House File 741 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  BAILEY


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to a statewide microenterprise survey and making
  2    an appropriation.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 2731YH 82
  5 tm/es/88

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  STATEWIDE MICROENTERPRISE SURVEY ==
  1  2 APPROPRIATION.
  1  3    1.  There is appropriated from the general fund of the
  1  4 state to the department of economic development for the fiscal
  1  5 year beginning July 1, 2007, and ending June 30, 2008,
  1  6 twenty=five thousand dollars for purposes of contracting for a
  1  7 microenterprise survey of existing programs and financing
  1  8 structures to support microenterprise development in the state
  1  9 and to identify opportunities for coordinating and
  1 10 strengthening existing programs and financing structures to
  1 11 further develop microenterprises.
  1 12    2.  The microenterprise survey shall include a review of
  1 13 Iowa's small business development centers, entrepreneurial
  1 14 centers in the state, programs and courses offered through
  1 15 community colleges, community action agency programs, Iowa
  1 16 state university cooperative extension service programs,
  1 17 programs of the department of economic development, and
  1 18 targeted small business programs and the current and potential
  1 19 involvement of such programs with and in support of
  1 20 microenterprises.  The survey shall involve banks, utilities,
  1 21 credit unions, and local chambers of commerce in identifying
  1 22 opportunities for further supporting microenterprise
  1 23 development.  The survey shall review successful programs in
  1 24 other states to support microenterprises for possible
  1 25 application in Iowa.
  1 26    3.  The department of economic development shall seek
  1 27 additional funding and technical support for conducting the
  1 28 survey.
  1 29    4.  The survey shall be completed by September 2007.
  1 30    5.  For purposes of this section, "microenterprise
  1 31 development" means an income generating strategy that assists
  1 32 low to moderate income individuals, often in rural areas or
  1 33 distressed areas of the state, in starting or expanding
  1 34 microenterprises.  "Microenterprise" means any business that
  1 35 has fewer than five employees.  Microenterprise development
  2  1 activities include basic information, training, and advising
  2  2 on business development, access to services and markets, and
  2  3 capital availability in the form of low=cost loans in an
  2  4 amount not to exceed twenty=five thousand dollars.
  2  5                           EXPLANATION
  2  6    This bill relates to a statewide microenterprise survey.
  2  7    The bill appropriates from the general fund of the state to
  2  8 the department of economic development for fiscal year
  2  9 2007=2008, $25,000 for purposes of contracting for a
  2 10 microenterprise survey of existing programs and financing
  2 11 structures to support microenterprise development in the state
  2 12 and to identify opportunities for coordinating and
  2 13 strengthening existing programs and financing structures to
  2 14 further develop microenterprises.
  2 15    The bill provides that the microenterprise survey shall
  2 16 include a review of Iowa's small business development centers,
  2 17 entrepreneurial centers in the state, programs and courses
  2 18 offered through community colleges, community action agency
  2 19 programs, Iowa state university cooperative extension service
  2 20 programs, programs of the department of economic development,
  2 21 and targeted small business programs and the current and
  2 22 potential involvement of such programs with and in support of
  2 23 microenterprises.  The bill provides that the survey shall
  2 24 involve banks, utilities, credit unions, and local chambers of
  2 25 commerce in identifying opportunities for further supporting
  2 26 microenterprise development.  The bill provides that the
  2 27 survey shall review successful programs in other states to
  2 28 support microenterprises for possible application in Iowa.
  2 29    The bill requires the department of economic development to
  2 30 seek additional funding and technical support for conducting
  2 31 the survey.
  2 32    The bill provides that the survey shall be completed by
  2 33 September 2007.
  2 34 LSB 2731YH 82
  2 35 tm:nh/es/88