Davids Introduces Legislation to Support Women Business Owners
Recently, Representative Sharice Davids (KS-03), along with Representative Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), introduced the Women’s Business Centers Improvement Act, which would increase access to resources and opportunities for women entrepreneurs in Kansas and across the country. Davids’ bill passed the U.S. House with bipartisan support in 2019 and 2022.
The Women’s 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 — 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.
“While 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’s Business Centers, we can increase access to credit and vital training services that help set entrepreneurs up for success,” said Davids. “The Third District has an amazing entrepreneurial ecosystem, and I’m proud to lead bipartisan legislation that will spur even further innovation and economic opportunity here at home.”
“As the Executive Director of the Kansas City WBC, I am thrilled to see Representatives Sharice Davids’ and Nydia Velazquez’s leadership in introducing legislation to reauthorize the WBC program,” said Brande Stitt, Executive Director, Kansas City Women’s Business Center. “Amidst 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’ 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.”
The Women’s 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’s Business Centers to ensure all WBCs provide excellent service and counseling.
The 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.
“Women 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,” said Representative Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Ranking Member, U.S. House Small Business Committee. “This 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’m proud to introduce this bill that will boost women-owned businesses nationwide alongside her.”
“AWBC applauds the recent introduction of the Women’s Business Centers Improvement Act cosponsored by Congresswoman Sharice Davids and Nydia Velazquez,” said Corinne Goble, CEO, Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC). “This introduction follows our Annual Leadership Conference, where executives from the 145 Women’s 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.”
Davids believes entrepreneurship is baked into the DNA of the Kansas Third District and has worked to support local small businesses since coming to Congress. Most recently, she toured a local childcare facility to highlight how federal investments have supported the workforce and daily operations of local child care small businesses. Davids also led bipartisan legislation with Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO-03) to help veteran entrepreneurs access SBA resources. She’s also helped ensure proper oversight of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and questioned SBA Administrator Guzman on the SBA's efforts to support fraud victims in Johnson County.