What This Bill Does
This bill creates the Boots to Business Program, which trains military members and veterans who want to start their own businesses. The program runs until September 30, 2028, and teaches covered individuals the skills needed to identify business opportunities, write business plans, find funding, and launch small businesses.
Who It Affects
Active duty military members (including National Guard and Reserves), veterans who were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, people in the Transition Assistance Program (a military program that helps service members move to civilian life), spouses and dependents of these individuals, the Small Business Administration, the Department of Defense, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Key Provisions
• The Small Business Administration must run the Boots to Business Program and offer entrepreneurship training to eligible military members and veterans (Sec. 2(h)(2)).
• The program may include presentations about self-employment, online courses covering basic business skills, in-person classroom instruction, and in-depth training that leads to creating a business plan (Sec. 2(h)(4)(A)).
• The Small Business Administration must ensure Veteran Business Outreach Centers participate nationwide and may give grants to centers and other partners to run program parts (Sec. 2(h)(4)(C)).
• The Small Business Administration must share program information with the Department of Defense, Department of Labor, and Department of Veterans Affairs so these agencies can share details with military members and veterans (Sec. 2(h)(4)(D) and (E)).
• The Small Business Administration must submit reports to Congress at least once per year describing program participation numbers, completion rates, participant demographics, how many participants start businesses, and survey results from program participants (Sec. 2(h)(7)).
What Changes
The Small Business Act is updated to officially create and require the Boots to Business Program as a permanent service for military members and veterans seeking business training and support.
Important Definitions
"Covered individual" means any active duty military member (including National Guard or Reserves), any person in the Transition Assistance Program, any veteran discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, or any spouse or dependent of these people (Sec. 2(h)(1)).
Effective Date
The program begins on the date the bill becomes law and ends on September 30, 2028 (Sec. 2(h)(2)).
IIB
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1606
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
JUNE 21, 2023
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and
Entrepreneurship
AN ACT
To amend the Small Business Act to codify the Boots to
Business Program, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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HR 1606 RFS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veteran Entrepreneur-
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ship Training Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. BOOTS TO BUSINESS PROGRAM.
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Section 32 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
5
657b) is amended by adding at the end the following:
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‘‘(h) BOOTS TO BUSINESS PROGRAM.—
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‘‘(1) COVERED INDIVIDUAL DEFINED.—In this
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subsection, the term ‘covered individual’ means—
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‘‘(A) a member of the Armed Forces, in-
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cluding the National Guard or Reserves;
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‘‘(B) an individual who is participating in
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the Transition Assistance Program established
13
under section 1144 of title 10, United States
14
Code;
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‘‘(C) an individual who—
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‘‘(i) served on active duty in any
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branch of the Armed Forces, including the
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National Guard or Reserves; and
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‘‘(ii) was discharged or released from
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such service under conditions other than
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dishonorable; and
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‘‘(D) a spouse or dependent of an indi-
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vidual described in subparagraph (A), (B), or
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(C).
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HR 1606 RFS
‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—During the period be-
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ginning on the date of enactment of this subsection
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and ending on September 30, 2028, the Adminis-
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trator shall carry out a program to be known as the
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‘Boots to Business Program’ to provide entrepre-
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neurship training to covered individuals.
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‘‘(3) GOALS.—The goals of the Boots to Busi-
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ness Program are to—
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‘‘(A) provide assistance and in-depth train-
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ing to covered individuals interested in business
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ownership; and
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‘‘(B) provide covered individuals with the
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tools, skills, and knowledge necessary to identify
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a business opportunity, draft a business plan,
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identify sources of capital, connect with local
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resources for small business concerns, and start
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up a small business concern.
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‘‘(4) PROGRAM COMPONENTS.—
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Boots to Busi-
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ness Program may include—
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‘‘(i) a presentation providing exposure
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to the considerations involved in self-em-
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ployment and ownership of a small busi-
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ness concern;
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HR 1606 RFS
‘‘(ii) an online, self-study course fo-
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cused on the basic skills of entrepreneur-
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ship, the language of business, and the
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considerations involved in self-employment
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and ownership of a small business concern;
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‘‘(iii) an in-person classroom instruc-
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tion component providing an introduction
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to the foundations of self employment and
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ownership of a small business concern; and
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‘‘(iv)
in-depth
training
delivered
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through online instruction, including an
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online course that leads to the creation of
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a business plan.
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‘‘(B)
COLLABORATION.—The
Adminis-
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trator may—
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‘‘(i) collaborate with public and pri-
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vate entities to develop course curricula for
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the Boots to Business Program; and
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‘‘(ii) modify program components in
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coordination with entities participating in a
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Warriors in Transition program, as defined
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in section 738(e) of the National Defense
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Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013
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(10 U.S.C. 1071 note).
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HR 1606 RFS
‘‘(C) USE OF RESOURCE PARTNERS AND
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DISTRICT OFFICES.—
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‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator
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shall—
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‘‘(I) ensure that Veteran Busi-
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ness Outreach Centers regularly par-
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ticipate, on a nationwide basis, in the
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Boots to Business Program; and
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‘‘(II) to the maximum extent
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practicable, use district offices of the
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Administration and a variety of other
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resource partners and entities in ad-
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ministering the Boots to Business
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Program.
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‘‘(ii) GRANT AUTHORITY.—In carrying
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out clause (i), the Administrator may make
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grants, subject to the availability of appro-
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priations in advance, to Veteran Business
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Outreach Centers, other resource partners,
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or other entities to carry out components
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of the Boots to Business Program.
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‘‘(D) AVAILABILITY TO DEPARTMENT OF
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DEFENSE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR.—
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The Administrator shall make available to the
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Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of
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HR 1606 RFS
Labor information regarding the Boots to Busi-
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ness Program, including all course materials
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and outreach materials related to the Boots to
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Business Program, for inclusion on the websites
4
of the Department of Defense and the Depart-
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ment of Labor relating to the Transition Assist-
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ance Program, in the Transition Assistance
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Program manual, and in other relevant mate-
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rials available for distribution from the Sec-
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retary of Defense and the Secretary of Labor.
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‘‘(E) AVAILABILITY TO DEPARTMENT OF
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VETERANS AFFAIRS.—In consultation with the
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Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Adminis-
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trator shall make available for distribution and
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display on the website of the Department of
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Veterans Affairs and at local facilities of the
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Department of Veterans Affairs outreach mate-
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rials regarding the Boots to Business Program,
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which shall, at a minimum—
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‘‘(i) describe the Boots to Business
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Program and the services provided; and
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‘‘(ii) include eligibility requirements
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for participating in the Boots to Business
23
Program.
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HR 1606 RFS
‘‘(F) AVAILABILITY
TO
OTHER
PARTICI-
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PATING
AGENCIES.—The Administrator shall
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ensure information regarding the Boots to
3
Business program, including all course mate-
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rials and outreach materials related to the
5
Boots to Business Program, is made available
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to other participating agencies in the Transition
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Assistance Program and upon request of other
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agencies.
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‘‘(5) COMPETITIVE
BIDDING
PROCEDURES.—
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The Administration shall use relevant competitive
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bidding procedures with respect to any contract or
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cooperative agreement executed by the Administra-
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tion under the Boots to Business Program.
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‘‘(6) PUBLICATION OF NOTICE OF FUNDING OP-
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PORTUNITY.—Not later than 30 days before the
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deadline for submitting applications for any funding
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opportunity under the Boots to Business Program,
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the Administration shall publish a notice of the
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funding opportunity.
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‘‘(7) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after
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the date of enactment of this subsection, and not
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less frequently than annually thereafter, the Admin-
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istrator shall submit to the Committee on Small
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Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and
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HR 1606 RFS
the Committee on Small Business of the House of
1
Representatives a report on the performance and ef-
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fectiveness of the Boots to Business Program,
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which—
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‘‘(A) may be included as part of another
5
report submitted to such committees by the Ad-
6
ministrator related to the Office of Veterans
7
Business Development; and
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‘‘(B) shall summarize available information
9
relating to—
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‘‘(i) grants awarded under paragraph
11
(4)(C);
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‘‘(ii) the total cost of the Boots to
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Business Program;
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‘‘(iii) the number of program partici-
15
pants using each component of the Boots
16
to Business Program;
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‘‘(iv) the completion rates for each
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component of the Boots to Business Pro-
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gram;
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‘‘(v) to the extent possible—
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‘‘(I) the demographics of pro-
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gram participants, to include gender,
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age, race, ethnicity, and relationship
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to military;
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HR 1606 RFS
‘‘(II) the number of program
1
participants that connect with a dis-
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trict office of the Administration, a
3
Veteran Business Outreach Center, or
4
another resource partner of the Ad-
5
ministration;
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‘‘(III) the number of program
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participants that start a small busi-
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ness concern;
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‘‘(IV) the results of the Boots to
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Business and Boots to Business
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Reboot course quality surveys con-
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ducted by the Office of Veterans Busi-
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ness Development before and after at-
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tending each of those courses, includ-
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ing a summary of any comments re-
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ceived from program participants;
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‘‘(V) the results of the Boots to
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Business Program outcome surveys
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conducted by the Office of Veterans
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Business Development, including a
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summary of any comments received
22
from program participants; and
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‘‘(VI) the results of other ger-
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mane participant satisfaction surveys;
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HR 1606 RFS
‘‘(C) an evaluation of the overall effective-
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ness of the Boots to Business Program based
2
on each geographic region covered by the Ad-
3
ministration during the most recent fiscal year;
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‘‘(D) an assessment of additional perform-
5
ance outcome measures for the Boots to Busi-
6
ness Program, as identified by the Adminis-
7
trator;
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‘‘(E) any recommendations of the Adminis-
9
trator for improvement of the Boots to Busi-
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ness Program, which may include expansion of
11
the types of individuals who are covered individ-
12
uals;
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‘‘(F) an explanation of how the Boots to
14
Business Program has been integrated with
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other transition programs and related resources
16
of the Administration and other Federal agen-
17
cies; and
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‘‘(G) any additional information the Ad-
19
ministrator determines necessary.’’.
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Passed the House of Representatives June 20, 2023.
Attest:
CHERYL L. JOHNSON,
Clerk.
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