Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2023
Floor Speech
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Mr. ELLZEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1606) to amend the Small Business Act to codify the Boots to Business Program, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1606
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 ``Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2023''. SEC. 2. BOOTS TO BUSINESS PROGRAM.
Section 32 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657b) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(h) Boots to Business Program.--
``(1) Covered individual defined.--In this subsection, the term `covered individual' means--
``(A) a member of the Armed Forces, including the National Guard or Reserves;
``(B) an individual who is participating in the Transition Assistance Program established under section 1144 of title 10, United States Code;
``(C) an individual who--
``(i) served on active duty in any branch of the Armed Forces, including the National Guard or Reserves; and
``(ii) was discharged or released from such service under conditions other than dishonorable; and
``(D) a spouse or dependent of an individual described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C).
``(2) Establishment.--During the period beginning on the date of enactment of this subsection and ending on September 30, 2028, the Administrator shall carry out a program to be known as the `Boots to Business Program' to provide entrepreneurship training to covered individuals.
``(3) Goals.--The goals of the Boots to Business Program are to--
``(A) provide assistance and in-depth training to covered individuals interested in business ownership; and
``(B) provide covered individuals with the tools, skills, and knowledge necessary to identify a business opportunity, draft a business plan, identify sources of capital, connect with local resources for small business concerns, and start up a small business concern.
``(4) Program components.--
``(A) In general.--The Boots to Business Program may include--
``(i) a presentation providing exposure to the considerations involved in self-employment and ownership of a small business concern;
``(ii) an online, self-study course focused on the basic skills of entrepreneurship, the language of business, and the considerations involved in self-employment and ownership of a small business concern;
``(iii) an in-person classroom instruction component providing an introduction to the foundations of self employment and ownership of a small business concern; and
``(iv) in-depth training delivered through online instruction, including an online course that leads to the creation of a business plan.
``(B) Collaboration.--The Administrator may--
``(i) collaborate with public and private entities to develop course curricula for the Boots to Business Program; and
``(ii) modify program components in coordination with entities participating in a Warriors in Transition program, as defined in section 738(e) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (10 U.S.C. 1071 note).
``(C) Use of resource partners and district offices.--
``(i) In general.--The Administrator shall--
``(I) ensure that Veteran Business Outreach Centers regularly participate, on a nationwide basis, in the Boots to Business Program; and
``(II) to the maximum extent practicable, use district offices of the Administration and a variety of other resource partners and entities in administering the Boots to Business Program.
``(ii) Grant authority.--In carrying out clause (i), the Administrator may make grants, subject to the availability of appropriations in advance, to Veteran Business Outreach Centers, other resource partners, or other entities to carry out components of the Boots to Business Program.
``(D) Availability to department of defense and the department of labor.--The Administrator shall make available to the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Labor information regarding the Boots to Business Program, including all course materials and outreach materials related to the Boots to Business Program, for inclusion on the websites of the Department of Defense and the Department of Labor relating to the Transition Assistance Program, in the Transition Assistance Program manual, and in other relevant materials available for distribution from the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Labor.
``(E) Availability to department of veterans affairs.--In consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Administrator shall make available for distribution and display on the website of the Department of Veterans Affairs and at local facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs outreach materials regarding the Boots to Business Program, which shall, at a minimum--
``(i) describe the Boots to Business Program and the services provided; and
``(ii) include eligibility requirements for participating in the Boots to Business Program.
``(F) Availability to other participating agencies.--The Administrator shall ensure information regarding the Boots to Business program, including all course materials and outreach materials related to the Boots to Business Program, is made available to other participating agencies in the Transition Assistance Program and upon request of other agencies.
``(5) Competitive bidding procedures.--The Administration shall use relevant competitive bidding procedures with respect to any contract or cooperative agreement executed by the Administration under the Boots to Business Program.
``(6) Publication of notice of funding opportunity.--Not later than 30 days before the deadline for submitting applications for any funding opportunity under the Boots to Business Program, the Administration shall publish a notice of the funding opportunity.
``(7) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, and not less frequently than annually thereafter, 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 Boots to Business Program, which--
``(A) may be included as part of another report submitted to such committees by the Administrator related to the Office of Veterans Business Development; and
``(B) shall summarize available information relating to--
``(i) grants awarded under paragraph (4)(C);
``(ii) the total cost of the Boots to Business Program;
``(iii) the number of program participants using each component of the Boots to Business Program;
``(iv) the completion rates for each component of the Boots to Business Program;
``(v) to the extent possible--
``(I) the demographics of program participants, to include gender, age, race, ethnicity, and relationship to military;
``(II) the number of program participants that connect with a district office of the Administration, a Veteran Business Outreach Center, or another resource partner of the Administration;
``(III) the number of program participants that start a small business concern;
``(IV) the results of the Boots to Business and Boots to Business Reboot course quality surveys conducted by the Office of Veterans Business Development before and after attending each of those courses, including a summary of any comments received from program participants;
``(V) the results of the Boots to Business Program outcome surveys conducted by the Office of Veterans Business Development, including a summary of any comments received from program participants; and
``(VI) the results of other germane participant satisfaction surveys;
``(C) an evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the Boots to Business Program based on each geographic region covered by the Administration during the most recent fiscal year;
``(D) an assessment of additional performance outcome measures for the Boots to Business Program, as identified by the Administrator;
``(E) any recommendations of the Administrator for improvement of the Boots to Business Program, which may include expansion of the types of individuals who are covered individuals;
``(F) an explanation of how the Boots to Business Program has been integrated with other transition programs and related resources of the Administration and other Federal agencies; and
``(G) any additional information the Administrator determines necessary.''.
Mr. Speaker, thank you for allowing me to address the American people. I rise in support of H.R. 1606, the Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2023.
As a veteran, I know that going from military life to civilian life can be complicated. The military is great at training our servicemembers to do their jobs, Mr. Speaker. You and I both know that.
They train them to be the most lethal force on the planet--of which you were one--to defend and protect the people of the United States. What they do not do is effectively help servicemembers or train them to become civilians.
The Boots to Business Program will help fill that gap. This program will help our veterans translate the skills that they acquired during their years of military service to the tools that would be needed to be successful in civilian life. Administered through the Office of Veterans Business Development in the Small Business Administration, the Boots to Business Program offers servicemembers and military spouses moving from military to civilian life a foundational two-day, in-person course for an introduction to business ownership.
The foundational course can be followed by optional online courses on topics including market research, business fundamentals, and revenue readiness. The Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2023 authorizes this program for 5 years. We must help the men and women who so bravely served our country. Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2023 is one way to help.
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Mr. ELLZEY. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. ELLZEY. Mr. Speaker, I once again thank Chair Williams, Ranking Member Velazquez, and Mr. Schneider for this very important bill that starts us down the right path, but it is only a beginning.
After our Nation's veterans have given so much for their country, we have an obligation to give them the tools and resources to help them transition back to civilian life. The Boots to Business Program, incorporated in this bill, is an example of a program offered by the Federal Government that actually accomplishes a mission. It helps veterans transfer the skills they already have gained from their military service to the private sector with the goal of starting their own small business.
Oftentimes, some of the biggest obstacles facing veteran entrepreneurship is not knowing where to obtain a loan. Through H.R. 1606 and the Boots to Business Program, our veterans can be taught how to navigate that difficult process.
Veterans already have the intangible leadership skills to succeed in any arena; and, above all else, this program teaches them how to best transfer these skills into the private sector.
I again urge my colleagues to support this legislation, which provides counseling and resources our veterans need to begin their journey in starting their own small business.
Mr. Speaker, you and I both know that we have lost friends in combat. We lost them 16, 20 years ago. We are losing them today, too. We are losing them at a rate that is unsustainable, 22 a day.
Until the DOD and the VA transition to where they hand off one well- trained soldier, sailor, airman, or marine into a well-trained civilian, we must always do more. This is a good start.
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Mr. ELLZEY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
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