Federal

Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act of 2023

Source: Congress.gov · 359 words in original text

What This Bill Does

This bill modifies the rules for the Office of Advocacy within the Small Business Administration. It updates the office's primary duties to include representing small businesses' interests to foreign governments and international organizations regarding trade and regulatory issues.

Who It Affects

Small businesses and the Office of Advocacy of the Small Business Administration.

Key Provisions

• The Office of Advocacy must consider impacts on the international economy when performing its functions (Sec. 2(a)(1)) • The Office of Advocacy must correct spelling of "service-disabled" in its primary functions list (Sec. 2(a)(3)) • The Office of Advocacy gains a new duty to represent small business views and interests before foreign governments and international entities regarding regulatory and trade initiatives that could affect small businesses (Sec. 2(b)(3))

What Changes

The Office of Advocacy now includes the international economy in its scope of concern. The office gains responsibility for advocating for small businesses' interests to foreign governments and international organizations on trade and regulatory matters.

Important Definitions

None defined in bill text.

IIB 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 399 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JANUARY 26, 2023 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship AN ACT To clarify the primary functions and duties of the Office of Advocacy of the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:09 Jan 27, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H399.RFS H399 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 HR 399 RFS SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Small Business Advo- 2 cacy Improvements Act of 2023’’. 3 SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO PRIMARY FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES 4 OF THE OFFICE OF ADVOCACY OF THE SMALL 5 BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. 6 (a) PRIMARY FUNCTIONS.—Section 202 of Public 7 Law 94–305 (15 U.S.C. 634b) is amended— 8 (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘and the 9 international economy’’ after ‘‘economy’’; 10 (2) in paragraph (9), by striking ‘‘complete’’ 11 and inserting ‘‘compete’’; and 12 (3) in paragraph (12), by striking ‘‘serviced-dis- 13 abled’’ and inserting ‘‘service-disabled’’. 14 (b) DUTIES.—Section 203(a) of Public Law 94–305 15 (15 U.S.C. 634c) is amended— 16 (1) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 17 end; 18 (2) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at 19 the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 20 (3) by adding at the end the following: 21 ‘‘(7) represent the views and interests of small 22 businesses before foreign governments and inter- 23 national entities for the purpose of contributing to 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:09 Jan 27, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H399.RFS H399 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 HR 399 RFS regulatory and trade initiatives which may affect 1 small businesses.’’. 2 Passed the House of Representatives January 25, 2023. Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, Clerk. VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:09 Jan 27, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H399.RFS H399 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS

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