21st Century Entrepreneurship Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8404 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8404

  To allow participants in the Service Corps of Retired Executives to
  teach entrepreneurship at community learning centers, and for other
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 21, 2026

 Ms. Davids of Kansas (for herself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Small Business,
  and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To allow participants in the Service Corps of Retired Executives to
  teach entrepreneurship at community learning centers, and for other
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``21st Century Entrepreneurship Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) entrepreneurship creates new jobs, grows the economy,
        increases productivity, and significantly improves the quality
        of life of the people of the United States;
            (2) entrepreneurship rates in the United States have been
        unstable over the last several decades;
            (3) children from disadvantaged communities are less likely
        to become entrepreneurs and inventors, hampering economic
        growth and harming communities most in need;
            (4) studies show that children with mentors in
        entrepreneurship and inventorship are more likely to pursue
        these fields in adulthood; and
            (5) in order to promote growth in disadvantaged
        communities, increase entrepreneurship rates, and improve the
        economy, volunteer mentors with the SCORE program should be
        encouraged to engage with children in community learning
        centers.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Community learning center.--The term ``community
        learning center'' has the meaning given the term in section
        4201(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
        (20 U.S.C. 7171(b)).
            (2) SCORE program.--The term ``SCORE program'' means the
        Service Corps of Retired Executives described in section
        8(b)(1)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(b)(1)(B)).

SEC. 4. ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION FOR DISADVANTAGED YOUTH.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the Small Business
Administration shall, in consultation with the SCORE Program--
            (1) develop a curriculum for volunteers with the SCORE
        program to teach entrepreneurship to students served by
        community learning centers; and
            (2) in developing the curriculum required under paragraph
        (1), collaborate with education specialists, entrepreneurship
        groups, business groups, and groups with experience serving
        underrepresented children.
    (b) Consultation.--The Administrator of the Small Business
Administration, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall
develop and implement a strategy to teach the curriculum developed
under subsection (a)(1) to the students described in that paragraph
through community learning centers.
    (c) Collaboration With Other Programs.--In teaching the curriculum
developed under subsection (a), volunteers with the SCORE program are
encouraged to collaborate with other entrepreneurial development
programs of the Small Business Administration and other agencies,
including--
            (1) small business development centers described in section
        21 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648);
            (2) women's business centers operating under section 29 of
        the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656); and
            (3) centers overseen by the Minority Business Development
        Agency (established under section 100002 of the Minority
        Business Development Act of 2021 (15 U.S.C. 9501)).
    (d) SCORE Program.--Section 8(b)(1)(B) of the Small Business Act
(15 U.S.C. 637(b)(1)(B)) is amended, in the first sentence, by
inserting ``and to teach students entrepreneurship through community
learning centers (as defined in section 4201(b) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7171(b)))'' before the
period at the end.
    (e) Community Learning Centers.--Part B of title IV of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7171 et seq.)
is amended--
            (1) in section 4201(a)(2) (20 U.S.C. 7171(a)(2)), by
        inserting ``entrepreneurship education taught through
        volunteers with the SCORE program (as defined in section
        8(b)(1)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
        637(b)(1)(B))),'' after ``apprenticeship programs,''; and
            (2) in section 4205(a) (20 U.S.C. 7175(a))--
                    (A) in paragraph (13), by striking ``and'' at the
                end;
                    (B) in paragraph (14), by striking the period at
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(15) entrepreneurship education described in section
        4201(a)(2).''.
    (f) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the Administrator of the Small
Business Administration shall submit to the Committee on Small Business
and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business
of the House of Representatives a report that--
            (1) identifies instances of the use of the curriculum
        described in subsection (a) by the SCORE program and a
        community learning center during the preceding 2-year period;
            (2) documents the use of funds by the SCORE program, and
        adherence by the SCORE program to contract award and
        procurement procedures, relating to the implementation of this
        Act;
            (3) documents any training or guidance provided to SCORE
        program chapter leadership on properly using funds provided to
        carry out this Act;
            (4) estimates the number of students who were reached
        through the entrepreneurship curriculum developed under
        subsection (a);
            (5) identifies any barriers to reaching additional
        students; and
            (6) identifies any plans for improving the curriculum or
        implementing the strategy developed under subsection (a).
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