S.Amdt. 4529

SA 4529. Mr. KERRY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 5297, to create the Small Business Lending Fund Program to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to make capital investments in eligible institutions in order to increase the availability of credit for small businesses, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax incentives for small business job creation, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. __. BUSINESSLINC GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.

(a) Definitions.--In this section--

(1) the term “large business” means a business that is not a small business concern; and

(2) the term “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Treasury.

(b) Authorization.--In accordance with this section, the Secretary may make grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements with, any coalition of private entities, public entities, or any combination of private and public entities to--

(1) expand business-to-business relationships between large businesses and small business concerns;

(2) develop innovative local and regional programs to expand access to capital for small business concerns;

(3) provide businesses, directly or indirectly, with online information and a database of public sector programs or private companies that are interested in mentor-protege programs, supplier diversity programs, or State-wide, local, or community-based business development programs;

(4) collect, analyze, and publish data that tracks the impact of the programs of the coalition on revenue and employment at participating businesses, including disadvantaged business enterprises;

(5) foster communication and collaboration within and among the coalitions; and

(6) support efforts to enhance the long-term financial stability of employees, the economic viability of a community, and local or regional business diversification.

(c) Matching Requirement.--The Federal share of the cost of an activity carried out using a grant made or under a cooperative agreement entered under subsection (b) shall be not more than 50 percent.

(d) Funding.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the program under this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2015.