H.R.1642 - Connecting Small Businesses with Career and Technical Education Graduates Act of 2025 (119th Congress)
Summary
H.R.1642, the "Connecting Small Businesses with Career and Technical Education Graduates Act of 2025," aims to amend the Small Business Act to better integrate career and technical education (CTE) programs with small business development centers (SBDCs) and women's business centers (WBCs). The bill seeks to provide educational information to small businesses about hiring CTE graduates and utilizing CTE programs to meet their hiring needs. It also aims to inform CTE programs about how their students and graduates can access SBDC and WBC resources to start and expand small businesses.
Expected Effects
The likely effect of this bill is increased collaboration between small businesses and CTE programs. This could lead to a better-prepared workforce and more opportunities for CTE graduates to start their own businesses. Ultimately, this could stimulate economic growth at the local level.
Potential Benefits
- Improved workforce readiness: Small businesses gain access to a pipeline of skilled CTE graduates.
- Increased entrepreneurship: CTE graduates are provided with resources to start their own businesses.
- Enhanced economic growth: Connecting small businesses with CTE programs can lead to innovation and job creation.
- Better alignment of education with industry needs: CTE programs can tailor their curriculum to meet the specific needs of local businesses.
- Support for women-owned small businesses: Women's Business Centers will specifically focus on connecting women-owned businesses with CTE programs.
Potential Disadvantages
- Potential for increased administrative burden: SBDCs and WBCs may face increased workload to implement these new requirements.
- Limited scope: The bill focuses solely on CTE programs and may not address other workforce development needs.
- Uneven implementation: The effectiveness of the bill may vary depending on the resources and commitment of individual SBDCs and WBCs.
- Possible mismatch of skills: There could be a mismatch between the skills taught in CTE programs and the actual needs of small businesses.
- Lack of funding: The bill does not explicitly allocate additional funding to support the new requirements, which could strain existing resources.
Constitutional Alignment
The bill appears to align with the spirit of the Constitution, particularly the General Welfare Clause (Preamble). By promoting economic growth and opportunity through small business development and workforce training, the bill aims to "promote the general Welfare." Furthermore, Article I, Section 8 grants Congress the power to make laws necessary and proper for carrying out its enumerated powers, which could be interpreted to include supporting small businesses and education.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).