Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act of 2024
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- Crpt 118Hrpt470
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- Crpt 118Hrpt470
Summary
House Report 118–470 of the 118th Congress, submitted April 26, 2024 by Mr. Williams of Texas from the Committee on Small Business to accompany H.R. 7985, the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act of 2024. The committee reports the bill favorably without amendment after ordering it reported on April 17, 2024. The report states the bill, introduced April 15, 2024 by Rep. McGarvey with Rep. Molinaro, requires the Small Business Administration Administrator to report to Congress within 180 days on challenges facing entrepreneurs with disabilities. It includes a section-by-section analysis, notes that a Congressional Budget Office cost estimate was requested but not received, and cites a January 30, 2024 hearing. Minority Views signed by Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez cite figures such as 1.8 million small businesses owned by people with disabilities.
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“Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act of 2024.”
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118TH CONGRESS REPORT
" HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES !
2d Session 118–470
ENTREPRENEURS WITH DISABILITIES REPORTING ACT
OF 2024
APRIL 26, 2024.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of
the Union and ordered to be printed
Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas, from the Committee on Small Business,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
together with
MINORITY VIEWS
[To accompany H.R. 7985]
The Committee on Small Business, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 7985) to require the Administrator of the Small Business Ad-
ministration to submit to Congress a report on the entrepreneurial
challenges facing entrepreneurs with a disability, and for other
purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon
without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
I. Purpose and Bill Summary ........................................................................ 2
II. Need for Legislation .................................................................................... 2
III. Hearings ....................................................................................................... 2
IV. Committee Consideration ........................................................................... 2
V. Committee Votes ......................................................................................... 2
VI. Section-by-Section of H.R. 7985 ................................................................. 5
VII. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate ............................................. 5
VIII. New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures 5
IX. Oversight Findings & Recommendations .................................................. 5
X. Performance Goals and Objectives ............................................................ 5
XI. Statement of Duplication of Federal Programs ........................................ 6
XII. Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff
Benefits ..................................................................................................... 6
XIII. Federal Mandates Statement ..................................................................... 6
XIV. Federal Advisory Committee Statement ................................................... 6
XV. Applicability to Legislative Branch ........................................................... 6
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XVI. Statement of Constitutional Authority ...................................................... 6
XVII. Minority Views ............................................................................................ 7
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I. PURPOSE AND BILL SUMMARY
On April 15, 2024, Rep. McGarvey, along with Rep. Molinaro in-
troduced H.R. 7985. The purpose of H.R. 7985, the ‘‘Entrepreneurs
with Disabilities Reporting Act of 2024,’’ is to require the Adminis-
trator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to submit a re-
port to Congress on the challenges facing entrepreneurs with dis-
abilities.
II. NEED FOR LEGISLATION
According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) there
are nearly 50 programs spread across nine Federal agencies that
support employment for individuals with disabilities. Navigating
the federal bureaucracy can be a challenge for anyone, but it is
particularly challenging for disabled entrepreneurs who are forced
to scour 50 different programs when looking for assistance in start-
ing a business.
The Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act of 2024 re-
quires the SBA to report to Congress regarding the challenges that
disabled individuals face when starting a business. In doing so, the
SBA would be required to review what resources the federal gov-
ernment already provides to entrepreneurs with disabilities. Fur-
thermore, the SBA is required to recommend how these programs
can be streamlined and improved.
III. HEARINGS
In the 118th Congress, the Committee held one hearing exam-
ining the issues covered in H.R. 7985. On January 30, 2024, the
Committee held a hearing titled ‘‘Pathways to Success: Supporting
Entrepreneurs and Employees with Disabilities’’ which examined
the role entrepreneurs and employees with disabilities play in the
workforce and discussed ways to empower them in the workplace.
IV. COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
The Committee on Small Business met in open session, with a
quorum being present, on April 17, 2024 and ordered H.R. 7985 re-
ported to the House of Representatives. During the markup no
amendments were offered.
V. COMMITTEE VOTES
Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representa-
tives requires the Committee to list the recorded votes on the mo-
tion to report legislation and amendments thereto. The Committee
voted to favorably report H.R. 7985 to the House of Representatives
at 11:52 AM.
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VI. SECTION-BY-SECTION OF H.R. 7985
Section 1—Short title
This bill may be cited as the ‘‘Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Re-
porting Act of 2024.’’
Section 2—Report on entrepreneurship challenges of entrepreneurs
with disabilities
Within 180 days, the SBA Administrator must issue a report to
Congress on the challenges entrepreneurs with disabilities face
when starting and operating a business, resources, support, and
outreach the SBA provides to these individuals, a description of
joint efforts with other federal agencies to address these needs, de-
ficiencies in these resources, and recommendations for legislative
actions to address the challenges entrepreneurs with disabilities
face.
This section does not authorize additional appropriations for this
bill.
VII. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE
Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of House rule XIII, the Committee
adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared by the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the Con-
gressional Budget Act of 1974. The Committee has requested but
not received from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office
a cost estimate for the Committee’s provisions. Once available, the
cost estimate will be published in the Congressional Record.
VIII. NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY, ENTITLEMENT AUTHORITY,
AND TAX EXPENDITURES
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House
of Representatives and section 308(a)(I) of the Congressional Budg-
et Act of 1974, the Committee provides the following opinion and
estimate with respect to new budget authority, entitlement author-
ity, and tax expenditures. While the Committee has not received an
estimate of new budget authority contained in the cost estimate
prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursu-
ant to Sec. 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Com-
mittee does not believe that there will be any additional costs at-
tributable to this legislation. H.R. 7985 does not direct new spend-
ing, but instead reallocates funding independently authorized and
appropriated.
IX. OVERSIGHT FINDINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS
In accordance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII and clause 2(b)(1)
of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the over-
sight findings and recommendations of the Committee on Small
Business with respect to the subject matter contained in H.R. 7985
are incorporated into the descriptive portions of this report.
X. PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
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With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of
the Rules of the House of Representatives, the performance goals
and objectives of H.R. 7985 are to require a report from SBA to
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6
Congress on the challenges facing entrepreneurs with disabilities
and the variety of resources available across the federal govern-
ment.
XI. STATEMENT OF DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House
of Representatives, no provision of H.R. 7985 is known to be dupli-
cative of another Federal program, including any program that was
included in a report to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public
Law 111–139 or the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic As-
sistance.
XII. CONGRESSIONAL EARMARKS, LIMITED TAX BENEFITS,
AND LIMITED TARIFF BENEFITS
With respect to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House
of Representatives, the Committee finds that the bill does not con-
tain any congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited
tariff benefits as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of rule XXI of
the Rules of the House of Representatives.
XIII. FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT
The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal man-
dates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office
pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
XIV. FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT
No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this legislation.
XV. APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to the
terms and conditions of employment or access to public services or
accommodations within the meaning of section 102(b)(3) of the Con-
gressional Accountability Act.
XVI. STATEMENT OF CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY
Pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII of the Rules of the House, the
Committee finds that the authority for this legislation in Art. I, § 8,
cl.1 of the Constitution of the United States.
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XVII. MINORITY VIEWS
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 44.1 million
Americans are individuals with disabilities.1 Individuals with dis-
abilities are a highly diverse group. They include people with phys-
ical disabilities, such as vision or hearing impairments and chronic
conditions, and mental or developmental disabilities, such as atten-
tion deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, and
Down syndrome. Furthermore, individuals born with disabilities
have different experiences than individuals who acquire disabilities
later in life. Even with this diversity, it is important to ensure that
all Americans are duly included and accommodated in the work-
place and business community.
However, only 26 percent of people with disabilities participate
in America’s labor force. Yet, they have a higher rate of self-em-
ployment (17 percent) than non-disabled Americans (11 percent).
People with disabilities often choose entrepreneurship over joining
the labor force for several reasons, including greater flexibility and
inclusion with respect to their work scheduling and environment.2
In fact, there are approximately 1.8 million small businesses owned
by people with disabilities in the U.S.3 Starting and owning a small
business is a major pathway for all Americans, especially people
with disabilities, to achieve prosperity—a dynamic reflected by the
fact that 99.9 percent of American businesses are small businesses.
Every American deserves the opportunity to contribute to society
as productive workers and entrepreneurs, and to actively improve
their quality-of-life. However, ableism and other unique structural
barriers impede entrepreneurs with disabilities from fully partici-
pating in the business community.4
On January 30, 2024, the Committee’s Innovation, Entrepreneur-
ship, and Workforce Development Subcommittee held a hearing en-
titled ‘‘Pathways to Success: Supporting Entrepreneurs and Em-
ployees with Disabilities.’’ The hearing focused on the role entre-
preneurs and employees with disabilities play in the workforce and
examined ways to empower them. In testimony, Mr. Keith Wargo,
President and CEO of Autism Speaks reported, ‘‘many individuals
with disabilities have the skills and desire to work, and hiring
neurodiverse people benefits the companies they work for, and the
overall economy.’’ He further cited a study that showed ‘‘companies
that actively seek to hire people with disabilities outperform busi-
1 Table S1810: Disability Characteristics, U.S. CENSUS BUREAU (2022), https://
data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2022.S1810.
2 NAT’L DISABILITY INST., SMALL BUSINESS OWNERSHIP BY PEOPLE WITH DIS-
ABILITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES 1–2, 13–14 (Apr. 2022).
3 Danielle Fallon-O’Leary, 6 Funding Opportunities for Disabled Entrepreneurs, U.S. CHAM-
BER OF COM. (Nov. 1, 2023), https://www.uschamber.com/co/run/business-financing/funding-
options-for-disabled-entrepreneurs.
4 OFF. OF ADVOCACY, 2023 Small Business Profile: United States, U.S. SMALL BUS.
ADMIN. 1 (Nov. 14, 2023), https://advocacy.sba.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-Small-Busi
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ness-Economic-Profile-US.pdf.
(7)
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nesses that do not. Their revenues, net income, profit margins were
all higher. Further analysis revealed that the U.S. GDP could get
a boost of up to $25 billion if more people with disabilities joined
the workforce.’’
H.R. 7985 would requires the Small Business Administration to
submit a report to Congress on the challenges facing entrepreneurs
with disabilities within 180 days of enactment of the legislation.
NYDIA M. VELÁZQUEZ,
Ranking Member.
Æ
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