Where do you stand?

house Bill H.R. 1700

Reauthorizing the SCORE Program to Help Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs

Argument in favor

The SCORE program helps link small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs with retired executives who can serve as mentors. This bipartisan reauthorization of the program will help small businesses across the country.

Skylor's Opinion

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05/08/2018

Our communities are served much better by small business. When large corporations move in, they submit only a fraction of money back into the community compared to local small business. I build breweries for a living and have seen communities thrive under these small business’ and the taxes paid.

Like (50)

davidf's Opinion

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07/09/2018

I have used this program myself and found it extremely useful and helpful. This is a public-private partnership that works. It needs to be reauthorized.

Like (28)

Jen 's Opinion

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07/09/2018

Please renew the SCORE program to help small businesses start up and grow.

Like (17)

Argument opposed

These volunteers who participate in the SCORE program could create their own non-profit outside of the SBA and still be one of SBA’s partner organizations. All they’d need to do is raise their own money.

Ryan's Opinion

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07/09/2018

I like the premise of helping businesses start up and run properly. The government shouldn’t be involved in making this a happen.

Like (13)

John's Opinion

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07/09/2018

The job of government is to promote commerce by minimizing regulations, not by using taxpayer dollars to promote businesses.

Like (12)

JTJ's Opinion

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07/09/2018

I met with a score mentor a couple times. He was somewhat helpful with his advice. I like the program, but we need to be making cuts and balancing the budget.

Like (8)

What is House Bill H.R. 1700?

This bill would reauthorize the SCORE program for fiscal years 2018 and 2019. The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) program is a non-profit subsidiary of the Small Business Administration (SBA) that provides free or low-cost counseling, mentoring, and workshops for small business owners and entrepreneurs related to the operations of their businesses. These counseling services can include developing a business plan, or providing marketing and finance advice.

Based on business experience and knowledge, SCORE volunteers would:

Provide personal counseling, mentoring, and coaching relating to the experience of starting, expanding, managing, buying, and selling a business to current or aspiring small business owners;
Facilitate low-cost education workshops for individuals who own, or aspire to own, small business concerns.

The SBA Administrator would be authorized to make grants or enter into cooperative agreements that total less than $10.5 million for each of the 2018 and 2019 fiscal years. These grants and cooperative agreements would help achieve the goals each chapter of the SCORE program established for itself.

The SBA would ensure that the program and each of its chapters develop and implement plans and goals to provide services more effectively and efficiently to individuals in rural areas, economically disadvantaged communities, and other traditionally underserved communities. This would include plans for electronic initiatives, web-based initiatives, chapter expansion, partnerships, and the development of new skills by participating volunteers.

The SCORE Association would:

Make use of online counseling, including by webinars and an an electronic mentoring platform;
Study the future role of the program;
Develop a strategic plan for how the program will evolve to meet the needs of small business concerns over the next five years.

The SBA Administrator and the SCORE Association would be prohibited from disclosing the contact information of a person or business participating in the program without their consent.

Impact

Small businesses and entrepreneurs; SCORE chapters and mentors; and the SBA.

Cost of House Bill H.R. 1700

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

More Information

In-Depth: Sponsoring Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) introduced this bill to reauthorize the SCORE program, which is the largest federal business mentoring program to help Americans start and grow their businesses:

“North Carolina small businesses employ more than 1.6 million people, or 44% of our workforce. They are the backbone of our economy. During National Small Business Week, we recommit ourselves to ensuring that small businesses have the resources they need to thrive and to continue being the job creating engines of our economy.”

This legislation has the support of one cosponsor, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE).

Of Note: The Service Corps of Retired Executives, which is now known as SCORE or the SCORE Association, was founded in 1964 and began creating local chapters in the 1970s. It has provided services to nearly 10 million Americans since its founding, and SCORE currently has over 13,000 volunteer business counselors located in 348 chapters across the U.S.

In 2014, SCORE’s volunteers donated more than 1.2 million hours of their time to mentor and train 148,800 small business owners and entrepreneurs -- leading to the creation of 56,079 businesses and 47,187 jobs. Of the clients assisted by SCORE, 107,201 increased their revenue in 2014, which is more than 72 percent of the entrepreneurs it worked with.

Media:

Sponsoring Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) Press Release

Summary by Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: U.S. Air Force - Brian Brackens / Public Domain)

AKA

SCORE for Small Business Act of 2018

Official Title

To amend the Small Business Act to reauthorize the SCORE program, and for other purposes.

bill Progress

Not enacted
The President has not signed this bill
The senate has not voted
The house Passed July 10th, 2018
Passed by Voice Vote
IntroducedMarch 23rd, 2017

Bill Data

Issues

Committees

Committee on Small Business
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Sponsor

Rep Alma Adams

(D - NC)

1 Cosponsor

Introduced 03/23/2017

Full text of Bill

Skylor's Opinion In Favor

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05/08/2018

Like (50)

Ryan's Opinion Against

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07/09/2018

I like the premise of helping businesses start up and run properly. The government shouldn’t be involved in making this a happen.

Like (13)

davidf's Opinion In Favor

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07/09/2018

I have used this program myself and found it extremely useful and helpful. This is a public-private partnership that works. It needs to be reauthorized.

Like (28)

Jen 's Opinion In Favor

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07/09/2018

Please renew the SCORE program to help small businesses start up and grow.

Like (17)

John's Opinion Against

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07/09/2018

The job of government is to promote commerce by minimizing regulations, not by using taxpayer dollars to promote businesses.

Like (12)

SneakyPete's Opinion In Favor

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05/07/2018

SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) PROGRAM I’m in support of the passage of H.R. 1700, SCORE FOR SMALL BUSINESS ACT OF 2018. This bill amends the Small Business Act to reauthorize the SCORE program (Service Corps of Retired Executives) for FY2018-FY2019. The program is renamed as simply the SCORE program. The Small Business Administration (SBA) shall award a grant to the SCORE Association (or any successor group) to manage the program. Based on business experience and knowledge, a volunteer participating in the program shall: provide at no cost to individuals who own, or aspire to own, small business concerns personal counseling, mentoring, and coaching relating to the process of starting, expanding, managing, buying, and selling a business; and facilitate low-cost education workshops for individuals who own, or aspire to own, small business concerns. The SBA shall ensure that the program and each of its chapters develop and implement plans and goals to provide services more effectively and efficiently to individuals in rural areas, economically disadvantaged communities. 5*6*18

Like (9)

JTJ's Opinion Against

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07/09/2018

I met with a score mentor a couple times. He was somewhat helpful with his advice. I like the program, but we need to be making cuts and balancing the budget.

Like (8)

Paul's Opinion In Favor

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07/09/2018

This is an extremely worthwhile government endeavor. Please don’t mess it up!

Like (5)

W1LL14M's Opinion In Favor

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05/08/2018

SCORE is a tremendously helpful program. My business was faltering until I went to SCORE. My family and friend network is great but they didn’t have the know how to help me move to the next level. My SCORE mentor and the classes they have helped me to move from having a business that did $200k in revenue a year to one that does 7 times that amount. Their mentors background in finance, business planning, and law were so incredibly valuable. They brought in programs on social media and SEO that helped my business explode. They are incredibly valuable to me and the retired who serve as mentors. I am a business owner, Texas Association of Business member, Austin and US Chamber of Commerce member.

Like (5)

IllWill's Opinion In Favor

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05/08/2018

Where’s the debate here? This is probably one of the most uncontroversial bills ever proposed by Congress.

Like (5)

lachancp's Opinion Against

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05/08/2018

More regulation and spending just getting in the way. Let the business owners freely associate without incentives.

Like (5)

Darby's Opinion In Favor

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05/08/2018

Absolutely as a business administration and marketing major, I would love to know that their are ways I can get help from the government if I choose to start up my own company.

Like (4)

Kevin's Opinion Against

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05/08/2018

Absolute waste of government funding and unnecessary if it only can exist as a federal subsidiary.

Like (4)

Robert's Opinion In Favor

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07/09/2018

This program is beneficial to many small businesses and in need by many who need to be educated about this wonderful program

Like (4)

LookingatLaw's Opinion Against

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07/09/2018

Freedom of association. In this digital age, you have more access to basically everything. I support small businesses and anyone working on a mentor-ship can freely engage with a retired executive or whomever they choose without government intervention. This is not a legitimate use of government and the government is not your nanny or parent. Be confident with what you are seeking and forward with your expectations. No one can run your business or life better than you!

Like (4)

Megan's Opinion In Favor

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05/08/2018

small business is important, and we should support it.

Like (3)

KansasTamale's Opinion In Favor

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05/08/2018

In this atmosphere of BIG corporations and businesses the small businesses need help and are s necessary part of towns’ cultures. SCORE was the help they need. It needs to be renewed.

Like (3)