A bill written for the purpose of improving and adding entrepreneurship training initiatives for veterans has been introduced in the U.S. Senate and has the bipartisan backing of Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA).
The bill specifies that the Boots to Business program administered by the Small Business Administration would cover members of the armed forces, those participating in the Transition Assistance Program run by the Department of Defense, those who served on active duty and were discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable, and the spouses and dependents of those in said categories.
The bill also specifies that the SBA shall establish a Women Veterans Business Training Program and a Business Training Program for Service Disabled Veterans, in addition to directing the SBA to establish an online mechanism that serves as a convenient one-stop hub for veterans regarding SBA entrepreneurial development programs.
And, the SBA would be required to provide financial assistance and grants through a Veterans Business Owners Initiative Pilot Program and through the relevant outreach center program to eligible organizations and institutions that will benefit veterans’ small businesses.
Senator Kaine spoke in support of the bill, saying it would "help [veterans] apply those skills as small business owners, and ultimately help grow the economy."
The bill has been read and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship in the Senate.
To read the bill, visit https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/121
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