Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act of 2024

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act.

I think too often the outside focus on this body is on what isn't working. There isn't enough attention paid to when things come together and when it works the way it should.

I thank Chairman Williams and Ranking Member Velazquez for their support. I especially thank Chairman Molinaro, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce, for his courage and compassion in personally navigating the maze of people who face intellectual and developmental disabilities.

We had a subcommittee hearing, and Chairman Molinaro brought up Maeve, a young woman from New York, talking about her coffee shop. I brought up Cody Clark from Louisville, a truly inspiring young man who not only is an entrepreneur who told us about his experience, but I think he performed the first-ever magic trick in front of the Small Business Committee this year to highlight his point of what we can accomplish.

This bill helps ensure that every American--every American--has the opportunity to become that type of successful entrepreneur. After all, isn't that the fundamental promise of the American Dream, that any person in this country can work hard, take risks, and hopefully find success?

What we highlighted in this hearing and through the stories of Maeve and Cody and others is that Americans with disabilities, like other underprivileged groups, see fewer opportunities to make this dream a reality.

In fact, 74 percent of people with disabilities do not participate in our Nation's labor force. Too many barriers--both physical and intangible--block their way to joining the workforce or starting a business. The Federal Government must do more to help break those down.

To do that, we have to better understand what these challenges are, and this bill takes a really important first step in that process. It will require the Small Business Administration to submit a report to Congress on the challenges faced by entrepreneurs with disabilities. This report will assess the entrepreneurs' challenges and needs, detail the resources the SBA currently provides, and recommend what actions we can take to improve how the Small Business Administration serves entrepreneurs with disabilities.

The better Congress understands these challenges, the easier it will be to knock them down to take these barriers away and make sure every American has the chance to succeed.

I again thank Chairman Williams, Ranking Member Velazquez, Chairman Molinaro, and everyone else involved for their leadership and support of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7985.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 7985, the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act, which I am very proud to co-lead alongside my colleague, Representative McGarvey. I am grateful for his leadership and commitment to move the legislation forward and also to address an important need in our communities across this country.

This bipartisan bill will provide much-needed clarity for our entrepreneurs with disabilities as they navigate the SBA's complex maze of over 50 different programs geared to support individuals with intellectual, physical, and developmental disabilities as they start a business.

As of April 2022, 74 percent of adults with disabilities work outside the traditional workforce. Approximately 1.8 million of these adults with disabilities were businessowners themselves.

From limited access to affordable capital to a scarcity of supports and services tailored to their unique needs, the SBA needs to step up and, frankly, provide much greater support in working to consolidate this fractured and complex system.

Entrepreneurs of every ability should have a fair shot at pursuing their passion. As chair of the Small Business Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development, I remain committed, as I know my colleague, Mr. McGarvey, does, to empowering our entrepreneurs with disabilities to contribute more to Main Street and lead more independent lives.

The absence of adequate reporting data on entrepreneurs with disabilities renders this eager and highly competent community to the sidelines. The Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act would provide a comprehensive assessment of the needs of our entrepreneurs with intellectual, physical, and developmental disabilities and help inform lawmakers of legislative solutions to address the challenges these individuals face in order to break down barriers so they can pursue their own employment options and create opportunities to owning their own businesses.

Mr. Speaker, again, I thank Representative Morgan McGarvey for his partnership on this bill. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan legislation, and I look forward to continuing to show America what it means to think differently, breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for every individual of every ability.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7985) to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to submit to Congress a report on the entrepreneurial challenges facing entrepreneurs with a disability, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in full support of H.R. 7985, the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act of 2024, introduced by Representatives McGarvey and Molinaro.

This legislation will require the SBA to issue a report to Congress on the challenges individuals with disabilities face when starting a business. Further, it will require the SBA to look at resources across the Federal Government that assist individuals with disabilities.

The Government Accountability Office estimates that there are nearly 50 programs across nine Federal agencies that support employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. However, Federal agencies often fail to coordinate or collaborate on such programs to ensure that their efforts are not duplicated and are working as efficiently as possible. The Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act of 2024 will require the SBA to look at this fragmented system and do its part to consolidate and streamline those efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives McGarvey and Molinaro for their

leadership on this important issue and for introducing this bill. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from the State of New York (Mr. Molinaro).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, we have held hearings this year that have highlighted the great work of disabled entrepreneurs across the country. I thank Representatives McGarvey and Molinaro again for offering this solution to ensure the government is working efficiently to offer these individuals the resources that are already available.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, today we are considering H.R. 7985, which would require the SBA to submit a report to Congress on the challenges facing entrepreneurs with disabilities.

Despite progress to increase employment rates, only 26 percent of people with disabilities participate in the labor force. That is why we need a comprehensive study to assess the resources that are available to people with disabilities, examine their effectiveness, and determine what actions need to be taken to support entrepreneurs with disabilities.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the efforts of Mr. McGarvey and Mr. Molinaro to increase opportunities for people with disabilities. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7985. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. McGarvey).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Entrepreneurship provides people with disabilities a viable option to participate in the labor force and improve their quality of life.

SBA's entrepreneurial ecosystem, comprised of nearly 1,000 resource partners across the country, can provide individuals with free counseling and training to launch and grow their small businesses.

We do not know how well SBA and its resource partners are meeting their needs and what more could be done to better serve these individuals. This bill will go a long way in assessing the outreach and engagement provided by SBA and make legislative recommendations to address any deficiencies in the services provided to people with disabilities.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud Mr. McGarvey and Mr. Molinaro for their bipartisan efforts, and I yield back the balance of my time.