Sponsors (2)
The bill increases access to entrepreneurship education for underrepresented K–12 students and clarifies program roles while providing modest federal funding and reporting — but it relies heavily on nonprofit volunteers, introduces new administrative and budgetary trade‑offs, and may deliver only uncertain, long‑term economic benefits.
Underrepresented K–12 students (girls, minorities, English learners, students with disabilities, rural and low‑income youth) gain structured access to entrepreneurship and inventorship education through community learning centers and SCORE partnerships, increasing exposure to business skills and career pathways.
The bill authorizes dedicated federal support ($2.5M per year, FY2026–2030) and requires regular biennial reporting, providing stable funding and greater transparency to sustain partnerships and measure program reach and effectiveness.
Clarifying and standardizing statutory program terms and references reduces ambiguity about SBA program identities and eligibility, helping SBA and partner organizations implement outreach and services more efficiently.
Nonprofits and volunteers (e.g., SCORE) bear implementation burdens and operational strain—relying on volunteer capacity may limit program reach, create uneven access across communities, and shift costs onto local partners.
The program depends on limited volunteer availability and local partnerships; even with federal funding, constrained volunteer capacity could restrict the number of students served, especially in high‑need areas.
Authorizing $2.5M per year creates new federal spending paid by taxpayers, which could increase deficits or crowd out other priorities, even though the amount is modest.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Requires the SBA to develop a SCORE-led entrepreneurship and inventorship curriculum for underrepresented K–12 students via community learning centers and authorizes $2.5M/year for FY2026–2030.
Introduced March 18, 2026 by Catherine Marie Cortez Masto · Last progress March 18, 2026
Requires the Small Business Administration to create and run an entrepreneurship and inventorship curriculum delivered by SCORE volunteers to underrepresented K–12 students in community learning centers, and to form partnerships with education and business groups to expand reach. It authorizes $2.5 million per year for fiscal years 2026–2030, allows the SBA to transfer funds to SCORE, and requires biennial reporting on program activities and outcomes.