Prison to Proprietorship for Formerly Incarcerated Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5065) to amend the Small Business Act to provide re- entry entrepreneurship counseling and training services for formerly incarcerated individuals, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 5065

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Prison to Proprietorship for Formerly Incarcerated Act''. SEC. 2. RE-ENTRY ENTREPRENEURSHIP COUNSELING AND TRAINING FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS.

The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended--

(1) by redesignating section 49 as section 50; and

(2) by inserting after section 48 the following new section: ``SEC. 49. RE-ENTRY ENTREPRENEURSHIP COUNSELING AND TRAINING FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS.

``(a) Services Required.--The Administrator, in coordination with the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, shall require the Service Corps of Retired Executives to provide entrepreneurship counseling and training services to individuals formerly incarcerated in a Federal prison (hereinafter referred to as `covered individuals') on a nationwide basis.

``(b) Goals.--The goal of the services provided under this section is to provide covered individuals with the following:

``(1) Mentoring, workshops, and instructional videos designed specifically for covered individuals on how to start or expand a small business concern.

``(2) Tools, skills, and knowledge necessary to identify a business opportunity, including how to--

``(A) draft a skills profile, business plan, and transition plan;

``(B) identify sources of capital; and

``(C) connect with local resources for small business concerns.

``(c) Additional Requirements.--The services provided under this section shall include--

``(1) regular individualized mentoring sessions, to take place over the course of a year, to support development of the business plans of covered individuals and the growth of covered individuals as entrepreneurs;

``(2) assistance with identifying of local resources for small business concerns for covered individuals;

``(3) assistance with identifying sources of capital, and when appropriate, assistance with preparing applications for loans and other funding opportunities; and

``(4) workshops on topics specifically tailored to meet the needs of covered individuals.

``(d) Survey.--The Service Corps of Retired Executives shall survey covered individuals who received services under this section to assess the satisfaction of such covered individuals with such services.

``(e) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section and annually thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate a report on the performance and effectiveness of the services provided under this section, which may be included as part of another report submitted to such committees by the Administrator, and which shall include--

``(1) the number of covered individuals mentored under this section;

``(2) the number of hours of mentorship provided by the Service Corps of Retired Executives under this section;

``(3) the demographics of covered individuals who received services, including age, gender, race, and ethnicity;

``(4) a summary and analysis of surveys conducted under subsection (d); and

``(5) any additional information the Administrator may require.''.
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Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today in support of H.R. 5065, the Prison to Proprietorship for Formerly Incarcerated Act.

Madam Speaker, I commend the sponsors of this legislation, Mr. Jeffries from New York and Mr. Burchett from Tennessee, for their commitment and dedication to providing opportunities to the formerly incarcerated, giving them a chance to bring their business ideas to fruition, and, in turn, offering hope for a better life.

After paying their debt to society, former inmates return to their communities with hopes and goals of starting fresh. Unfortunately, for numerous reasons, many end up being locked out of the labor market.

It is my firm belief that entrepreneurship is a great way to help individuals overcome the barriers to reentering the workforce. For the formerly incarcerated, it can be the difference between successfully reintegrating back into a community or returning to prison.

This bill complements the Prison to Proprietorship Act by requiring the Service Corps of Retired Executives, SCORE, to provide entrepreneurship training via mentoring, workshops, and training videos to individuals upon their release from Federal prison. The mentorship will be invaluable in helping these folks launch small businesses, and the workshops will help connect them with their community and other small business owners.

As Ben Franklin once said: Tell me and I forget; teach me and I may remember; involve me and I will learn.

Entrepreneurship can be one of the best options for gainful employment, and SCORE, with more than 300 chapters across the country and the Nation's largest network of volunteer expert business mentors, is uniquely positioned to teach and provide this business advice to those reentering society.

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Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries), the chair of the House Democratic Caucus and sponsor of the bill.

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Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schneider), a valued member of the Small Business Committee.

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Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I have another speaker.

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Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Ms. Kendra S. Horn).

Ms. KENDRA S. HORN of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairwoman and ranking member, and Representatives Jeffries and Burchett, for bringing this important legislation forward. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5065, the Prison to Proprietorship for Formerly Incarcerated Act.

Incarceration rates in the U.S. are disturbingly high, and my home State of Oklahoma has the highest rates of any in our country. According to a study done by the Prison Policy Initiative, more than 1 in 100 Oklahoma adults were in jail at any given time in 2018. The numbers are even more disturbing for African Americans in Oklahoma, with nearly 4 in 100 incarcerated in 2010.

High incarceration rates have both economic and human costs. They are costly to taxpayers and crippling to communities, which lose so many individuals to incarceration.

While Congress has spent time focusing on how people end up in prison, we have not committed enough time focusing on how to prevent formerly incarcerated individuals from returning.

While Oklahoma and other States have also made positive steps in criminal justice reform to reduce the unnecessarily harsh prison sentences, releasing individuals is only one step in decreasing incarceration rates.

According to the Justice Center's National Reentry Resource Center, employment after an individual is released from prison is the single most important predictor of recidivism. Sadly, 75 percent of incarcerated individuals are still unemployed after a year of being released from prison, causing them too often to resort to criminal activity, leading back to prison.

H.R. 5065 addresses the critical issue of employment and helps break this devastating cycle by creating a program where SCORE association volunteer business counselors can mentor formerly incarcerated individuals.

The counselors provide formerly incarcerated individuals with entrepreneurial development training and workshops to help them utilize their skills and gain new experience to go into workplaces or run businesses of their own.

Helping individuals find a job and career opportunities after leaving prison is a critical step in addressing our Nation's high incarceration rate and ensuring those who have gone to prison don't return.

I am proud to cosponsor this legislation and encourage my colleagues to vote for H.R. 5065.

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Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Entrepreneurship has always been a bedrock of American life, and it is particularly important for those who have to overcome employment barriers.

Today's legislation will provide opportunity and hope for those who face steep challenges to employment. By requiring SCORE to provide mentorship to those who completed the Prison to Proprietorship program, we can ensure that the investment made for increasing instruction will be fully utilized upon release for those who opt to launch a small business.

With the cost to incarcerate a Federal inmate of nearly $100 a day and more than $36,000 a year, it makes economic sense to invest in training and give these folks the tools they need to succeed.

I thank both Representatives Jeffries and Burchett for leading this important effort, and I also thank Ranking Member Chabot and his staff for working with us to increase opportunities and resources for those who seek to rebuild their lives.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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