[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1488 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1488
To establish the Native American Entrepreneurs Program to provide
$3,000,000 in grants annually to qualified organizations to provide
training and technical assistance to disadvantaged Native American
entrepreneurs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 29 (legislative day, July 21), 2003
Mr. Bingaman introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Native American Entrepreneurs Program to provide
$3,000,000 in grants annually to qualified organizations to provide
training and technical assistance to disadvantaged Native American
entrepreneurs.
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 ``Native American Entrepreneurs Act of
2003.''.
SEC. 2. NATIVE AMERICAN ENTREPRENEURS PROGRAM.
Subtitle C of title I of the Riegle Community Development and
Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994 (15 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.) is
amended--
(1) by redesignating section 181 as section 182; and
(2) by striking section 180 and inserting the following:
``SEC. 180. NATIVE AMERICAN ENTREPRENEURS PROGRAM.
``(a) Authorization.--The Administrator, through the Office of
Native American Affairs, shall establish a Native American
entrepreneurs program to provide grants to qualified organizations to
provide training and technical assistance to disadvantaged Native
American entrepreneurs who are seeking to start their own small
businesses.
``(b) Use of Funds.--Grants provided under this subsection shall be
used to--
``(1) provide training and technical assistance to low and
very-low income Native American entrepreneurs and prospective
entrepreneurs; and
``(2) assist in the creation, development, and expansion of
small business concerns owned by Native Americans.
``(c) Qualified Organizations.--For purposes of eligibility for
assistance under this subsection, a qualified organization shall be--
``(1) a nonprofit microenterprise development organization
or program (or a group or collaborative thereof) that has a
demonstrated record of delivering microenterprise services to
Native American entrepreneurs;
``(2) an intermediary;
``(3) a microenterprise development organization or program
that is accountable to an Indian tribe; or
``(4) an Indian tribe acting on its own, if the Indian
tribe can certify that no private organization or program
referred to in paragraphs (1) through (3) exists within its
jurisdiction.
``SEC. 181. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``(a) Microenterprise Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
Grant Program.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the
Administrator, to carry out the microenterprise technical assistance
and capacity building grant program established pursuant to section
173, to remain available until expended--
``(1) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
``(2) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
``(3) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
``(b) Native American Entrepreneurs Program.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to the Administrator, to carry out the Native
American entrepreneurs program established pursuant to section 180, to
remain available until expended--
``(1) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
``(2) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
``(3) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.''.
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