119-hr3793

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3793 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3793

 To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, in 
consultation with the Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business 
Development, to establish a grant program to create or expand programs 
 at minority-serving institutions and historically Black colleges and 
 universities that promote minority business ownership and 
 entrepreneurship, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 June 5, 2025

 Ms. Williams of Georgia (for herself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Adams, Mr. 
 Evans of Pennsylvania, and Mrs. Torres of California) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Small Business

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, in 
consultation with the Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business 
Development, to establish a grant program to create or expand programs 
 at minority-serving institutions and historically Black colleges and 
 universities that promote minority business ownership and 
 entrepreneurship, and for other purposes.

 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 ``Minority Entrepreneurship Grant 
Program Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
 Administrator of the Small Business Administration.

    (2) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the Minority 
 Entrepreneurship Advisory Board established under 

section 4

    (a) .

    (3) Historically black college or university.--The term 
 ``historically Black college or university'' means a part B 
 institution, as that term is defined in 

section 322 of the 
 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).

    (4) Minority.--The term ``minority'' includes an individual 
 who is--
        (A) Black or African American;
        (B) Hispanic or Latino;
            (C) Native or Indigenous American;
            (D) Asian;
        (E) Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander;
        (F) Native Alaskan; or
        (G) a member of a group that the Minority Business 
 Development Agency of the Department of Commerce 
 determines under part 1400 of title 15, Code of Federal 
 Regulations, as in effect on November 23, 1984, is a 
 socially disadvantaged group eligible to receive 
 assistance.

    (5) Minority-serving institution.--The term ``minority-
 serving institution'' means any of the following:
        (A) A Hispanic-serving institution, as that term is 
 defined in 

section 502

    (a) of the Higher Education Act 
 of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a

    (a) ).
        (B) A Tribal College or University, as that term is 
 defined in 

section 316

    (b) of the Higher Education Act 
 of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c

    (b) ).
            (C) An Alaska Native-serving institution, as that 
 term is defined in 

section 317

    (b) of the Higher 
 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d

    (b) ).
            (D) A Native Hawaiian-serving institution, as that 
 term is defined in 

section 317

    (b) of the Higher 
 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d

    (b) ).
        (E) A Predominantly Black Institution, as that term 
 is defined in 

section 318

    (b) of the Higher Education 
 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059e

    (b) ).
        (F) A Native American-serving, nontribal 
 institution, as that term is defined in 

section 319

    (b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
 1059f

    (b) ).
        (G) An Asian American and Native American Pacific 
 Islander-serving institution, as that term is defined 
 in 

section 320

    (b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
 (20 U.S.C. 1059g

    (b) ).

    (6) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the grant program 
 established under 

section 3

    (a) .

    (7) Small business concern.--The term ``small business 
 concern'' has the meaning given the term in 

section 3

    (a) of the 
 Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632

    (a) ).

    (8) Student entrepreneur.--The term ``student 
 entrepreneur'' means a student who is--
        (A) a minority;
        (B) enrolled at a minority-serving institution or a 
 historically Black college or university; and
            (C) seeking to establish or develop a business.

    (9) Under secretary.--The term ``Under Secretary'' means 
 the Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business 
 Development.

SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with the 
Under Secretary, shall establish a grant program within the Small 
Business Administration, the purpose of which shall be to create or 
expand programs at minority-serving institutions and historically Black 
colleges and universities that foster, promote, and increase 
opportunities for minority business ownership.

    (b) Application Process.--A minority-serving institution or a 
historically Black college or university seeking a grant under the 
Program shall submit to the Administrator an application that contains 
a description of--

    (1) the need for the grant funds to promote minority 
 entrepreneurship and business ownership among student 
 entrepreneurs enrolled at the minority-serving institution or 
 the historically Black college or university;

    (2) how the grant funds will be used to carry out the 
 activities described in paragraph

    (1) ;

    (3) how the programs created or expanded with the grant 
 funds will provide support to student entrepreneurs enrolled at 
 the minority-serving institution or historically Black college 
 or university who--
        (A) seek support for an established business; or
        (B) need assistance in establishing a business; and

    (4) how the minority-serving institution or historically 
 Black college or university will create or expand programs or 
 initiatives that--
        (A) increase minority business ownership; and
        (B) expand business resources to student 
 entrepreneurs enrolled at the minority-serving 
 institution or historically Black college or 
 university.
            (c) Amount of Grant.--A grant made to a minority-serving 
institution or a historically Black college or university under the 
Program shall be not less than $250,000.
            (d) Use of Grant Funds.--With a grant received under the Program, a 
minority-serving institution or a historically Black college or 
university shall support the creation or expansion of programs or 
initiatives that offer business development resources that support 
student entrepreneurs enrolled at the minority-serving institution or 
historically Black college or university, such as--

    (1) free legal, accounting, human resources, information 
 technology, marketing, training, counseling, networking, and 
 technical assistance; and

    (2) access to capital resources, such as the costs 
 associated with forming a new business enterprise.

    (e) MSI Submission Requirement.--A minority-serving institution or 
historically Black college or university to which a grant is made under 
the Program shall, each year, submit to the Administrator a mid-year 
and year-end report, each of which shall contain, for the period 
covered by the report, the number of--

    (1) student entrepreneurs trained, assisted, and counseled 
 with the grant funds;

    (2) businesses created through the expenditure of the grant 
 funds, including, with respect to each such business--
        (A) the name of the business;
        (B) a description of the business; and
            (C) the amount of grant funds expended in creating 
 the business;

    (3) student entrepreneurs referred to other resources of 
 the Small Business Administration; and

    (4) student entrepreneurs participating in programs created 
 or expanded through the expenditure of the grant funds, which, 
 to the extent possible, shall be disaggregated by sex, race, 
 and ethnicity.

    (f) Report to Congress.--Not later than 18 months after the date on 
which the first grant is made under the Program, and annually 
thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report that 
contains information regarding the minority-serving institutions and 
historically Black colleges or universities to which grants were made 
under the Program for the period covered by the report, which shall 
include--

    (1) the name of each such minority-serving institution and 
 historically Black college or university and the amount of each 
 such grant;

    (2) the number of student entrepreneurs trained, assisted, 
 and counseled with Program grant funds--
        (A) at each minority-serving institution and 
 historically Black college or university to which a 
 grant was made under the Program; and
        (B) in total under the Program;

    (3) the number of businesses created through the 
 expenditure of Program grant funds--
        (A) with respect to each minority-serving 
 institution and historically Black college or 
 university to which a grant was made under the Program; 
 and
        (B) in total under the Program;

    (4) the number of student entrepreneurs referred to 
 resources of the Small Business Administration--
        (A) at each minority-serving institution and 
 historically Black college or university to which a 
 grant was made under the Program; and
        (B) in total under the Program;

    (5) the number of student entrepreneurs participating in 
 programs created or expanded through the expenditure of Program 
 grant funds at each minority-serving institution and 
 historically Black college or university to which a grant was 
 made under the Program, and in total under the Program, which, 
 to the extent possible, shall be disaggregated by sex, race, 
 and ethnicity; and

    (6) a statement regarding whether any amounts made 
 available to carry out this section remain unexpended, as of 
 the date on which the report is submitted.

    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator $50,000,000 to carry out this 
section.

SEC. 4. ADVISORY BOARD.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish a Minority 
Entrepreneurship Advisory Board to develop recommendations regarding 
how minority-serving institutions and historically Black colleges and 
universities can better serve minority businesses and entrepreneurs.

    (b) Membership of Board.--The members of the Board shall be--

    (1) appointed by the Administrator; and

    (2) individuals with--
        (A) outstanding qualifications;
        (B) knowledge regarding the needs of small business 
 concerns that are owned by minorities; and
            (C) experience--
            (i) working with startups; or
            (ii) in providing consultation to small 
 business concerns.
            (c) Submission to Congress.--Not later than 18 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to 
Congress the recommendations developed by the Board under subsection

    (a) .
            (d) Inapplicability of Federal Advisory Committee Requirements.--
Chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code, shall not apply with respect 
to the Board or the activities of the Board.
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