Prison to Proprietorship Act
Sponsored By: Representative Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would create entrepreneurship counseling and training for incarcerated individuals in federal minimum, low, and medium security prisons. It would have the Small Business Administration match Women's Business Centers and Small Business Development Centers with eligible inmates to deliver courses, mentoring, certificates, and post-release support.
Show full summary
- Covered individuals would get step-by-step training on starting or expanding a small business, help drafting a resume, business plan, and transition plan, and access to capital resources. Services include a self-study manual, five two-day classroom sessions, and one-on-one coaching, with priority for those releasing within 18 months and continued support after release.
- Women's business centers and small business development centers would be tapped to deliver services and reimbursed for costs. The SBA may award grants to center associations to build curriculum, train mentors, and coordinate public-private partnerships.
- The SBA would create and update a matching plan and report to Congress starting 1 year after enactment and annually, including counts of people served, hours of counseling, certificates issued, demographics, learning outcomes, and survey results.
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Business training for federal prisoners
If enacted, the SBA Administrator would require women's business centers and small business development centers to offer entrepreneurship counseling and training to "covered individuals" in federal minimum, low, or medium security prisons. The SBA would match nearby centers to prisons and prioritize people releasing within 18 months of starting services. Services would include a presentation on self-employment, a self-study entrepreneurship and financial-literacy manual, five two-day classroom sessions, and one-on-one help to develop business and transition plans. Participants who finish would receive a certificate and could continue getting services after release. The SBA could award grants to coordinating associations and would reimburse centers, but grants and reimbursements would depend on congressional appropriations. Centers and associations would survey participants, the SBA would print and share curriculum, and the SBA must report to Congress within 1 year and annually thereafter.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7]
NY • D
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov