15 U.S.C. § 9513: Research and information

Summary

The Under Secretary must gather and study information about minority-owned businesses, including why they succeed or fail. They must research U.S. economic conditions and how those conditions affect minority businesses. They must provide outreach, education, and technical help in at least the five most commonly spoken U.S. languages so people with limited English skills can get services and information that fit their language and culture. The Under Secretary may also evaluate programs the office runs to help minority businesses. The Under Secretary must set up and run an information clearinghouse to collect and share data (for example, demographic, economic, financial, managerial, and technical information) with business owners and researchers. They must find, organize, and store the data and protect the privacy of the businesses in ways that follow the Privacy Act (section 552a of title 5).

Title 15, §9513

Commerce and Trade, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general

In order to achieve the purposes of this chapter, the Under Secretary—

(1)shall—

(A)collect and analyze data, including data relating to the causes of the success or failure of minority business enterprises;

(B)conduct research, studies, and surveys of—

(i)economic conditions generally in the United States; and

(ii)how the conditions described in clause (i) particularly affect the development of minority business enterprises; and

(C)provide outreach, educational services, and technical assistance in, at a minimum, the 5 most commonly spoken languages in the United States to ensure that limited English proficient individuals receive culturally and linguistically appropriate access to the services and information provided by the Agency; and

(2)may perform an evaluation of programs carried out by the Under Secretary that are designed to assist the development of minority business enterprises.

(b)Information clearinghouse

The Under Secretary shall—

(1)establish and maintain an information clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination to relevant parties (including business owners and researchers) of demographic, economic, financial, managerial, and technical data relating to minority business enterprises; and

(2)take such steps as the Under Secretary may determine to be necessary and desirable to—

(A)search for, collect, classify, coordinate, integrate, record, and catalog the data described in paragraph (1); and

(B)in a manner that is consistent with section 552a of title 5, protect the privacy of the minority business enterprises to which the data described in paragraph (1) relates.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (a), was in the original “this division”, meaning div. K of Pub. L. 117–58, Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 1445, which is classified prinicpally to this chapter. For complete classification of division K to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 9501 of this title and Tables.

§9513 Research and Information