H.R. 1642 – Connecting Small Businesses with Career and Technical Education Graduates Act o…

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 24, 2025 at 2:24 AM UTC

The Connecting Small Businesses with Career and Technical Education Graduates Act of 2025 updates the Small Business Act to formally recognize career and technical education and to make sure federal small‑business support centers help link small firms—especially women‑owned firms—with graduates of CTE programs. It aims to improve hiring, training, and entrepreneurship opportunities by sharing information and creating connections between businesses and CTE schools.

Key Provisions

Adds a definition of “career and technical education” (CTE) to the Small Business Act, using the definition from the Carl D. Perkins CTE Act.
Requires Small Business Development Centers to give small businesses information on hiring CTE graduates, on CTE programs that match their needs, and to help CTE programs connect students with SBDC resources for starting or growing a business.
Mandates that SBDCs also help link small businesses with CTE programs so graduates can learn about career opportunities.
Requires Women’s Business Centers to provide similar information and connections specifically for businesses owned or controlled by women, including how to hire CTE graduates and how CTE programs can use Women’s Business Center services.

Legislative Activity

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14 earlier actions

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee

June 4, 2025

View full timeline

HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

February 26, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.

Small Business Committee

February 26, 2025

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

Small Business Committee

March 5, 2025

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 0.

Small Business Committee

March 5, 2025

HouseCommittee

Reported by the Committee on Small Business. H. Rept. 119-36.

Small Business Committee

March 24, 2025

HouseCalendars

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 25.

March 24, 2025

HouseFloor

Mr. Williams (TX) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

June 3, 2025 • 3:14 PM

HouseFloor

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2392-2393)

June 3, 2025 • 3:14 PM

HouseFloor

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1642.

June 3, 2025 • 3:14 PM

HouseFloor

At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.

June 3, 2025 • 3:21 PM

HouseFloor

Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2402-2403)

June 3, 2025 • 6:31 PM

HouseFloor

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 396 - 5 (Roll no. 146). (text: CR H2392)

View vote Passed

June 3, 2025 • 6:53 PM

HouseFloor

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 396 - 5 (Roll no. 146). (text: CR H2392)

View vote Passed

June 3, 2025 • 6:53 PM

HouseFloor

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

June 3, 2025 • 6:53 PM

SenateIntro Referral

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee

June 4, 2025

Voting History

1 vote recorded • Roll call available

HOUSE

Roll Call Available

June 3, 2025 at 6:51 PM

On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass

Majority required: 2/3 (66.7%)

Passed

396 - 5

Floor Debate

4 members

What members said about H.R. 1642 on the floor

1 Republican3 Democrats

Rep. Morgan McGarveyD-KY-3 · Jun 3, 2025

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here today as we consider bills that will strengthen the SBA and work to broaden services available to small…

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here today as we consider bills that will strengthen the SBA and work to broaden services available to small businesses. These firms employ roughly half of the private workforce, create two-thirds of all new jobs, and generate almost half of our Nation's economic activity.

These aren't just statistics. They are the foundation of our local economies, providing essential services, from plumbers and electricians to physicians, and making towns and cities across the country attractive places to live and work.

They don't work on just their own behalf. They create millions of neighborhood jobs and reinvest in their local communities, from funding Little League teams to engaging in philanthropy.

Over the past 4 years under the Biden administration, we saw a surge in startups, as over 21 million new small businesses were created, the vast majority of which were created by women, including women of color. These acts of hope for the future make our economy stronger and give us reason to celebrate.

Unfortunately, the past few months have caused extreme uncertainty in the small business community. With so many new businesses starting, there is much more we could do on Capitol Hill to support their growth and flourishing.

That is why I am pleased we are here to consider seven bipartisan bills that aim to strengthen SBA services, restore trust and accountability, and expand resources for disabled entrepreneurs.

Turning to our first bill, while college affords opportunity for so many of our students, it isn't the only path to success. For students who are looking for in-demand skills that prepare them directly for the workforce, career and technical education programs can offer viable alternatives. These programs collaborate directly with local private-

sector businesses and tailor curricula to the needs of the community.

At a time when newly graduated students are seeing higher unemployment rates than the broader labor force, small businesses that rely on certain skills are still unable to find qualified workers. By directing small business development centers and women's business centers to provide educational information to small businesses about career and technical education programs, this bill will go a long way in meeting the labor needs of small businesses and also giving the graduates of CTE programs the tools they need to launch and grow their own successful startups.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Williams, Mr. Olszewski, Mr. Bresnahan, and Mr. Tran for their work on this bipartisan bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Tran).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

I thank my colleagues, Chairman Williams, Mr. Olszewski, Mr. Bresnahan, and Mr. Tran, for their bipartisan effort to ensure small businesses have access to the skilled workforce coming out of local career and technical education programs.

For years, small businesses have raised concerns about their ability to find workers with the best skills to staff their businesses. By leveraging our small business development centers and women's business centers, we can help connect promising graduates of CTE programs to small businesses in need. Moreover, we can help those graduates start and grow their own businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1642, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Rep. Roger WilliamsR-TX-25 · Jun 3, 2025

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1642) to amend the Small Business Act to include requirements relating to graduates of career and technical education programs for…

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1642) to amend the Small Business Act to include requirements relating to graduates of career and technical education programs for small business development centers and women`s business centers, 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 today in strong support of my bill, H.R. 1642, the Connecting Small Businesses with Career and Technical Education Graduates Act of 2025. Earlier this year, I introduced this bill alongside the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Olszewski), my friend.

Across America, the skilled labor shortage, particularly in trades, is a growing concern. Industries like construction, healthcare, and manufacturing are struggling to find qualified workers. At the same time, thousands of career and technical education graduates are entering the workforce with the hands-on skills employers desperately need.

This bipartisan legislation offers a commonsense solution. H.R. 1642 requires the Small Business Administration's resource partners to provide small businesses with vital information on how to hire graduates of career and technical education programs.

In addition, it ensures that students and graduates of these programs know about the business counseling resources available through SBA resource partners to help them start and grow their own small businesses.

Solving the skilled workforce shortage will take an all-hands-on-deck approach, and I am proud to lead this important step forward. I thank Representative Olszewski for joining me in introducing this bipartisan bill. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1642.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1642 to bring necessary solutions to all small businesses, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Rep. Derek TranD-CA-45 · Jun 3, 2025

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1642, the Connecting Small Businesses with Career and Technical Education Graduates Act. Small businesses can't thrive if they can't access a highly…

Rep. Mike LevinD-CA-49 · Jun 3, 2025

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 146.

Bill Text

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Referred in SenateIssued June 4, 2025

IIB

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1642

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 4, 2025

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

AN ACT

To amend the Small Business Act to include requirements relating to graduates of career and technical education programs for small business development centers and women’s business centers, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Connecting Small Businesses with Career and Technical Education Graduates Act of 2025.

2.

Inclusion of career and technical education

(a)

Definition

Section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(gg)

Career and technical education

The term career and technical education has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302).

.

(b)

Small business development centers

Section 21(c)(3) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648(c)(1)) is amended—

(1)

in subparagraph (T), by striking and at the end;

(2)

in clause (v) of the first subparagraph (U) (relating to succession planning), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon;

(3)

in second subparagraph (U) (relating to training on domestic and international intellectual property protections)—

(A)

in clause (ii)(II), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and

(B)

by redesignating such subparagraph as subparagraph (V); and

(4)

by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:

(W)

providing educational information to small businesses on—

(i)

hiring graduates from career and technical education programs; and

(ii)

career and technical education programs relevant to such businesses, including how to use such programs to satisfy hiring needs of such businesses;

(X)

providing information to career and technical education programs about how students and graduates of such programs can access resources and services of small business development centers to start and expand a small business concern; and

(Y)

as appropriate, connecting small businesses with career and technical education programs to assist students and graduates of such programs with identifying career opportunities.

.

(c)

Women’s business centers

Section 29(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656(b)) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (2), by striking and at the end;

(2)

in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:

(4)

providing educational information to small business concerns owned and controlled by women on—

(A)

hiring graduates from career and technical education programs; and

(B)

career and technical education programs relevant to such concerns, including how to use such programs to satisfy hiring needs of such concerns;

(5)

providing information to career and technical education programs about how students and graduates of such programs can access resources and services of women’s business centers to start and expand a small business concern; and

(6)

as appropriate, connecting small business concerns owned and controlled by women with career and technical education programs to assist students

and graduates of such programs with identifying career opportunities.

.

Passed the House of Representatives June 3, 2025.

Kevin F. McCumber,

Clerk.