§ 652. Central European Enterprise Development Commission

(a) Establishment

There is hereby established a Central European Small Business Enterprise Development Commission (hereinafter in this section referred to as the “Commission”). The Commission shall be comprised of a representative of each of the following: the Small Business Administration, the Association of American Universities, and the Association of Small Business Development Centers.

(b) Management and technical assistance to designated Central European countries The Commission shall develop in Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary (hereinafter referred to as “designated Central European countries”) a self-sustaining system to provide management and technical assistance to small business owners.

(1) Not later than 90 days after November 5, 1990, the Commission, in consultation with the Agency for International Development, shall enter a contract with one or more entities to—

(A) determine the needs of small businesses in the designated Central European countries for management and technical assistance;

(B) evaluate appropriate Small Business Development Center-programs which might be replicated in order to meet the needs of each of such countries; and

(C) identify and assess the capability of educational institutions in each such country to develop a Small Business Development Center type program.

(2) Not later than 18 months after November 5, 1990, the Commission shall review the recommendations submitted to it and shall formulate and contract for the establishment of a three-year management and technical assistance demonstration program.

(c) Eligibility In order to be eligible to participate, the educational institution in each designated Central European country shall—

(1) obtain the prior approval of the government to conduct the program;

(2) agree to provide partial financial support for the program, either directly or indirectly, during the second and third years of the demonstration program; and

(3) agree to obtain private sector involvement in the delivery of assistance under the program.

(d) Initial meeting and organization

The Commission shall meet and organize not later than 30 days after November 5, 1990.

(e) Reimbursement for necessary expenses

Members of the Commission shall serve without pay, except they shall be entitled to reimbursement for travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred by them in carrying out their functions in the same manner as persons employed intermittently in the Federal Government are allowed expenses under section 5703 of title 5.

(f) Meetings; quorum

Two Commissioners shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Meetings shall be at the call of the Chairperson who shall be elected by the Members of the Commission.

(g) Authority; personnel

The Commission shall not have any authority to appoint staff, but upon request of the Chairperson, the head of any Federal department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of such department or agency to the Commission to assist in carrying out the Commission’s functions under this section without regard to section 3341 of title 5. The Administrator of the General Services Administration shall provide, on a reimbursable basis, such administrative support services as the Commission may request.

(h) Initial and annual reports to Congress

The Commission shall report to Congress not later than December 1, 1991, and annually thereafter, on the progress in carrying out the provisions of this section.

(i) Authorization of appropriations

There are hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Small Business Administration the sum of $3,000,000 for fiscal year 1991, $5,000,000 for fiscal year 1992, $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1993 and 1994, and $1,000,000 for fiscal year 1995 to carry out the provisions of this section. Such sums shall be disbursed by the Small Business Administration as requested by the Commission and may remain available until expended. Any authority to enter contracts or other spending authority provided for in this section is subject to amounts provided for in advance in appropriations Acts.

(Pub. L. 85–536, § 2[25], as added Pub. L. 101–515, title V, § 7, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 2142; amended Pub. L. 103–81, § 9(b), Aug. 13, 1993, 107 Stat. 783; Pub. L. 103–403, title IV, § 405, Oct. 22, 1994, 108 Stat. 4192.)

Amendments

Amendments

1994—Pub. L. 103–403 substituted “, $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1993 and 1994, and $1,000,000 for fiscal year 1995” for “and $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1993 and 1994”.

1993—Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 103–81 substituted “$2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1993 and 1994” for “$8,000,000 for fiscal year 1993”.