S.Amdt. 2451

SA 2451. Mr. JONES submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 2282 submitted by Mr. Inhofe (for himself and Mr. McCain)
and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 5515, to authorize
appropriations for fiscal year 2019 for military activities of the
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place in title X, insert the following:

SEC. ___. MENTORSHIP AND MATCHMAKING PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT
MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND VETERANS WHO
ARE ENTREPRENEURS.

(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Programs of loans for veterans administered by the
Small Business Administration and other Federally
administered resources that help members of the Armed Forces
and veterans to become entrepreneurs can go underutilized.
(2) The Small Business Administration offers mentoring
programs for veterans and the Administration can offer
mentoring programs for veterans and members of the Armed
Forces transitioning to civilian life.
(3) Helping members of the Armed Forces identify existing
and conceivable business opportunities in their industry of
interest or geographic location can be achieved through a
process of integrating information about business leads
sources like local chambers of commerce with data about
service members interested in starting businesses provided to
the Small Business Administration by the Department of
Defense and Veterans Affairs.
(4) Enhancing the opportunity for success of members of the
Armed Forces and veterans as entrepreneurs can be an
important tool for economic development, especially in rural
areas of the United States.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) it is important to establish a mentoring and
matchmaking program to help members of the Armed Forces
transition to civilian life;
(2) Small Business Development Centers of the Small
Business Administration should help provide matchmaking
services for members of the Armed Forces to help them
identify existing and conceivable business opportunities in
their industry of interest or geographic location; and
(3) a special emphasis should be made to assist members of
the Armed Forces in rural areas of the United States.
(c) Program Required.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall,
in partnership with the Administrator of the Small Business
Administration and the Secretary of Defense, establish a
program consisting of--
(A) providing mentors to covered individuals to assist them
in pursuing goals relating to starting a business; and
(B) assistance in matching covered individuals with
business opportunities relating to starting a business.
(2) Covered individuals.--For purposes of the program
required by paragraph (1), a covered individual is--
(A) a member of the Armed Forces who is transitioning to
civilian life, a veteran, or a member of the family of such a
member of the Armed Forces or veteran; and
(B) considering applying for a loan from the Small Business
Administration to start a business.
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