Texas 2017 - 85th 1st C.S.

Texas House Bill HB379 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85S11853 EES-D
2	2	By: Reynolds H.B. No. 379
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to assistance for small businesses, the dissemination of
8	8	information about historically underutilized businesses, and the
9	9	expansion of the small business development center network.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 61.8235, Education Code, is amended by
12	12	adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:
13	13	(b-1) In developing the career and technical education
14	14	program of study curricula under Subsection (b), the board shall
15	15	ensure that the curricula include information about historically
16	16	underutilized businesses and the certification procedure for and
17	17	the assistance available to historically underutilized businesses
18	18	under Chapter 2161, Government Code.
19	19	SECTION 2. Section 481.0068(b), Government Code, is amended
20	20	to read as follows:
21	21	(b) The Office of Small Business Assistance shall:
22	22	(1) examine the role of small and historically
23	23	underutilized businesses in the state's economy and the
24	24	contribution of small and historically underutilized businesses in
25	25	generating economic activity, expanding employment opportunities,
26	26	promoting exports, stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship,
27	27	and bringing new and untested products and services to the
28	28	marketplace;
29	29	(2) serve as the principal focal point in the state for
30	30	small and historically underutilized businesses by:
31	31	(A) providing to the legislature information on
32	32	the effects of proposed policies or actions;
33	33	(B) assisting state agencies in determining the
34	34	impact proposed rules have on small businesses as required by
35	35	Section 2006.002; and
36	36	(C) assisting the agencies in reducing the
37	37	adverse effect that rules have on small businesses, if appropriate;
38	38	(3) evaluate the effectiveness of efforts of state
39	39	agencies and other entities to assist small and historically
40	40	underutilized businesses and make appropriate recommendations to
41	41	the legislature and state agencies to assist the development and
42	42	strengthening of small and historically underutilized businesses;
43	43	(4) identify regulations that inhibit small and
44	44	historically underutilized business development and to the extent
45	45	possible identify conflicting state policy goals;
46	46	(5) determine the availability of financial and other
47	47	resources to small and historically underutilized businesses and
48	48	recommend methods for:
49	49	(A) increasing the availability of equity
50	50	capital and other forms of financial assistance to small and
51	51	historically underutilized businesses;
52	52	(B) generating markets for the goods and services
53	53	of small and historically underutilized businesses;
54	54	(C) providing more effective education,
55	55	training, and management and technical assistance to small and
56	56	historically underutilized businesses; and
57	57	(D) providing assistance to small and
58	58	historically underutilized businesses in complying with federal,
59	59	state, and local laws;
60	60	(6) identify the reasons for small and historically
61	61	underutilized business successes and failures, ascertain the
62	62	related factors that are particularly important in this state, and
63	63	recommend actions for increasing the success rate of small and
64	64	historically underutilized businesses;
65	65	(7) serve as a focal point for receiving comments and
66	66	suggestions concerning state government policies and activities
67	67	that affect small and historically underutilized businesses;
68	68	(8) develop and suggest proposals for changes in state
69	69	policies and activities that adversely affect small and
70	70	historically underutilized businesses;
71	71	(9) provide to state agencies information on the
72	72	effects of proposed policies or actions that affect small and
73	73	historically underutilized businesses;
74	74	(10) provide information and assistance relating to
75	75	establishing, operating, or expanding small and historically
76	76	underutilized businesses;
77	77	(11) assist small and historically underutilized
78	78	businesses by:
79	79	(A) identifying:
80	80	(i) sources of financial assistance for
81	81	those businesses; and
82	82	(ii) financial barriers to those
83	83	businesses;
84	84	(B) working with relevant organizations to
85	85	identify financing programs that aid small businesses in overcoming
86	86	financial barriers;
87	87	(C) matching those businesses with sources of
88	88	financial assistance and credit enhancement; and
89	89	(D) assisting those businesses with the
90	90	preparation of applications for government loans, loan guarantees,
91	91	and credit enhancement programs;
92	92	(12) sponsor meetings, to the extent practicable in
93	93	cooperation with public and private educational institutions, to
94	94	provide training and disseminate information beneficial to small
95	95	and historically underutilized businesses;
96	96	(13) assist small and historically underutilized
97	97	businesses in their dealings with federal, state, and local
98	98	governmental agencies and provide information regarding
99	99	governmental requirements affecting small and historically
100	100	underutilized businesses;
101	101	(14) perform research, studies, and analyses of
102	102	matters affecting the interests of small and historically
103	103	underutilized businesses;
104	104	(15) use available resources within the state, such as
105	105	small business development centers, educational institutions, and
106	106	nonprofit associations, to coordinate the provision of management
107	107	and technical assistance to small and historically underutilized
108	108	businesses in a systematic manner;
109	109	(16) publish newsletters, brochures, and other
110	110	documents containing information useful to small and historically
111	111	underutilized businesses;
112	112	(17) identify successful small and historically
113	113	underutilized business assistance programs provided by other
114	114	states and determine the feasibility of adapting those programs for
115	115	implementation in this state;
116	116	(18) establish an outreach program to make the
117	117	existence of the office known to small and historically
118	118	underutilized businesses and potential clients throughout the
119	119	state;
120	120	(19) enlist the cooperation and assistance of public
121	121	and private agencies, businesses, and other organizations in
122	122	disseminating information about the programs and services provided
123	123	by the state that benefit small businesses and how small businesses
124	124	can participate in or make use of those programs and services;
125	125	(20) defer to the small business compliance assistance
126	126	program as defined by Section 5.135, Water Code, on advocacy and
127	127	technical assistance related to environmental programs that
128	128	regulate small businesses;
129	129	(21) develop a "one-stop" approach for all small
130	130	business needs, including competitive activity with state agencies
131	131	and political subdivisions, using the services of the Prairie View
132	132	A&M Cooperative Extension Program and a limited liability company
133	133	whose primary mission includes training and empowering
134	134	historically underutilized businesses, monitoring state
135	135	procurement expenditures, advising state agencies, and monitoring
136	136	the state's historically underutilized business program; [and]
137	137	(22) promote the establishment of small business
138	138	development centers at accessible locations, including community
139	139	centers, park facilities, and public libraries, in areas of the
140	140	state with the fewest number of certified historically
141	141	underutilized businesses; and
142	142	(23) perform any other functions necessary to carry
143	143	out the purposes of this section.
144	144	SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 2161, Government Code, is
145	145	amended by adding Section 2161.067 to read as follows:
146	146	Sec. 2161.067. PUBLICITY. The comptroller shall publicize,
147	147	including through social media, the certification procedure for
148	148	historically underutilized businesses under this chapter and
149	149	opportunities for historically underutilized businesses to obtain
150	150	assistance and guidance, including through economic opportunity
151	151	forums.
152	152	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect December 1, 2017.