Connecting Small Businesses with Career and Technical Education Graduates Act
- Bill Number
- S. 1048
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Commerce
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-03-13: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-06T12:58:09Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This legislation, titled the "Connecting Small Businesses with Career and Technical Education Graduates Act," aims to bridge the gap between small businesses and graduates of career and technical education (CTE) programs. CTE programs provide hands-on training in specific trades or skills, such as welding or healthcare. The bill requires small business development centers (SBDCs) and women's business centers (WBCs)—organizations funded by the Small Business Administration (SBA)—to offer targeted support for hiring these graduates and helping them launch their own small businesses.
Key Provisions
- Definition Addition: Adds a definition of "career and technical education" to the Small Business Act, drawing directly from the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006. This ensures consistency in how CTE is understood across federal programs.
- Updates to Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs): Amends Section 21 of the Small Business Act to require SBDCs to:
- Assist small businesses in hiring graduates from CTE programs or related studies.
- Help CTE graduates start their own small businesses.
- Updates to Women's Business Centers (WBCs): Amends Section 29 of the Small Business Act to require WBCs to:
- Provide assistance to small businesses for hiring CTE graduates.
- Support CTE graduates in launching small businesses.
These changes integrate CTE support into the core activities of SBDCs and WBCs, which offer free counseling, training, and resources to entrepreneurs.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Expands the mandatory services of SBDCs and WBCs beyond their current focus on general business advising, intellectual property, and succession planning. Previously, these centers did not explicitly address CTE graduates.
- Introduces two new requirements (subparagraphs W and X for SBDCs; paragraphs 4 and 5 for WBCs) without altering funding or operational structures, making CTE assistance a standard part of their programs.
- No changes to eligibility for SBA funding or overall program scope, but it aligns these centers more closely with federal workforce development goals.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: The SBA will need to update training and guidelines for SBDCs and WBCs to include CTE-focused services, potentially increasing administrative oversight but without new funding mandates.
- On Citizens: CTE graduates gain better access to job placement and entrepreneurship support, which could improve employment rates and reduce barriers for skilled workers entering the small business sector. Small business owners benefit from easier recruitment of trained talent, potentially boosting local economies.
- On International Relations: Minimal impact, as the bill focuses on domestic U.S. programs with no foreign policy elements.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Small Businesses: Gain tools to hire skilled CTE graduates, addressing workforce shortages in technical fields.
- CTE Graduates and Students: Receive direct assistance for jobs or startups, enhancing career pathways.
- SBDCs and WBCs: Must incorporate new services, affecting their program delivery and staff training.
- Small Business Administration (SBA): Oversees implementation, ensuring compliance across its network of over 900 SBDCs and 150+ WBCs.
- Educational Institutions: Indirectly supported, as their CTE programs become more connected to real-world business opportunities.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens ties between the Small Business Act and the Perkins CTE Act, promoting coordinated federal support for education and entrepreneurship without creating new regulatory burdens. No challenges to existing contracts or funding streams.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's authority under the Commerce Clause to regulate interstate commerce and support economic development; no apparent free speech, privacy, or equal protection issues.
- Political: Bipartisan sponsorship (by Senators Marshall and Coons) signals broad support for workforce integration. It could encourage similar expansions in other SBA programs, emphasizing practical skills training amid ongoing debates on vocational education versus traditional college paths.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (2)
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE], Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV]
Recent Actions
- 2025-03-13: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
- 2025-03-13: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Connecting Small Businesses with Career and Technical Education Graduates Act — issued 2025-03-13 — PDF (3 pages)