BILL REQ. #:  H-0930.2 

Read first time 01/30/2007.   Referred to Committee on Higher Education.

     AN ACT Relating to the creation of the business school association for small business growth; adding a new section to chapter 28B.20 RCW; and making appropriations.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 28B.20 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The business school association for small business growth is created at the University of Washington with the mission to provide students with real world business experience while also providing technical and consulting services to the state's small business community. The business school association for small business growth shall connect students, faculty, and staff from Washington's higher education institutions with small businesses and the nonprofit community to expand students' knowledge and skills, help small businesses grow, create and retain jobs, open educational opportunities for underrepresented minority students, and stimulate innovative economic development research.
     (2) The association shall be coordinated by the University of Washington's business and economic development center. As convener and coordinator of the association, the staff of the University of Washington's business and economic development center shall:
     (a) Provide technical assistance during the application process;
     (b) Convene an application review committee to accept new schools into the association;
     (c) Attend at least one advisory meeting for each center annually;
     (d) Support the business assistance centers' directors in their work through on-site technical assistance;
     (e) Organize and convene three all-day meetings annually for the directors and faculty leaders;
     (f) Conduct an evaluation of each center's work annually with the goal of improving each center's work; and
     (g) Provide an annual report to the legislature on the results of the association's work.
     (3) In order to be eligible for the association, a school must submit a three-year work plan that includes:
     (a) Guidelines for the local advisory board, including names of likely participants;
     (b) The resume of the small business assistance center director;
     (c) The resume of the faculty member who will teach the multicultural business development course;
     (d) A draft curriculum for a small business consulting course that will be offered each year through which students will provide consulting services to small businesses; and
     (e) Descriptions of the small business seminars or workshops that will be offered.
     (4) Applications will be accepted once per year. Although the process is competitive, the association should be representative of all areas of the state and serve as many communities as possible. The University of Washington business and economic development center staff may provide technical assistance to applicants if necessary.
     (5) Membership to the association shall be granted in three-year terms. Current and previous members may apply for continuing membership.
     (6) Association members must:
     (a) Develop a local advisory board of small business owners, faculty or administrators from the business school or program, and corporate leaders, of which at least fifty percent are women or persons of color, to guide the institution's work with small businesses;
     (b) Support the success of a small business assistance center within the business school or program;
     (c) Offer at least two project-based multicultural business development classes in which students serve as consultants with at least ten small businesses in their region;
     (d) Develop and offer seminars and workshops for small business owners to improve their understanding of financial management, marketing, business growth strategies, or other relevant topics;
     (e) Participate in three full-day meetings per year convened by the University of Washington business school's business and economic development center that focus on curriculum development, small business research, and other relevant topics;
     (f) Secure at least ten percent of the small business assistance center's budget from local funding sources; and
     (g) Provide an annual written report to the association's coordinator describing the center's work and its results, including the number of new jobs created and the amount of new revenues generated.
     (7)(a) While coordinated by the University of Washington's business and economic development center, funding, subject to state appropriation, will be available through this association for use by each of the state's four-year colleges and universities with a business school to participate in the association's work. Additional funding will also be available to community and technical colleges who become members of the association to fund, in part, their work as part of the association.
     (b) Subject to state funding, each member of the association shall receive a grant as base funding for their small business assistance work which may be used for: Salaries and benefits for faculty teaching the small business assistance courses; salaries and benefits for the faculty or staff who identify businesses needing student team assistance; direct expenses for small business seminars; travel, hotel, and per diem for attending the three yearly association meetings; and hosting expenses for the local advisory board meetings.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) The sum of five hundred thousand dollars is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, from the general fund to the University of Washington for the purposes of this act, including section 1(7) of this act.
     (2) The sum of five hundred thousand dollars is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, from the general fund to the University of Washington for the purposes of this act, including section 1(7) of this act.