{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/davids-introduces-legislation-support-women-business-owners", "Davids Introduces Legislation to Support Women Business Owners", "2023-09-12", "2023", "2023-09", "Democrat", "House", "KS", "Sharice Davids", "D000629", "davids.house.gov", "davids", "https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Recently, Representative Sharice Davids (KS-03), along with Representative Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), introduced the Women\u2019s Business Centers Improvement Act, which would increase access to resources and opportunities for women entrepreneurs in Kansas and across the country. Davids\u2019 bill passed the U.S. House with bipartisan support in 2019 and 2022.\n\nThe Women\u2019s Business Center (WBC) program was established 35 years ago to help women entrepreneurs succeed, and now boasts nearly 150 locations throughout the U.S. These centers serve more than 150,000 business owners annually \u2014 including the Kansas City WBC in Overland Park, KS, which reached more than 800 clients last year. WBCs provide free, to low-cost counseling and training and focus on women who want to start, grow, and expand their small business.\n\n\u201cWhile women-owned businesses employ 9.4 million people nationwide and contribute $1.2 trillion to our economy each year, these entrepreneurs often face increased challenges in starting and growing a business. By properly funding resources like Women\u2019s Business Centers, we can increase access to credit and vital training services that help set entrepreneurs up for success,\u201d said Davids. \u201cThe Third District has an amazing entrepreneurial ecosystem, and I\u2019m proud to lead bipartisan legislation that will spur even further innovation and economic opportunity here at home.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs the Executive Director of the Kansas City WBC, I am thrilled to see Representatives Sharice Davids\u2019 and Nydia Velazquez\u2019s leadership in introducing legislation to reauthorize the WBC program,\u201d said Brande Stitt, Executive Director, Kansas City Women\u2019s Business Center. \u201cAmidst the other priorities in Washington this fall, I ask the House of Representatives, and all of the 118th Congress, to recognize the significant need for the reauthorization of our program and prioritize its passage in a bipartisan manner. We are thankful for Representative Davids\u2019 evergreen commitment to the WBC program, and women-owned businesses in Kansas, and ask that both Democrats and Republicans come to the table to enable this legislation to become law.\u201d\n\nThe Women\u2019s Business Centers Improvement Act increases federal support to WBCs by doubling the maximum annual grant award to $300,000 for individual centers, reauthorizes the WBC program for four years, and increases the total authorization level for the first time since the program began. The bill also establishes an accreditation program run by the Association of Women\u2019s Business Centers to ensure all WBCs provide excellent service and counseling.\n\nThe Kansas City WBC serves Kansas entrepreneurs through business trainings, workshops, counseling, and access to capital programs targeted at women business owners. In 2021, the KC WBC assisted 513 local small business owners. The Kansas City WBC shared their impactful work with Congress during a House Small Business Committee hearing chaired by Davids in June 2021.\n\n\u201cWomen are at the center of the American economy. They comprise nearly half the workforce and own an estimated 42 percent of all U.S. businesses,\u201d said Representative Nydia M. Vel\u00e1zquez (D-NY), Ranking Member, U.S. House Small Business Committee. \u201cThis bill will modernize and strengthen the WBC program to help ensure women entrepreneurs across the country have access to the counseling and training they need to thrive. I thank Rep. Davids for her work on this vital topic, and I\u2019m proud to introduce this bill that will boost women-owned businesses nationwide alongside her.\u201d\n\n\u201cAWBC applauds the recent introduction of the Women\u2019s Business Centers Improvement Act cosponsored by Congresswoman Sharice Davids and Nydia Velazquez,\u201d said Corinne Goble, CEO, Association of Women\u2019s Business Centers (AWBC). \u201cThis introduction follows our Annual Leadership Conference, where executives from the 145 Women\u2019s Business Centers (WBCs) gathered in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the WBC program, the 25th anniversary of AWBC as an organization, and advocate on Capitol Hill for program reauthorization. We appreciate our concerns being heard and are supportive of the progress being made in both the House of Representatives and Senate to bring the program into the 21st century. As the WBC program continues to prove its impact by serving hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs across the United States, we look forward to working with Congress to find a bipartisan avenue for its passage.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:35:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/davids-introduces-legislation-support-women-business-owners"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8911490440368652, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}