Sec. 2. SCORE Program provisions and requirements
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Section 8 of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 637 ) is amended— in subsection (b)(1)(B)— by striking a Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) and inserting the SCORE program described in subsection
(c); and by striking SCORE may and inserting the SCORE Association (as defined in subsection (c)) may ; and by striking subsection
(c)and inserting the following: In this subsection: The term SCORE Association means the Service Corps of Retired Executives Association or any successor or other organization that enters into a cooperative agreement (as described under paragraph (2)) with the Administrator to operate the SCORE program. The term SCORE Foundation means an organization with a mission to support the SCORE Association and volunteers of the SCORE program. The term SCORE program means the SCORE program authorized by subsection (b)(1)(B). The Administrator shall enter into a cooperative agreement with the SCORE Association to carry out the SCORE program, which shall include the following requirements: The Administrator shall— conduct an annual financial examination of the SCORE Association to ensure that any costs paid for with Federal funds are allowable, allocable, and reasonable; for contracts entered into by the SCORE Association to provide goods or services for the SCORE program of a value greater than an amount determined by the Administrator, review and approve such contracts; establish a system through which the SCORE Association can provide documentation relating to such contracts; and within 30 days of the receipt of a quarterly report on the achievements of the SCORE program submitted by the SCORE Association, reconcile and differences between such report and the performance results of the SCORE program reported in a management information system of the Office of Entrepreneurial Development. The SCORE Association shall— manage nationwide chapters of the SCORE program; develop guidance and provide annual training to employees of the SCORE Association on generating and using program income from the SCORE program; submit documentation to the Administrator verifying such annual training is completed; separate funds donated to the SCORE Association from program income and funds received pursuant to a cooperative agreement; and establish requirements for volunteers participating in the SCORE program, including requirements that each such volunteer shall— based on the business experience and knowledge of the volunteer— provide personal counseling, mentoring, and coaching on the process of starting, expanding, managing, buying, and selling a business at no cost to individuals who own, or aspire to own, small business concerns; and facilitate free or low-cost education workshops for individuals who own, or aspire to own, small business concerns; and as appropriate, use tools, resources, and expertise of other organizations to carry out the SCORE program. The Administrator, in consultation with the SCORE Association, shall ensure that the SCORE program and each chapter of the SCORE program— develop and implement plans and goals to more effectively and efficiently provide services to individuals in rural areas, economically disadvantaged communities, or other traditionally underserved communities, including plans for electronic initiatives, web-based initiatives, chapter expansion, partnerships, and the development of new skills by volunteers participating in the SCORE program; and reinforce an inclusive culture by recruiting diverse volunteers for the chapters of the SCORE program. In carrying out this subsection, the SCORE Association shall make use of online counseling, including by developing and implementing webinars and an electronic mentoring platform to expand access to services provided under this subsection and to further support entrepreneurs. Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the SCORE Association shall— centralize all accounting and finance systems of each chapter of the SCORE program and develop a uniform policy and procedures to manage Federal funds; and designate an employee of the SCORE Association to serve as a compliance officer to ensure expenditures of the SCORE program are fully compliant with any law, regulation, or cooperative agreement relating to the SCORE program. The salary of an employee of the SCORE Association may not exceed the equivalent of the maximum rate of pay allowable for an individual in the career Senior Executive Service employed at the Small Business Administration. The SCORE Association may spend up to 1.5 percent of the aggregate salaries of employees of the SCORE Association on individual performance awards to employees of the SCORE Association, to be disbursed before the last day of the fiscal year, if not later than 60 days before disbursement the SCORE Association submits to the Administrator a report on the number and amount of such awards to be disbursed. A member of the Board of Directors of the SCORE Association or an employee of the SCORE Association may not simultaneously serve on the Board of Directors of, or receive compensation from, the SCORE Foundation without written approval from the Administrator. The SCORE Association shall— annually update all manuals or other documents applicable to employees and volunteers of the SCORE Association or the SCORE program to include requirements relating to reporting procedures and protectors for whistleblowers; and conduct an annual training for employees and volunteers of the SCORE Association or the SCORE program on the requirements described in paragraph
(1)and emphasize the use of the hotline established by the Office of the Inspector General of the Small Business Administration to submit whistleblower reports. The SCORE Association shall ensure all published materials include written acknowledgment of Small Business Administration support of the SCORE program if such materials are paid for in whole or in part by Federal funds. Neither the Administrator nor the SCORE Association may disclose the name, address, or telephone number of any individual or small business concern receiving assistance from the SCORE Association without the consent of such individual or small business concern, unless— the Administrator is ordered to make such a disclosure by a court in any civil or criminal enforcement action initiated by a Federal or State agency; or the Administrator determines such a disclosure to be necessary for the purpose of conducting a financial audit of the SCORE program, in which case disclosure shall be limited to the information necessary for the audit. This paragraph shall not— restrict the access of the Administrator to SCORE program activity data; or prevent the Administrator from using SCORE program client information to conduct client surveys. The Administrator shall, after the opportunity for notice and comment, establish standards for— disclosures with respect to financial audits under subparagraph (A)(ii); and conducting client surveys, including standards for oversight of the surveys and for dissemination and use of client information. The standards issued under this subparagraph shall, to the extent practicable, provide for the maximum amount of privacy protection. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection and annually thereafter, 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 on the performance and effectiveness of the SCORE program, which may be included as part of another report submitted to such Committees by the Administrator, and which shall include— the number of individuals counseled or trained under the SCORE program; the number of hours of counseling provided under the SCORE program; the number of local workshops; the number of clients attending online and local workshops; the number of unique clients served; to the extent practicable, the demographics of SCORE program participants and volunteers, which shall include the gender, race, and age of each such participant or volunteer; the cost to create a job, the cost to create a business, and return on investment; the number of referrals to other resources and programs of the Administration; the number of participants in the SCORE program receiving financial assistance, including the type and dollar amount, under loan programs of the Administration; the results of SCORE program participant satisfactory surveys, including a summary of any comments received from such participants; the number of new businesses started up by SCORE program participants; the number of such new businesses realizing revenue growth; to the extent practicable, the number of jobs created with assistance from the SCORE program; the total cost of the SCORE program; any recommendations of the Administrator to improve the SCORE program; and an explanation of how the SCORE program has been integrated with other resource partners and related resources of the Administration. .
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Sec. 2
SCORE Program provisions and requirements
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