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On Monday evening, House Resolution 4407 passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 389 to 8.

This is also known as the Service Corps of Retired Executives for Small Businesses Act of 2019. It was Oklahoma First District Representative Kevin Hern’s first piece of legislation to pass the House.

As a small business owner himself, Rep. Hern said he knows firsthand how challenging it can be to start out. He said the mentorship provided through SCORE can be the difference between success and failure for a first-time entrepreneur.

SCORE is said to utilize an expansive network of volunteers at 350 chapters nationwide to provide personalized one-on-one counseling and workshops. In the 2018 Fiscal Year, SCORE volunteers mentored and trained 600,000 clients and conducted outreach to attract additional clients. 54,000 new businesses were launched in the 2017 Fiscal Year thanks to those volunteers as well.

The legislation amends the Small Business Act to strengthen SCORE and restores integrity, accounting, and performance to the program. By including certain safeguards, the legislation would ensure SBA is a good agent of government funds and the counseling and training program is operating effectively and efficiently.

More specifically, Rep. Hern said the legislation would:

• Protect taxpayers’ dollars Ensure federal contracts are awarded properly
• Align salaries and performance awards with federal standards;
• Protect whistleblowers
• Expand services and promote diversity
• Ensure SCORE meets Congressional intent

Authorization of Funds: This bill provides for an authorization of appropriations for three years, FY 2020 – FY 2022, in the amount of $11.7 million for the SCORE program. For the full text of the bill, click here.