Text of Senate Amendment 6169

On 2026-06-24, Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 6169" in the Senate.

Text of Senate Amendment 6169

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S3357-S3358] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6169. Mrs. SHAHEEN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the appropriate place, insert the following: SEC. __. STATE TRADE EXPANSION PROGRAM. (a) Application Requirements.--Section 22(l)(3) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649(l)(3)) is amended-- (1) in subparagraph (D)-- (A) in clause (i), by inserting ``, including a budget plan for use of funds awarded under this subsection'' before the period at the end; and (B) by adding at the end the following: ``(iii) Timing.--The Associate Administrator shall-- ``(I) publish information on how to apply for a grant under this subsection, including specific calculations and other determinations used to award such a grant, not later than March 31 of each year; ``(II) establish a deadline for the submission of applications that is-- ``(aa) not earlier than 60 days after the date on which the information is published under subclause (I); and ``(bb) not later than-- ``(AA) May 31 of each year; or ``(BB) in the event that full-year appropriations for the program for a fiscal year have not been enacted as of February 1 of such fiscal year, 120 days after full-year appropriations are enacted; and ``(III) announce grant recipients not later than-- ``(aa) September 30 of each year; or ``(bb) in the event that full-year appropriations for the program for a fiscal year have not been enacted as of February 1 of such fiscal year, 210 days after full-year appropriations are enacted. ``(iv) Application streamlining.--The Associate Administrator shall establish a concise application for grants under the program that shall-- ``(I) encompass all necessary information; and ``(II) to the extent feasible, use forms common to other Federal trade programs and reduce unnecessary or duplicative materials.''; and (2) by adding at the end the following: ``(E) Application information.--The Associate Administrator shall clearly communicate to applicants and grant recipients any information about the State Trade Expansion Program, including-- ``(i) for each unsuccessful applicant for a grant awarded under this subsection, recommendations to improve a subsequent application for such a grant; ``(ii) for each successful applicant for such a grant, an explanation for the amount awarded, if significantly different from the amount requested in the application; and ``(iii) a website, which shall be maintained and linked to from the primary website for the program, that includes the most up-to-date information about program requirements, eligible expenditures, and procedures. ``(F) Budget plan revisions.-- ``(i) In general.--A State receiving a grant under this subsection may revise the budget plan of the State submitted under subparagraph (D) after the disbursal of grant funds if-- ``(I) the revision complies with allowable uses of grant funds under this subsection; and ``(II) such State submits notification of the revision to the Associate Administrator. ``(ii) Exception.--If a revision under clause (i) reallocates 10 percent or more of the amounts described in the budget plan of the State submitted under subparagraph (D), the State may not implement the revised budget plan without the approval of the Associate Administrator, unless the Associate Administrator fails to approve or deny the revised plan within 30 calendar days after receipt of such revised plan.''. (b) Survey.--Section 22(l) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649(l)) is amended-- (1) by redesignating paragraphs (7) through (9) as paragraphs (8) through (10), respectively; and (2) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following: ``(7) Survey.--The Associate Administrator shall conduct an annual survey of each State that received a grant under this subsection during the preceding year to solicit feedback on the program and develop best practices for grantees.''. (c) Reports.--Paragraph (8) of section 22(l) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649(l)), as so redesignated by subsection (b), is amended-- (1) in subparagraph (B)-- (A) in clause (i)-- (i) in subclause (I), by inserting ``, as well as the timing of applications and award announcements'' before the semicolon at the end; (ii) in subclause (III), by inserting ``, including the total number of eligible small business concerns assisted by the program (disaggregated by socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by women, and rural small business concerns)'' before the semicolon at the end; (iii) in subclause (IV), by striking ``and'' at the end; [[Page S3358]] (iv) in subclause (V)-- (I) by striking ``description of best practices'' and inserting ``detailed description of best practices''; and (II) by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and (v) by adding at the end the following: ``(VI) an analysis of the performance metrics described in clause (iii), including a determination of whether or not any goals relating to such performance metrics were met, and an analysis of the survey described in paragraph (7); and ``(VII) a description of lessons learned by grant recipients under this subsection that may apply to other assistance provided by the Administration.''; and (B) by adding at the end the following: ``(iii) Performance metrics.--Annually, the Associate Administrator shall collect data on eligible small business concerns assisted by the program for the following performance metrics: ``(I) Total number of such concerns, disaggregated by socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by women, and rural small business concerns. ``(II) Total dollar amount of export sales by eligible small business concerns assisted by the program. ``(III) Number of such concerns that have not previously participated in an activity described in paragraph (2). ``(IV) Number of such concerns that, because of participation in the program, have accessed a new market. ``(V) Number of such concerns that, because of participation in the program, have created new jobs. ``(VI) Number of such concerns participating in foreign trade missions or trade show exhibitions, disaggregated by socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by women, and rural small business concerns.''; and (2) by adding at the end the following: ``(C) Reporting by recipients; processing of reimbursements.-- ``(i) In general.--The Associate Administrator shall establish for recipients of grants under the program a reporting process, template, or spreadsheet format to report information regarding the program that reduces duplicative or unnecessary reporting requirements, except as needed to report congressionally required key performance indicators, make funding decisions, or conduct necessary oversight of the program. ``(ii) Processing of reimbursement requests.--The Associate Administrator shall-- ``(I) process information submitted by a State, territory, or commonwealth for purposes of obtaining reimbursement for eligible activities in a timely manner; ``(II) notify a State, territory, or commonwealth if such information is not processed on or before the date that is 21 days after the date such information is submitted; and ``(III) provide an estimated completion timeline with any notification under subclause (II) ``(D) Monthly obligations.--Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this subparagraph, and every month thereafter, the Administration shall submit to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a monthly obligations report that includes information on obligations of funding under the program, which shall include-- ``(i) the Treasury Account Symbols; ``(ii) the period of availability; ``(iii) the unobligated balance for the program at the beginning of the month; ``(iv) monthly realized recoveries or recaptures; ``(v) monthly obligations; ``(vi) a comparison of the obligations incurred in the period covered by the report to the obligations incurred in the same period in the 2 prior fiscal years; and ``(vii) the resulting unobligated balances at the end of the month.''. (d) Expansion of Definition of Eligible Small Business Concern.-- (1) In general.--Section 22(l)(1)(A) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649(l)(1)(A)) is amended-- (A) in clause (iii)(II), by adding ``and'' at the end; (B) by striking clause (iv); and (C) by redesignating clause (v) as clause (iv). (2) Limitation on use of funds for participation in foreign trade missions.--Section 22(l)(2)(A) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649(l)(2)(A)) is amended by inserting ``by eligible small business concerns that have been in operation for not less than 1 year'' after ``trade missions''. (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--Paragraph (10) of section 22(l) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 649(l)), as so redesignated by subsection (b), is amended by striking ``fiscal years 2016 through 2020'' and inserting ``fiscal years 2027 through 2031''. (f) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Associate Administrator for International Trade of the Small Business Administration shall submit to Congress a report on