S. 4133

119 S4133 IS: 21st Century Entrepreneurship Act
 U.S. Senate
 2026-03-18
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 II  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  S. 4133  IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES   March 18, 2026   Ms. Cortez Masto  (for herself and  Mrs. Blackburn ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the  Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship    A BILL
To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to encourage entrepreneurship training in after school programs, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   21st Century Entrepreneurship Act  .
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 declined substantially 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.
3.
Definitions
In this Act:
(1)
Administration; Administrator
The terms  Administration  and  Administrator  mean the Small Business Administration and the Administrator thereof, respectively.
(2)
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) ).
(3)
Inventorship
The term  inventorship  means the activity of creating, designing, or otherwise originating a new product or service.
(4)
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) ).
(5)
Small business development center
The term  small business development center  has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 632 ).
4.
Entrepreneurship education for disadvantaged youth
(a)
In general
The Administrator shall—
(1)
develop a curriculum for volunteers with the SCORE program to teach female students, minority students, English learners, children with disabilities, students from rural areas, and low-income students who are often underrepresented in critical and enriching subjects about entrepreneurship and inventorship through community learning centers;
(2)
develop and implement a strategy to encourage partnerships between the SCORE program and community learning centers to teach the curriculum developed under paragraph (1) to the students described in that paragraph through community learning centers; and
(3)
in developing the curriculum required under paragraph (1), collaborate with education specialists, entrepreneurship groups, business groups, and groups with experience serving underrepresented children.
(b)
Collaboration with other programs
In carrying out the partnerships under subsection (a)(2), volunteers with the SCORE program are encouraged to collaborate with other entrepreneurial development programs of the Administration and other agencies, including—
(1)
small business development centers;
(2)
women's business centers operating under section 29 of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 656 );
(3)
centers overseen by the Minority Business Development Agency of the Department of Commerce; and
(4)
the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition of the Administration carried out under section 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 ( 15 U.S.C. 3719 ).
(c)
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 before the period at the end the following:  and to carry out entrepreneurship and inventorship programs under section 4(a) of the  21st Century Entrepreneurship Act  .
(d)
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 and inventorship (as defined in section 3 of the  21st Century Entrepreneurship Act ) programs,  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 and inventorship programs described in section 4(a) of the  21st Century Entrepreneurship Act .
 .
(e)
Report
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the Administrator 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 each partnership between 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).
(f)
Authorization of appropriations
(1)
In general
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator $2,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act.
(2)
Transfer of funds
Of amounts made available to the Administrator to carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act, the Administrator may transfer any portion of those amounts to the SCORE program to carry out such provisions.