By Garcia H.B. No. 2022
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the appointment of a small business advocate to head
1-3 the Office of Small Business Assistance.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Sections 481.0068(a), (b), and (e), Government
1-6 Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-7 (a) The Office of Small Business Assistance is an office
1-8 within the department and shall be headed by a small business
1-9 advocate appointed by the governor [director]. To be eligible to
1-10 serve as the small business advocate, a person must have
1-11 demonstrated a strong commitment to and involvement in small
1-12 business efforts. The small business advocate serves at the will
1-13 of the governor.
1-14 (b) The Office of Small Business Assistance shall:
1-15 (1) examine the role of small and historically
1-16 underutilized businesses in the state's economy and the
1-17 contribution of small and historically underutilized businesses in
1-18 generating economic activity, expanding employment opportunities,
1-19 promoting exports, stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship, and
1-20 bringing new and untested products and services to the marketplace;
1-21 (2) serve as the principal focal point in the state
1-22 for small and historically underutilized businesses by:
1-23 (A) providing to the legislature information on
1-24 the effects of proposed policies or actions;
2-1 (B) assisting state agencies in determining the
2-2 impact proposed rules have on small businesses as required by
2-3 Section 2006.002; and
2-4 (C) assisting the agencies in reducing the
2-5 adverse effect that rules have on small businesses, if appropriate;
2-6 (3) evaluate the effectiveness of efforts of state
2-7 agencies and other entities to assist small and historically
2-8 underutilized businesses and make appropriate recommendations to
2-9 the legislature and state agencies to assist the development and
2-10 strengthening of small and historically underutilized businesses;
2-11 (4) identify regulations that inhibit small and
2-12 historically underutilized business development and to the extent
2-13 possible identify conflicting state policy goals;
2-14 (5) determine the availability of financial and other
2-15 resources to small and historically underutilized businesses and
2-16 recommend methods for:
2-17 (A) increasing the availability of equity
2-18 capital and other forms of financial assistance to small and
2-19 historically underutilized businesses;
2-20 (B) generating markets for the goods and
2-21 services of small and historically underutilized businesses;
2-22 (C) providing more effective education,
2-23 training, and management and technical assistance to small and
2-24 historically underutilized businesses; and
2-25 (D) providing assistance to small and
2-26 historically underutilized businesses in complying with federal,
2-27 state, and local laws;
3-1 (6) identify the reasons for small and historically
3-2 underutilized business successes and failures, ascertain the
3-3 related factors that are particularly important in this state, and
3-4 recommend actions for increasing the success rate of small and
3-5 historically underutilized businesses;
3-6 (7) serve as a focal point for receiving comments and
3-7 suggestions concerning state government policies and activities
3-8 that affect small and historically underutilized businesses;
3-9 (8) develop and suggest proposals for changes in state
3-10 policies and activities that adversely affect small and
3-11 historically underutilized businesses;
3-12 (9) provide to state agencies information on the
3-13 effects of proposed policies or actions that affect small and
3-14 historically underutilized businesses;
3-15 (10) provide information and assistance relating to
3-16 establishing, operating, or expanding small and historically
3-17 underutilized businesses;
3-18 (11) assist small and historically underutilized
3-19 businesses by:
3-20 (A) identifying:
3-21 (i) sources of financial assistance for
3-22 those businesses; and
3-23 (ii) financial barriers to those
3-24 businesses;
3-25 (B) working with relevant organizations to
3-26 identify financing programs that aid small businesses in overcoming
3-27 financial barriers;
4-1 (C) matching those businesses with sources of
4-2 financial assistance and credit enhancement; and
4-3 (D) assisting those businesses with the
4-4 preparation of applications for government loans, loan guarantees,
4-5 and credit enhancement programs;
4-6 (12) sponsor meetings, to the extent practicable in
4-7 cooperation with public and private educational institutions, to
4-8 provide training and disseminate information beneficial to small
4-9 and historically underutilized businesses;
4-10 (13) assist small and historically underutilized
4-11 businesses in their dealings with federal, state, and local
4-12 governmental agencies and provide information regarding
4-13 governmental requirements affecting small and historically
4-14 underutilized businesses;
4-15 (14) perform research, studies, and analyses of
4-16 matters affecting the interests of small and historically
4-17 underutilized businesses;
4-18 (15) use available resources within the state, such as
4-19 small business development centers, educational institutions, and
4-20 nonprofit associations, to coordinate the provision of management
4-21 and technical assistance to small and historically underutilized
4-22 businesses in a systematic manner;
4-23 (16) publish newsletters, brochures, and other
4-24 documents containing information useful to small and historically
4-25 underutilized businesses;
4-26 (17) identify successful small and historically
4-27 underutilized business assistance programs provided by other states
5-1 and determine the feasibility of adapting those programs for
5-2 implementation in this state;
5-3 (18) establish an outreach program to make the
5-4 existence of the office known to small and historically
5-5 underutilized businesses and potential clients throughout the
5-6 state;
5-7 (19) enlist the cooperation and assistance of public
5-8 and private agencies, businesses, and other organizations in
5-9 disseminating information about the programs and services provided
5-10 by the state that benefit small businesses and how small businesses
5-11 can participate in or make use of those programs and services;
5-12 (20) defer to the small business stationary source
5-13 assistance program as defined by Section 382.0365, Health and
5-14 Safety Code, on advocacy and technical assistance related to
5-15 environmental programs that regulate small businesses; [and]
5-16 (21) develop a "one-stop" approach for all small
5-17 business needs, including competitive activity with state agencies
5-18 and political subdivisions; and
5-19 (22) perform any other functions necessary to carry
5-20 out the purposes of this section.
5-21 (e) Not later than September 1 of each even-numbered year,
5-22 the department shall submit to the governor, governing board, and
5-23 the legislature a report containing specific information regarding
5-24 each of the functions performed by the Office of Small Business
5-25 Assistance, including recommendations regarding issues that affect
5-26 small businesses of the state.
5-27 SECTION 2. As soon as possible after the effective date of
6-1 this Act, the governor shall appoint a small business advocate as
6-2 required by Section 481.0068, Government Code, as amended by this
6-3 Act.
6-4 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
6-5 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
6-6 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
6-7 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
6-8 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
6-9 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.