Advanced search    Help

Clear all search criteria

Only 2/3! You are seeing results from the Public Collection, not the complete Full Collection. Sign in to search everything (see eligibility).

• Small Business Management and Technical Assistance Training Programs [October 13, 2015]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Small Business Administration (SBA) has provided technical and managerial assistance to small businesses since it began operations in 1953. Initially, the SBA provided its own small business management and technical assistance training programs. Over time, the SBA has relied increasingly on third parties to provide that training. Congressional interest in the SBA's management and technical assistance training programs has increased in recent years, primarily because these programs are viewed as a means to assist small businesses create and retain jobs. [...] This report examines the historical development of federal small business management and technical assistance training programs; describes their current structures, operations, and budgets; and assesses their administration and oversight and the measures used to determine their effectiveness."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2015-10-13
• Small Business Administration 504/CDC Loan Guaranty Program [November 12, 2015]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Small Business Administration (SBA) administers programs to support small businesses, including several loan guaranty programs designed to encourage lenders to provide loans to small businesses 'that might not otherwise obtain financing on reasonable terms and conditions.' [...] This report opens with a discussion of the rationale provided for the 504/CDC [Certified Development Company] program. It then examines the program's borrower and lender eligibility standards, program requirements, and program statistics, including loan volume, loss rates, use of proceeds, borrower satisfaction, and borrower demographics."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2015-11-12
• Federalism Issues in Surface Transportation Policy: A Historical Perspective [December 8, 2015]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "P.L. 114-94, the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, was signed by President Obama on December 4, 2015. The act reauthorizes federal highway and mass transit programs through the end of FY2020. It also authorizes to be appropriated about $305 billion for these programs, an increase of about 4.2% over current funding levels plus projected inflation for highway programs and 7.9% over current funding levels plus projected inflation for public transportation programs. […] This report provides a historical perspective on contemporary federalism issues in surface transportation policy since the beginning of the nation. It includes a discussion of the five multi-year reauthorizations of the Federal-Highway Act since 1987: 1. the $151 billion, six-year Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA; P.L. 102-240) signed by President George H. W. Bush on December 18, 1991. 2. the $203.4 billion, six-year Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21; P.L. 105-178) signed by President Bill Clinton on June 9, 1998. 3. the $286 billion, six-year Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA; P.L. 109-59) signed by President George W. Bush on August 10, 2005. 4. the $118 billion ($105.2 billion for FY2013 and FY2014), 27-month, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21; P.L. 112-141) signed by President Barack Obama on July 6, 2012. 5. the $305 billion, five-year Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST; P.L. 114-94), signed by President Barack Obama on December 4, 2015."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2015-12-08
• Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues [January 13, 2016]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) culminated years of effort by state and local government officials and business interests to control, if not eliminate, the imposition of unfunded intergovernmental and private-sector federal mandates. Advocates argued the statute was needed to forestall federal legislation and regulations that imposed obligations on state and local governments or businesses that resulted in higher costs and inefficiencies. Opponents argued that federal mandates may be necessary to achieve national objectives in areas where voluntary action by state and local governments and business failed to achieve desired results. [...] This report examines debates over what constitutes an unfunded federal mandate and UMRA's implementation. It focuses on UMRA's requirement that CBO [Congressional Budget Office] issue written cost estimate statements for federal mandates in legislation, its procedures for raising points of order in the House and Senate concerning unfunded federal mandates in legislation, and its requirement that federal agencies prepare written cost estimate statements for federal mandates in rules."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-; Beth, Richard S.

  2016-01-13
• Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues [March 2, 2016]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) culminated years of effort by state and local government officials and business interests to control, if not eliminate, the imposition of unfunded intergovernmental and private-sector federal mandates. Advocates argued the statute was needed to forestall federal legislation and regulations that imposed obligations on state and local governments or businesses that resulted in higher costs and inefficiencies. Opponents argued that federal mandates may be necessary to achieve national objectives in areas where voluntary action by state and local governments and business failed to achieve desired results. UMRA provides a framework for the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to estimate the direct costs of mandates in legislative proposals to state and local governments and to the private sector, and for issuing agencies to estimate the direct costs of mandates in proposed regulations to regulated entities. Aside from these informational requirements, UMRA controls the imposition of mandates only through a procedural mechanism allowing Congress to decline to consider unfunded intergovernmental mandates in proposed legislation if they are estimated to cost more than specified threshold amounts. UMRA applies to any provision in legislation, statute, or regulation that would impose an enforceable duty upon state and local governments or the private sector. It does not apply to conditions of federal assistance; duties stemming from participation in voluntary federal programs; rules issued by independent regulatory agencies; rules issued without a general notice of proposed rulemaking; and rules and legislative provisions that cover individual constitutional rights, discrimination, emergency assistance, grant accounting and auditing procedures, national security, treaty obligations, and certain elements of Social Security."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-; Beth, Richard S.

  2016-03-02
• SBA New Markets Venture Capital Program [February 1, 2016]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  From the report summary: "This report examines the NMVC [New Markets Venture Capital] program's legislative origins and describes the program's eligibility and performance requirements for NMVC companies, eligibility requirements for small businesses seeking financing, and definition of low-income areas. It also reviews regulations governing the SBA's [Small Business Association] financial assistance to NMVC companies and provides program statistics. The report concludes with an examination of (1) efforts to eliminate the program based on concerns that it duplicates other SBA programs and is relatively expensive, (2) the rescission of the program's unobligated funding in 2003, and (3) congressional efforts to provide the program additional funds."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2016-02-01
• Small Business Size Standards: A Historical Analysis of Contemporary Issues [January 27, 2016]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "Small business size standards are of congressional interest because the standards determine eligibility for receiving Small Business Administration (SBA) assistance as well as federal contracting and tax preferences. Although there is bipartisan agreement that the nation's small businesses play an important role in the American economy, there are differences of opinion concerning how to define them. The Small Business Act of 1953 (P.L. 83-163, as amended) authorized the SBA to establish size standards for determining eligibility for federal small business assistance. The SBA currently uses two types of size standards to determine SBA program eligibility: industry-specific size standards and alternative size standards based on the applicant's maximum tangible net worth and average net income after federal taxes. The SBA's industry-specific size standards determine program eligibility for firms in 1,047 industrial classifications in 18 sub-industry activities described in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The size standards are based on one of four measures: (1) number of employees, (2) average annual receipts in the previous three years, (3) average asset size as reported in the firm's four quarterly financial statements for the preceding year, or (4) a combination of number of employees and barrel per day refining capacity. Overall, the SBA currently classifies about 97% of all employer firms as small. These firms represent about 30% of industry receipts."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2016-01-27
• European Union's Small Business Act: A Different Approach [September 1, 2016]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  From the Document: "The Small Business Act for Europe (2008) is not an act, per se, as understood in the United States. It is a European Commission initiative, endorsed by the Council of the European Union, that provides 10 'guiding principles' to promote the growth of small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe (e.g., 'Create an environment in which entrepreneurs and family businesses can thrive and entrepreneurship is rewarded,' 'Design rules according to the 'Think Small First' principle,' and 'Facilitate SMEs' access to finance and develop a legal and business environment supportive to timely payments in commercial transactions.') The European Commission was very aware of the United States' Small Business Act, the various programs offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the SBA's definitions used to determine small business eligibility for assistance as it crafted its Small Business Act for Europe and designed its small business programs and size standard. It also examined small business policy in other nations, including Japan and China. In some instances, the European Commission enacted policies that are relatively similar to those found in the United States (e.g., both have programs designed to reduce small business regulatory burdens and enhance their access to capital). In others, the European Commission went in a different direction (e.g., size standards)."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2016-09-01
• Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues [September 8, 2016]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) culminated years of effort by state and local government officials and business interests to control, if not eliminate, the imposition of unfunded intergovernmental and private-sector federal mandates. Advocates argued the statute was needed to forestall federal legislation and regulations that imposed obligations on state and local governments or businesses that resulted in higher costs and inefficiencies. Opponents argued that federal mandates may be necessary to achieve national objectives in areas where voluntary action by state and local governments and business failed to achieve desired results. UMRA provides a framework for the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to estimate the direct costs of mandates in legislative proposals to state and local governments and to the private sector, and for issuing agencies to estimate the direct costs of mandates in proposed regulations to regulated entities. [...] This report examines debates over what constitutes an unfunded federal mandate and UMRA's implementation. It focuses on UMRA's requirement that CBO issue written cost estimate statements for federal mandates in legislation, its procedures for raising points of order in the House and Senate concerning unfunded federal mandates in legislation, and its requirement that federal agencies prepare written cost estimate statements for federal mandates in rules. It also assesses UMRA's impact on federal mandates and arguments concerning UMRA's future, focusing on UMRA's definitions, exclusions, and exceptions that currently exempt many federal actions with potentially significant financial impacts on nonfederal entities."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-; Beth, Richard S.

  2016-09-08
• Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues [October 27, 2016]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) culminated years of effort by state and local government officials and business interests to control, if not eliminate, the imposition of unfunded intergovernmental and private-sector federal mandates. Advocates argued the statute was needed to forestall federal legislation and regulations that imposed obligations on state and local governments or businesses that resulted in higher costs and inefficiencies. Opponents argued that federal mandates may be necessary to achieve national objectives in areas where voluntary action by state and local governments and business failed to achieve desired results. [...] This report examines debates over what constitutes an unfunded federal mandate and UMRA's implementation. It focuses on UMRA's requirement that CBO [Congressional Budget Office] issue written cost estimate statements for federal mandates in legislation, its procedures for raising points of order in the House and Senate concerning unfunded federal mandates in legislation, and its requirement that federal agencies prepare written cost estimate statements for federal mandates in rules. It also assesses UMRA's impact on federal mandates and arguments concerning UMRA's future, focusing on UMRA's definitions, exclusions, and exceptions that currently exempt many federal actions with potentially significant financial impacts on nonfederal entities. An examination of the rise of unfunded federal mandates as a national issue and a summary of UMRA's legislative history are provided in Appendix A. Citations to UMRA points of order raised in the House and Senate are provided in Appendix B."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-; Beth, Richard S.

  2016-10-27
• Block Grants: Perspectives and Controversies [January 16, 2014]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "Block grants are a form of grant-in-aid that the federal government uses to provide state and local governments a specified amount of funding to assist them in addressing broad purposes, such as community development, social services, public health, or law enforcement. Block grant advocates argue that block grants increase government efficiency and program effectiveness by redistributing power and accountability through decentralization and partial devolution of decision-making authority from the federal government to state and local governments. Advocates also view them as a means to reduce the federal deficit. For example, Representative Paul Ryan, chair of the House Committee on the Budget, has recommended that the federal share of Medicaid be converted into a block grant 'tailored to meet each state's needs' as a means to improve 'the health-care safety net for low-income Americans' and to 'save $810 billion over 10 years.' […] This report provides an overview of the six grant types, provides criteria for defining a block grant and uses those criteria to provide a list of current block grants, examines competing perspectives concerning the use of block grants versus other grant mechanisms to achieve national goals, provides an historical overview of the role of block grants in American federalism, and examines recent changes to existing block grants and proposals to create new ones."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-; Boyd, Eugene

  2014-01-16
• Small Business Administration Microloan Program [March 20, 2015]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Small Business Administration's (SBA's) Microloan program provides direct loans to qualified nonprofit intermediary lenders who, in turn, provide 'microloans' of up to $50,000 to small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit child care centers. It also provides marketing, management, and technical assistance to microloan borrowers and potential borrowers. The program was authorized in 1991 as a five-year demonstration project and became operational in 1992. It was made permanent, subject to reauthorization, in 1997. […] Congressional interest in the Microloan program has increased in recent years, primarily because microloans are viewed as a means to assist very small businesses, especially women- and minority-owned startups, to get loans that enable them to create and retain jobs. Job creation, always a congressional interest, has taken on increased importance given continuing concerns about job growth during the current economic recovery. This report opens with a discussion of the rationale provided for having a Microloan program, describes the program's eligibility standards and operating requirements for lenders and borrowers, and examines the arguments presented by the program's critics and advocates. It then discusses P.L. 111-240, the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, which increased the Microloan program's loan limit for borrowers from $35,000 to $50,000, and the aggregate loan limit for intermediaries after their first year of participation in the program from $3.5 million to $5 million. The act also authorized the SBA to waive, in whole or in part through FY2012, the nonfederal share requirement for loans to the Microloan program's intermediaries and for grants made to Microloan intermediaries for small business marketing, management, and technical assistance for up to a fiscal year."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2015-03-20
• Federal Grants to State and Local Governments: A Historical Perspective on Contemporary Issues [March 5, 2015]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The federal government is expected to provide state and local governments more than $628 billion in federal grants in FY2015, funding a wide range of public policies, such as health care, transportation, income security, education, job training, social services, community development, and environmental protection. Federal grants account for about one-third of total state government funding, and more than half of state government funding for health care and public assistance. Congressional interest in federal grants to state and local governments has always been high given the central role Congress has in determining the scope and nature of the federal grant-in-aid system, the amount of funding involved, and disagreements over the appropriate role of the federal government in domestic policy generally and in its relationship with state and local governments."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2015-03-05
• Small Business Management and Technical Assistance Training Programs [February 24, 2015]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Small Business Administration (SBA) has provided technical and managerial assistance to small businesses since it began operations in 1953. Initially, the SBA provided its own small business management and technical assistance training programs. Over time, the SBA has relied increasingly on third parties to provide that training. Congressional interest in the SBA's management and technical assistance training programs has increased in recent years, primarily because these programs are viewed as a means to assist small businesses create and retain jobs. The SBA will spend $198.6 million on these programs in FY2015. These programs fund about '14,000 resource partners,' including 63 lead small business development centers (SBDCs) and more than 900 SBDC local outreach locations, 106 women's business centers (WBCs), and 320 chapters of the mentoring program, SCORE [Service Corps of Retired Executives]. The SBA reports that more than 1 million aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners receive training from an SBA-supported resource partner each year. The SBA argues that these programs contribute 'to the long-term success of these businesses and their ability to grow and create jobs.' The Department of Commerce also provides management and technical assistance training for small businesses. For example, its Minority Business Development Agency provides training to minority business owners to assist them in obtaining contracts and financial awards."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2015-02-24
• Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues [January 5, 2015]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) culminated years of effort by state and local government officials and business interests to control, if not eliminate, the imposition of unfunded intergovernmental and private-sector federal mandates. Advocates argued the statute was needed to forestall federal legislation and regulations that imposed obligations on state and local governments or businesses that resulted in higher costs and inefficiencies. Opponents argued that federal mandates may be necessary to achieve national objectives in areas where voluntary action by state and local governments and business failed to achieve desired results. UMRA provides a framework for the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to estimate the direct costs of mandates in legislative proposals to state and local governments and to the private sector, and for issuing agencies to estimate the direct costs of mandates in proposed regulations to regulated entities. Aside from these informational requirements, UMRA controls the imposition of mandates only through a procedural mechanism allowing Congress to decline to consider unfunded intergovernmental mandates in proposed legislation if they are estimated to cost more than specified threshold amounts. UMRA applies to any provision in legislation, statute, or regulation that would impose an enforceable duty upon state and local governments or the private sector. It does not apply to conditions of federal assistance; duties stemming from participation in voluntary federal programs; rules issued by independent regulatory agencies; rules issued without a general notice of proposed rulemaking; and rules and legislative provisions that cover individual constitutional rights, discrimination, emergency assistance, grant accounting and auditing procedures, national security, treaty obligations, and certain elements of Social Security."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-; Beth, Richard S.

  2015-01-05
• Small Business Size Standards: A Historical Analysis of Contemporary Issues [January 3, 2014]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "Small business size standards are of congressional interest because the standards determine eligibility for receiving Small Business Administration (SBA) assistance as well as federal contracting and tax preferences. Although there is bipartisan agreement that the nation's small businesses play an important role in the American economy, there are differences of opinion concerning how to define them. The Small Business Act of 1953 (P.L. 83-163, as amended) authorized the SBA to establish size standards for determining eligibility for federal small business assistance. The SBA currently uses two types of size standards to determine SBA program eligibility: industry-specific size standards and alternative size standards based on the applicant's maximum tangible net worth and average net income after federal taxes. The SBA's industry-specific size standards determine program eligibility for firms in 1,047 industrial classifications in 18 sub-industry activities described in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The size standards are based on one of the following four measures: number of employees, average annual receipts in the previous three years, average asset size as reported in the firm's four quarterly financial statements for the preceding year, or a combination of number of employees and barrel per day refining capacity. Overall, the SBA currently classifies about 97% of all employer firms as small. These firms represent about 30% of industry receipts."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2014-01-03
• Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues [December 12, 2013]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) culminated years of effort by state and local government officials and business interests to control, if not eliminate, the imposition of unfunded intergovernmental and private-sector federal mandates. Advocates argued the statute was needed to forestall federal legislation and regulations that imposed obligations on state and local governments or businesses that resulted in higher costs and inefficiencies. Opponents argued that federal mandates may be necessary to achieve national objectives in areas where voluntary action by state and local governments and business failed to achieve desired results. […] This report examines debates over what constitutes an unfunded federal mandate and UMRA's implementation. It focuses on UMRA's requirement that CBO [Congressional Budget Office] issue written cost estimate statements for federal mandates in legislation, its procedures for raising points of order in the House and Senate concerning unfunded federal mandates in legislation, and its requirement that federal agencies prepare written cost estimate statements for federal mandates in rules. It also assesses UMRA's impact on federal mandates and arguments concerning UMRA's future, focusing on UMRA's definitions, exclusions, and exceptions that currently exempt many federal actions with potentially significant financial impacts on nonfederal entities. An examination of the rise of unfunded federal mandates as a national issue and a summary of UMRA's legislative history are provided in Appendix A. Citations to UMRA points of order raised in the House and Senate are provided in Appendix B."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Beth, Richard S.; Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2013-12-12
• Small Business Lending Fund [December 19, 2013]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "Several laws were enacted during the 111th Congress to enhance small business access to capital. For example, P.L. 111-5, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), provided the Small Business Administration (SBA) an additional $730 million, including funding to temporarily subsidize SBA fees and increase the 7(a) loan guaranty program's maximum loan guaranty percentage to 90%. P.L. 111-240, the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a $30 billion Small Business Lending Fund (SBLF) ($4.0 billion was issued) to encourage community banks with less than $10 billion in assets to increase their lending to small businesses, a $1.5 billion State Small Business Credit Initiative to provide funding to participating states with small business capital access programs, numerous changes to the SBA's loan guaranty and contracting programs, funding to continue the SBA's fee subsidies and the 7(a) program's 90% maximum loan guaranty percentage through December 31, 2010, and about $12 billion in tax relief for small businesses. P.L. 111-322, the Continuing Appropriations and Surface Transportation Extensions Act, 2011, authorized the SBA to continue its fee subsidies and the 7(a) program's 90% maximum loan guaranty percentage through March 4, 2011, or until available funding was exhausted, which occurred on January 3, 2011. This report focuses on the SBLF. It opens with a discussion of the supply and demand for small business loans. The SBLF's advocates argued that the SBLF was needed to enhance the supply of small business loans. The report then examines other arguments which were presented both for and against the program. Advocates argued that the SBLF would increase lending to small businesses and, in turn, create jobs. Opponents argued that the SBLF could lose money, lacked sufficient oversight provisions, did not require lenders to increase their lending to small businesses, could serve as a vehicle for TARP [Troubled Asset Relief Program] recipients to effectively refinance their TARP loans on more favorable terms with little or any resulting benefit for small businesses, and could encourage a failing lender to make even riskier loans to avoid higher dividend payments."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2013-12-19
• Small Business Administration and Job Creation [January 8, 2014]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Small Business Administration (SBA) administers several programs to support small businesses, including loan guaranty programs; disaster loan programs; management and technical assistance training programs; and federal contracting programs. Congressional interest in these programs has increased in recent years, primarily because they are viewed as a means to stimulate economic activity, create jobs, and assist in the national economic recovery. This report examines the economic research on net job creation to identify the types of businesses that appear to create the most jobs. That research suggests that business startups play an important role in job creation, but have a more limited effect on net job creation over time because fewer than half of all startups are still in business after five years. However, the influence of small business startups on net job creation varies by firm size. Startups with fewer than 20 employees tend to have a negligible effect on net job creation over time whereas startups with 20-499 employees tend to have a positive employment effect, as do surviving younger businesses of all sizes (in operation for one year to five years). This report then examines the possible implications this research might have for Congress and the SBA. For example, the SBA provides assistance to all qualifying businesses that meet its size standards. About 97% of all businesses currently meet the SBA's eligibility criteria. Given congressional interest in job creation, this report examines the potential consequences of targeting small business assistance to a narrower group, small businesses that are the most likely to create and retain the most jobs."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2014-01-08
• SBA Surety Bond Guarantee Program [December 11, 2013]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Small Business Administration's (SBA's) Surety Bond Guarantee Program is designed to increase small businesses' access to federal, state, and local government contracting, as well as private-sector contracts, by guaranteeing bid, performance, and payment bonds for small businesses that cannot obtain surety bonds through regular commercial channels. […] In FY2013, the SBA guaranteed 12,866 bid and final surety bonds with a total contract value of about $6.1 billion. A surety bond is a three-party instrument between a surety (who agrees to be responsible for the debt or obligation of another), a contractor, and a project owner. The agreement binds the contractor to comply with the contract's terms and conditions. If the contractor is unable to successfully perform the contract, the surety assumes the contractor's responsibilities and ensures that the project is completed. […] This report examines the program's origin and development, including the decision to (1) supplement the original Prior Approval Program with the Preferred Surety Bond Guarantee Program that provides a lower guarantee rate (70%) than the Prior Approval Program (80% or 90%) in exchange for allowing preferred sureties to issue SBA-guaranteed surety bonds without the SBA's prior approval; and (2) increase the program's bond limit. It also examines the program's eligibility standards and requirements, provides performance statistics, and concludes with a discussion of proposals to merge the Prior Approval Program and the Preferred Surety Bond Guarantee Program while retaining the Preferred Program's more flexible operating requirements."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2013-12-11
• Small Business Administration 7(a) Loan Guaranty Program [November 8, 2011]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  This report discusses the array of funding subsidies provided to small businesses during the economic recovery period from 2009-2011, to include the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, the Continuing Appropriations and Surface Transportation Extensions Act of 2011. 'The Small Business Administration (SBA) administers several programs to support small businesses, including loan guaranty programs designed to encourage lenders to provide loans to small businesses 'that might not otherwise obtain financing on reasonable terms and conditions.' The SBA's 7(a) loan guaranty program is considered the agency's flagship loan guaranty program. It is named from Section 7(a) of the Small Business Act of 1953 (P.L. 83-163, as amended), which authorized the SBA to provide business loans and loan guaranties to American small businesses. […] This report also examines issues raised concerning the SBA's administration of the 7(a) program, including the oversight of 7(a) lenders and the program's lack of outcome-based performance measures. It also provides information concerning the 7(a) program's SBA Express, Patriot Express, Small Loan Advantage, and Community Advantage programs." Table 1 shows the loan volume from FY2007-FY2011.

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2011-11-08
• State Small Business Credit Initiative: Implementation and Funding Issues [December 18, 2013]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "Congressional interest in small business access to capital has increased in recent years because of concerns that small businesses might be prevented from accessing sufficient capital to enable them to assist in the economic recovery. Some, including President Obama, have argued that the federal government should provide additional resources to assist small businesses in acquiring capital necessary to start, continue, or expand operations and create jobs. Others worry about the long-term adverse economic effects of spending programs that increase the federal deficit. They advocate business tax reduction, reform of financial credit market regulation, and federal fiscal restraint as the best means to assist small businesses and create jobs. During the 111th Congress, P.L. [Public Law] 111-240, the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, provided the Small Business Administration (SBA) additional funding and enhanced several SBA lending programs in an effort to assist small businesses access capital. The act also authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a $30 billion Small Business Lending Fund (SBLF; $4.0 billion was issued) to encourage community banks with less than $10 billion in assets to increase their lending to small businesses and a $1.5 billion State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI)."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2013-12-18
• Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues [August 10, 2018]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) culminated years of effort by state and local government officials and business interests to control, if not eliminate, the imposition of unfunded intergovernmental and private-sector federal mandates. Advocates argued the statute was needed to forestall federal legislation and regulations that imposed obligations on state and local governments or businesses that resulted in higher costs and inefficiencies. Opponents argued that federal mandates may be necessary to achieve national objectives in areas where voluntary action by state and local governments and business failed to achieve desired results."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2018-08-10
• Small Business Administration HUBZone Program [December 15, 2017]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Historically Underutilized Business Zone Empowerment Contracting (HUBZone) program provides participating small businesses located in areas with low income, high poverty, or high unemployment with contracting opportunities in the form of set-asides, sole-source awards, and price-evaluation preferences. Its primary objectives are job creation and increased capital investment in distressed communities. Firms must be certified by the SBA [Small Business Association] to participate in the program. As of December 15, 2017, the SBA's Dynamic Small Business Search database included 5,961 firms with active HUBZone certifications. [...] This report examines arguments both for and against targeting assistance to geographic areas with specified characteristics as opposed to providing assistance to people or businesses with specified characteristics. It then assesses the arguments both for and against the continuation of the HUBZone program."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2017-12-15
• Small Business Lending Fund [October 27, 2017]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "Congressional interest in small business access to capital has increased in recent years because of concerns that small businesses might be prevented from accessing sufficient capital to enable them to start, continue, or expand operations and create jobs. Some have argued that the federal government should provide additional resources to assist small businesses. Others worry about the long-term adverse economic effects of spending programs that increase the federal deficit. They advocate business tax reduction, reform of financial credit market regulation, and federal fiscal restraint as the best means to assist small businesses and create jobs. [...] This report focuses on the SBLF [Small Business Lending Fund]. It opens with a discussion of the supply and demand for small business loans. The SBLF's advocates claimed the SBLF was needed to enhance the supply of small business loans. The report then examines other arguments presented both for and against the program."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2017-10-27
• Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues [January 5, 2018]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) culminated years of effort by state and local government officials and business interests to control, if not eliminate, the imposition of unfunded intergovernmental and private-sector federal mandates. Advocates argued the statute was needed to forestall federal legislation and regulations that imposed obligations on state and local governments or businesses that resulted in higher costs and inefficiencies. Opponents argued that federal mandates may be necessary to achieve national objectives in areas where voluntary action by state and local governments and business failed to achieve desired results. [...] This report examines debates over what constitutes an unfunded federal mandate and UMRA's implementation. It focuses on UMRA's requirement that CBO [Congressional Budget Office] issue written cost estimate statements for federal mandates in legislation, its procedures for raising points of order in the House and Senate concerning unfunded federal mandates in legislation, and its requirement that federal agencies prepare written cost estimate statements for federal mandates in rules. It also assesses UMRA's impact on federal mandates and arguments concerning UMRA's future, focusing on UMRA's definitions, exclusions, and exceptions that currently exempt many federal actions with potentially significant financial impacts on nonfederal entities."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2018-01-05
• Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues [February 2, 2018]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "This report examines debates over what constitutes an unfunded federal mandate and UMRA's [Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995} implementation. It focuses on UMRA's requirement that CBO [Congressional Budget Office] issue written cost estimate statements for federal mandates in legislation, its procedures for raising points of order in the House and Senate concerning unfunded federal mandates in legislation, and its requirement that federal agencies prepare written cost estimate statements for federal mandates in rules. It also assesses UMRA's impact on federal mandates and arguments concerning UMRA's future, focusing on UMRA's definitions, exclusions, and exceptions that currently exempt many federal actions with potentially significant financial impacts on nonfederal entities."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2018-02-02
• Small Business Administration and Job Creation [February 2, 2018]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Small Business Administration (SBA) administers several programs to support small businesses, including loan guaranty programs, disaster loan programs, management and technical assistance training programs, and federal contracting programs. Congressional interest in these programs has increased in recent years, primarily because they are viewed as a means to stimulate economic activity and create jobs."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2018-02-02
• Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues [January 2, 2019]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) culminated years of effort by state and local government officials and business interests to control, if not eliminate, the imposition of unfunded intergovernmental and private-sector federal mandates. Advocates argued the statute was needed to forestall federal legislation and regulations that imposed obligations on state and local governments or businesses that resulted in higher costs and inefficiencies. Opponents argued that federal mandates may be necessary to achieve national objectives in areas where voluntary action by state and local governments and business failed to achieve desired results. UMRA provides a framework for the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to estimate the direct costs of mandates in legislative proposals to state and local governments and to the private sector, and for issuing agencies to estimate the direct costs of mandates in proposed regulations to regulated entities."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-

  2019-01-02
• Federal Grants to State and Local Governments: A Historical Perspective on Contemporary Issues [Updated May 22, 2019]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  From the Summary: "This report provides a historical synopsis of the evolving nature of the federal grants-in-aid system, focusing on the role Congress has played in defining the system's scope and nature. It begins with an overview of the contemporary federal grants-in-aid system and then examines its evolution over time, focusing on the internal and external factors that have influenced congressional decisions concerning the system's development. It concludes with an assessment of the scope and nature of the contemporary federal grants-in-aid system and raises several issues for congressional consideration, including possible ways to augment congressional capacity to provide effective oversight of this system."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-; Cecire, Michael H.

  2019-05-22