination and use of client information4 7ii7 ,maximum privacy protection ,the standards issued under this subparagraph shall1 to the extent practicable1 provide for the maximum amount of privacy protection4 7#h7 ,annual report ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of the ,,score for ,small ,business ,act of #bjbb and annually thereafter1 the ,administrator 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 on the performance and effectiveness of the ,,score program1 which may be included as part of another report submitted to those committees by the ,administrator1 and which shall include-- 7,a7 the total number and the number of unique clients counseled or trained under the ,,score program2 7,b7 the total number of hours of counseling or training provided under the ,,score program2 7,c7 the total number of local workshops provided under the ,,score program2 7,d7 the total number of clients attending online and local workshops provided under the ,,score program2 7,e7 to the extent practicable1 the demographics of ,,score program clients and volunteers1 which shall include the gender1 race1 ethnicity1 and age of each client or volunteer2 7,f7 the number of ,,score program clients and volunteers who are veterans2 7,g7 with respect to businesses assisted under the ,,score program1 the cost to create a job1 the cost to create a business1 and return on investment2 7,h7 the number of referrals of ,,score program clients to other resources and programs of the ,administration2 7,i7 the results of ,,score program client satisfactory surveys1 including a summary of any comments received from those clients2 7,j7 the number of new businesses started by ,,score program clients2 7,k7 the percentage of businesses assisted by the ,,score program realizing revenue growth2 7,l7 to the extent practicable1 the number of jobs created with assistance from the ,,score program2 7,m7 the total cost of the ,,score program2 7,n7 any recommendations of the ,administrator to improve the ,,score program2 7,o7 an explanation of how the ,,score program has been integrated with-- 7i7 small business development centers2 7ii7 women's business centers described in section #bi2 7iii7 ,veteran ,business ,outreach ,centers described in section #cb2 7iv7 other offices of the ,administration2 and 7v7 other public and private entities engaging in entrepreneurial and small business development2 7,p7 the ,,score compensation policy for the relevant fiscal year1 including-- 7i7 a list of any changes to the compensation policy since the previous fiscal year2 and 7ii7 justification if the maximum rate of pay allowable for any individual in the ,,score ,association exceeds the maximum rate of pay allowable for an individual in the career ,senior ,executive ,service employed at the ,administration2 7,q7 the names1 positions1 and salaries of any employees of the ,,score ,association whose salaries exceed the maximum rate of pay allowable per the ,,score compensation policy2 7,r7 the percent of the aggregate salaries of employees of the ,,score ,association spent on individual performance awards to employees of the ,,score ,association1 with a justification if this amount exceeds #aj percent2 7,s7 the total amount of performance awards that have been disbursed or will be disbursed after the last day of the fiscal year in which the awards were earned and a justification for any awards that have been disbursed or will be disbursed outside the fiscal year in which the awards were earned2 and 7,t7 the names1 positions1 and salaries of any members of the ,board of ,directors of the ,,score ,association or any employees of the ,,score ,association that simultaneously serve on the ,board of ,directors of1 or receive compensation from1 the ,,score ,foundation without written approval of the ,administrator4 4 #d4 ,authorization of appropriations for the ,,score program ,section #bj of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fca note7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7i7 ,,score program ,there are authorized to be appropriated to the ,administrator to carry out the ,,score program such sums as are necessary for the ,administrator to make grants or enter into cooperative agreements in a total amount that does not exceed #ah1jjj1jjj in each of fiscal years #bjbc and #bjbd4 4 #e4 ,reporting requirements 7a7 ,study and report on the future role of the ,,score program 7#a7 ,study ,the ,,score ,association shall carry out a study on the future role of the ,,score program and develop a strategic plan for how the ,,score program will meet the needs of small business concerns during the #e-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this ,act1 with specific objectives for the first1 third1 and fifth years of the #e-year period4 7#b7 ,report ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,,score ,association 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 containing-- 7,a7 all findings and determinations made in carrying out the study required under paragraph 7#a72 7,b7 the strategic plan developed under paragraph 7#a72 and 7,c7 an explanation of how the ,,score ,association plans to achieve the strategic plan1 assuming both stagnant and increased funding levels4 7b7 ,administrator report on leased space ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator 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 containing an assessment of the cost of leased space that is donated to the ,,score ,association4 7c7 ,online component report ,not later than #c months after the last day of the first full fiscal year following the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,,score ,association 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 on the effectiveness of the online counseling services required under paragraph 7#b7 of section #h7;c7 of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcg7;c771 as added by section #c of this ,act1 including a description of-- 7#a7 how the ,,score ,association determines electronic mentoring and webinar needs1 develops training for electronic mentoring1 establishes webinar criteria curricula1 and evaluates webinar and electronic mentoring results2 7#b7 the internal controls that are used and a summary of the topics covered by the webinars2 and 7#c7 performance metrics1 including the number of small business concerns counseled by1 the number of small business concerns created by1 the number of jobs created and retained by1 and the funding amounts directed towards those online counseling services4 #f4 ,technical and conforming amendments 7a7 ,small ,business ,act ,the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fca et seq47 is amended-- 7#a7 in section #c 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcb71 by adding at the end the following3 7gg7 ,,score program definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,,score program ,the term ,,score program means the ,service ,corps of ,retired ,executives program described in section #h7;c74 7#b7 ,,score ,association ,the term ,,score ,association means the ,service ,corps of ,retired ,executives ,association or any successor or other organization that enters into a cooperative agreement described in section #h7;c77#a7 with the ,administrator to operate the ,,score program4 7#c7 ,,score ,foundation ,the term ,,score ,foundation means an organization with a mission to support the ,,score ,association and volunteers of the ,,score program4 2 7#b7 in section #g 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcf7-- 7,a7 in subsection 7b77#ab7-- 7i7 in the paragraph heading1 by striking score and inserting ,,score program2 and 7ii7 in subparagraph 7,a71 by striking ,service ,corps of ,retired ,executives and inserting ,,score program2 and 7,b7 in subsection 7m77#c77;,a77i77,,viii71 by striking ,service ,corps of ,retired ,executives and inserting ,,score program2 7#c7 in section #bj 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fca note71 in subparagraph 7d77#a77;,e7 by striking ,service ,corps of ,retired ,executives program and inserting ,,score program2 and 7#d7 in section #bb 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fdi7-- 7,a7 in subsection 7b7-- 7i7 in paragraph 7#a71 by striking ,service ,corps of ,retired ,executives authorized by section 7#h77;b77#a7 and inserting ,,score program2 and 7ii7 in paragraph 7#c71 by striking ,service ,corps of ,retired ,executives and inserting ,,score program2 and 7,b7 in subsection 7c77#ab71 by striking ,service ,corps of ,retired ,executives authorized by section #h7;b77#a7 and inserting ,,score program4 7b7 ,other laws 7#a7 ,small ,business ,reauthorization ,act of #aiig ,section #gjg of the ,small ,business ,reauthorization ,act of #aiig 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fca note7 is amended by striking ,service ,corps of ,retired ,executives 7,,score7 program and inserting ,,score program described in section #h7;c7 of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcg7;c774 7#b7 ,veterans ,entrepreneurship and ,small ,business ,development ,act of #aiii ,section #cja of the ,veterans ,entrepreneurship and ,small ,business ,development ,act of #aiii 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #feg;b note7 is amended-- 7,a7 in subsection 7a7-- 7i7 in the matter preceding paragraph 7#a71 by striking ,service ,core of ,retired ,executives 7described in section #h7;b77#a77;,b7 of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcg7;b77#a77;,b77 and in this section referred to as ,,score7 and inserting ,,score program described in section #h7;c7 of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcg7;c77 7in this section referred to as the ,,score program72 7ii7 in paragraphs 7#a71 7#b71 and 7#c71 by striking ,,score each place the term appears and inserting the ,,score program2 and 7iii7 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking the before establishing2 and 7,b7 in subsection 7b71 by striking ,,score each place the term appears and inserting the ,,score program4 7#c7 ,military ,reservist and ,veteran ,small ,business ,reauthorization and ,opportunity ,act of #bjjh ,the ,military ,reservist and ,veteran ,small ,business ,reauthorization and ,opportunity ,act of #bjjh 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcf note7 is amended-- 7,a7 in section #c1 by striking paragraph 7#e7 and inserting the following3 7#e7 the term ,,score program means the ,,score program described in section #h7;c7 of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcg7;c772 2 and 7,b7 in section #bja7;c77#b77;,b77i71 by striking ,service ,corps of ,retired ,executives and inserting ,,score program4 7#d7 ,children's ,health ,insurance ,program ,reauthorization ,act of #bjji ,section #fba of the ,children's ,health ,insurance ,program ,reauthorization ,act of #bjji 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fegp7 is amended-- 7,a7 in subsection 7a71 by striking paragraph 7#d7 and inserting the following3 7#d7 the term ,,score program means the ,,score program described in section #h7;c7 of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcg7;c772 2 and 7,b7 in subsection 7b77#d77;,a77iv71 by striking ,service ,corps of ,retired ,executives and inserting ,,score program4 7#e7 ,energy ,policy and ,conservation ,act ,section #ccg7;d77#b77;,a7 of the ,energy ,policy and ,conservation ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fcjg7;d77#b77;,a77 is amended by striking ,service ,corps of ,retired ,executives 7,,score7 and inserting ,,score program4