119-s2639

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2639 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 2639

 To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to 
 establish and carry out a program that assists military spouses in 
 establishing small business concerns, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 July 31, 2025

 Ms. Klobuchar (for herself and Mr. Tillis) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Small 
 Business and Entrepreneurship

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to 
 establish and carry out a program that assists military spouses in 
 establishing small business concerns, 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 ``Military Spouse Entrepreneurship Act 
of 2025''.

SEC. 2. ENTREPRENEURSHIP ASSISTANCE FOR MILITARY SPOUSES.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

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

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

section 3 of the 
 Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).

    (b) Program.--

    (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph

    (2) , the 
 Administrator shall establish a program within the Small 
 Business Administration--
        (A) the purpose of which shall be to assist 
 military spouses in forming, operating, and growing 
 small business concerns; and
        (B) which shall include providing such assistance 
 through remotely accessible online services.

    (2) Extension of existing program.--In lieu of establishing 
 a new program, the Administrator may carry out the purpose 
 described in paragraph

    (1) through an extension of a program 
 that is in existence, as of the date of enactment of this Act, 
 if that extension is tailored to military spouses and otherwise 
 achieves that purpose and satisfies the requirements of this 
 section.
            (c) Assistance.--The assistance provided by the Administrator under 
the program described in subsection

    (b) shall include the following:

    (1) Assistance for military spouses in identifying and 
 understanding the requirements with respect to forming and 
 operating a small business concern, including assistance 
 relating to relocating the operations of a small business 
 concern.

    (2) Assistance for military spouses in strengthening the 
 expertise and skills necessary for the formation and operation 
 of a small business concern, including the expertise and skills 
 necessary to create a sustainable small business concern 
 throughout the uniquely challenging requirements of life as a 
 military spouse, which arise as a result of--
        (A) military deployments;
        (B) military-related absences from the workforce; 
 or
            (C) multiple permanent changes of duty station or 
 other long-term relocations for military reasons.

    (3) Through partnerships with organizations supporting 
 military spouse entrepreneurship and business volunteer 
 entities (including by entering into cooperative agreements 
 with those organizations and entities), providing mentorship to 
 military spouses with respect to entrepreneurship.

    (4) Any other assistance that the Administrator determines 
 to be appropriate.
            (d) Survey; Report.--

    (1) Survey.--
        (A) In general.--The Administrator, in consultation 
 with such nonprofit organizations and other 
 stakeholders determined appropriate by the 
 Administrator, shall conduct a survey to identify the 
 barriers to forming, operating, and growing small 
 business concerns that are faced by military spouses as 
 a result of life as a military spouse, including as a 
 result of the conditions described in subparagraphs
        (A) ,
        (B) , and
            (C) of subsection
            (c) (2) .
        (B) Analysis required.--The survey conducted under 
 subparagraph
        (A) shall include an analysis of the 
 challenges that military spouses face in accessing 
 capital and other critical resources with respect to 
 forming, operating, and growing small business 
 concerns, including the education, mentoring, and 
 training that is required to form, operate, and grow a 
 small business concern.

    (2) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the 
 Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate 
 and the Committee on Small Business of the House of 
 Representatives a report containing the results of the survey 
 conducted under paragraph

    (1) .

    (e) Use of Results; Outreach.--In carrying out the program 
described in subsection

    (b) , the Administrator shall--

    (1) take into consideration the results of the survey 
 conducted under subsection
            (d) (1) ; and

    (2) develop an outreach program to ensure that the program 
 becomes well-known.

    (f) Consultation Permitted.--In carrying out this section, the 
Administrator may consult with the Secretary of Defense, as determined 
necessary by the Administrator.
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