Sec. 1204. DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE
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## SEC. 1204 DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE ###
(a)Amendments to Section 22 Section 22 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649) is amended— ####
(1)by striking subsection
(b)and inserting the following: > > ### “(b) Trade Distribution Network > > The Associate Administrator, working in close cooperation with the Secretary of Commerce, the United States Trade Representative, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of State, the President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the President of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, Director of the United States Trade and Development Agency, and other relevant Federal agencies, small business development centers engaged in export promotion efforts, Export Assistance Centers, regional and district offices of the Administration, the small business community, and relevant State and local export promotion programs, shall— > > > #### “(1) > > maintain a distribution network, using regional and district offices of the Administration, the small business development center network, networks of women’s business centers, the Service Corps of Retired Executives authorized by section 8(b)(1), and Export Assistance Centers, for programs relating to— > > > ##### “(A) > > trade promotion; > > > ##### “(B) > > trade finance; > > > ##### “(C) > > trade adjustment assistance; > > > ##### “(D) > > trade remedy assistance; and > > > ##### “(E) > > trade data collection; > > > #### “(2) > > aggressively market the programs described in paragraph
(1)and disseminate information, including computerized marketing data, to small business concerns on exporting trends, market-specific growth, industry trends, and international prospects for exports; > > > #### “(3) > > promote export assistance programs through the district and regional offices of the Administration, the small business development center network, Export Assistance Centers, the network of women’s business centers, chapters of the Service Corps of Retired Executives, State and local export promotion programs, and partners in the private sector; and > > > #### “(4) > > give preference in hiring or approving the transfer of any employee into the Office or to a position described in subsection (c)(9) to otherwise qualified applicants who are fluent in a language in addition to English, to— > > > ##### “(A) > > accompany small business concerns on foreign trade missions; and > > > ##### “(B) > > translate documents, interpret conversations, and facilitate multilingual transactions, including by providing referral lists for translation services, if required.” > ; ####
(2)in subsection (c)— #####
(A)by striking “
(c)The Office ” and inserting the following: > > ### “(c) Promotion of Sales Opportunities > > The Associate Administrator” > ; #####
(B)by redesignating paragraphs
(1)through
(8)as paragraphs
(2)through (9), respectively; #####
(C)by inserting before paragraph (2), as so redesignated, the following: > > #### “(1) > > establish annual goals for the Office relating to— > > > ##### “(A) > > enhancing the exporting capability of small business concerns and small manufacturers; > > > ##### “(B) > > facilitating technology transfers; > > > ##### “(C) > > enhancing programs and services to assist small business concerns and small manufacturers to compete effectively and efficiently in foreign markets; > > > ##### “(D) > > increasing the ability of small business concerns to access capital; and > > > ##### “(E) > > disseminating information concerning Federal, State, and private programs and initiatives;” > ; #####
(D)in paragraph (2), as so redesignated, by striking “ mechanism for ” and all that follows through “
(D)assisting ” and inserting the following: > “mechanism for— > > > ##### “(A) > > identifying subsectors of the small business community with strong export potential; > > > ##### “(B) > > identifying areas of demand in foreign markets; > > > ##### “(C) > > prescreening foreign buyers for commercial and credit purposes; and > > > ##### “(D) > > assisting” > ; #####
(E)in paragraph (3), as so redesignated, by striking “assist small businesses in the formation and utilization of” and inserting “assist small business concerns in forming and using”; #####
(F)in paragraph (4), as so redesignated— ######
(i)by striking “local” and inserting “district”; ######
(ii)by striking “existing”; ######
(iii)by striking “Small Business Development Center network” and inserting “small business development center network”; and ######
(iv)by striking “Small Business Development Center Program” and inserting “small business development center program”; #####
(G)in paragraph (5), as so redesignated— ######
(i)in subparagraph (A), by striking “Gross State Produce” and inserting “Gross State Product”; ######
(ii)in subparagraph (B), by striking “SIC” each place it appears and inserting “North American Industry Classification System”; and ######
(iii)in subparagraph (C), by striking “small businesses” and inserting “small business concerns”; #####
(H)in paragraph (6), as so redesignated, by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; #####
(I)in paragraph (7), as so redesignated— ######
(i)in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)— ######
(I)by inserting “concerns” after “small business”; and ######
(II)by striking “current” and inserting “up to date”; ######
(ii)in subparagraph (A), by striking “Administration’s regional offices” and inserting “regional and district offices of the Administration”; ######
(iii)in subparagraph
(B)by striking “current”; ######
(iv)in subparagraph (C), by striking “current”; and ######
(v)by striking “small businesses” each place that term appears and inserting “small business concerns”; #####
(J)in paragraph (8), as so redesignated, by striking and at the end; #####
(K)in paragraph (9), as so redesignated— ######
(i)in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)— ######
(I)by striking “full-time export development specialists to each Administration regional office and assigning”; and ######
(II)by striking “person in each district office. Such specialists” and inserting “individual in each district office and providing each Administration regional office with a full-time export development specialist, who”; ######
(ii)in subparagraph (B)— ######
(I)by striking “current”; and ######
(II)by striking “with” and inserting “in”; ######
(iii)in subparagraph (D)— ######
(I)by striking “Administration personnel involved in granting” and inserting “personnel of the Administration involved in making”; and ######
(II)by striking “and” at the end; ######
(iv)in subparagraph (E)— ######
(I)by striking “small businesses’ needs” and inserting “the needs of small business concerns”; and ######
(II)by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; ######
(v)by adding at the end the following: > > ##### “(F) > > participate, jointly with employees of the Office, in an annual training program that focuses on current small business needs for exporting; and > > > ##### “(G) > > develop and conduct training programs for exporters and lenders, in cooperation with the Export Assistance Centers, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Agriculture, small business development centers, women’s business centers, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and other relevant Federal agencies;” > ; and ######
(vi)by striking “small businesses” each place that term appears and inserting “small business concerns”; and #####
(L)by adding at the end the following: > > #### “(10) > > make available on the website of the Administration the name and contact information of each individual described in paragraph (9); > > > #### “(11) > > carry out a nationwide marketing effort using technology, online resources, training, and other strategies to promote exporting as a business development opportunity for small business concerns; > > > #### “(12) > > disseminate information to the small business community through regional and district offices of the Administration, the small business development center network, Export Assistance Centers, the network of women’s business centers, chapters of the Service Corps of Retired Executives authorized by section 8(b)(1), State and local export promotion programs, and partners in the private sector regarding exporting trends, market-specific growth, industry trends, and prospects for exporting; and > > > #### “(13) > > establish and carry out training programs for the staff of the regional and district offices of the Administration and resource partners of the Administration on export promotion and providing assistance relating to exports.” > ; ####
(3)in subsection (d)— #####
(A)by redesignating paragraphs
(1)through
(5)as clauses
(i)through (v), respectively, and adjusting the margins accordingly; #####
(B)by striking “
(d)The Office ” and inserting the following: > > ### “(d) Export Financing Programs > > > #### “(1) In general > > The Associate Administrator” > ; and #####
(C)by striking “ To accomplish this goal, the Office shall work ” and inserting the following: > > #### “(2) Trade finance specialist > > To accomplish the goal established under paragraph (1), the Associate Administrator shall— > > > ##### “(A) > > designate at least 1 individual within the Administration as a trade finance specialist to oversee international loan programs and assist Administration employees with trade finance issues; and > > > ##### “(B) > > work” > ; ####
(4)in subsection (e), by striking “
(e)The Office ” and inserting the following: > > ### “(e) Trade Remedies > > The Associate Administrator” > ; ####
(5)by amending subsection
(f)to read as follows: > > ### “(f) Reporting Requirement > > The Associate Administrator shall submit an annual report to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives that contains— > > > #### “(1) > > a description of the progress of the Office in implementing the requirements of this section; > > > #### “(2) > > a detailed account of the results of export growth activities of the Administration, including the activities of each district and regional office of the Administration, based on the performance measures described in subsection (i); > > > #### “(3) > > an estimate of the total number of jobs created or retained as a result of export assistance provided by the Administration and resource partners of the Administration; > > > #### “(4) > > for any travel by the staff of the Office, the destination of such travel and the benefits to the Administration and to small business concerns resulting from such travel; and > > > #### “(5) > > a description of the participation by the Office in trade negotiations.” > ; ####
(6)in subsection (g), by striking “
(g)The Office ” and inserting the following: > > ### “(g) Studies > > The Associate Administrator” > ; and ####
(7)by adding after subsection (h), as added by section 1203 of this subtitle, the following: > > ### “(i) Export and Trade Counseling > > > #### “(1) Definition > > In this subsection— > > > ##### “(A) > > the term ‘lead small business development center’ means a small business development center that has received a grant from the Administration; and > > > ##### “(B) > > the term ‘lead women’s business center’ means a women’s business center that has received a grant from the Administration. > > > #### “(2) Certification program > > The Administrator shall establish an export and trade counseling certification program to certify employees of lead small business development centers and lead women’s business centers in providing export assistance to small business concerns. > > > #### “(3) Number of certified employees > > The Administrator shall ensure that the number of employees of each lead small business development center who are certified in providing export assistance is not less than the lesser of— > > > ##### “(A) > > 5; or > > > ##### “(B) > > 10 percent of the total number of employees of the lead small business development center. > > > #### “(4) Reimbursement for certification > > > ##### “(A) In general > > Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Administrator shall reimburse a lead small business development center or a lead women’s business center for costs relating to the certification of an employee of the lead small business center or lead women’s business center in providing export assistance under the program established under paragraph (2). > > > ##### “(B) Limitation > > The total amount reimbursed by the Administrator under subparagraph
(A)may not exceed $350,000 in any fiscal year. > > > ### “(j) Performance Measures > > > #### “(1) In general > > The Associate Administrator shall develop performance measures for the Administration to support export growth goals for the activities of the Office under this section that include— > > > ##### “(A) > > the number of small business concerns that— > > > ###### “(i) > > receive assistance from the Administration; > > > ###### “(ii) > > had not exported goods or services before receiving the assistance described in clause (i); and > > > ###### “(iii) > > export goods or services; > > > ##### “(B) > > the number of small business concerns receiving assistance from the Administration that export goods or services to a market outside the United States into which the small business concern did not export before receiving the assistance; > > > ##### “(C) > > export revenues by small business concerns assisted by programs of the Administration; > > > ##### “(D) > > the number of small business concerns referred to an Export Assistance Center or a small business development center by the staff of the Office; > > > ##### “(E) > > the number of small business concerns referred to the Administration by an Export Assistance Center or a small business development center; and > > > ##### “(F) > > the number of small business concerns referred to the Department of Commerce, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of State, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, or the United States Trade and Development Agency by the staff of the Office, an Export Assistance Center, or a small business development center. > > > #### “(2) Joint performance measures > > The Associate Administrator shall develop joint performance measures for the district offices of the Administration and the Export Assistance Centers that include the number of export loans made under— > > > ##### “(A) > > section 7(a)(16); > > > ##### “(B) > > the Export Working Capital Program established under section 7(a)(14); > > > ##### “(C) > > the Preferred Lenders Program, as defined in section 7(a)(2)(C)(ii); and > > > ##### “(D) > > the export express program established under section 7(a)(34). > > > #### “(3) Consistency of tracking > > The Associate Administrator, in coordination with the departments and agencies that are represented on the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee established under section 2312 of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4727) and the small business development center network, shall develop a system to track exports by small business concerns, including information relating to the performance measures developed under paragraph (1), that is consistent with systems used by the departments and agencies and the network.” > . ###
(b)Report Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit a report to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives on any travel by the staff of the Office of International Trade of the Administration, during the period beginning on October 1, 2004, and ending on the date of enactment of the Act, including the destination of such travel and the benefits to the Administration and to small business concerns resulting from such travel.
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