--- kind: "section" citation: "15 U.S.C. § 634c" title: "15" title_heading: "Commerce and Trade" number: "634c" heading: "Additional duties of Office of Advocacy" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/15/634c" units: - "Chapter 14A — Aid to Small Business" --- # §634c. Additional duties of Office of Advocacy - (a) **In general—** The Office of Advocacy shall also perform the following duties on a continuing basis: - (1) serve as a focal point for the receipt of complaints, criticisms, and suggestions concerning the policies and activities of the [Administration](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1) and any other [Federal agency](/usc/15/632.md?p=b) which affects small businesses; - (2) counsel small businesses on how to resolve questions and problems concerning the relationship of the small business to the Federal Government; - (3) develop proposals for changes in the policies and activities of any [agency](/usc/15/632.md?p=b) of the Federal Government which will better fulfill the purposes of the Small Business Act and communicate such proposals to the appropriate [Federal agencies](/usc/15/632.md?p=b); - (4) represent the views and interests of small businesses before other [Federal agencies](/usc/15/632.md?p=b) whose policies and activities may affect small business; - (5) enlist the cooperation and assistance of public and private [agencies](/usc/15/632.md?p=b), businesses, and other organizations in disseminating information about the programs and services provided by the Federal Government which are of benefit to small businesses, and information on how small businesses can participate in or make use of such programs and services; and - (6) carry out the responsibilities of the Office of Advocacy under chapter 6 of title 5. - (b) **Outreach and input from small businesses on trade promotion authority—** - (1) **Definitions—** In this subsection— - (A) the term “[agency](/usc/15/632.md?p=b)” has the meaning given the term in [section 551 of title 5](/usc/5/551.md); - (B) the term “Chief Counsel for Advocacy” means the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business [Administration](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1); - (C) the term “covered trade [agreement](/usc/15/7a.md?p=2)” means a trade [agreement](/usc/15/7a.md?p=2) being negotiated pursuant to [section 4202(b) of title 19](/usc/19/4202.md?p=b); and - (D) the term “Working Group” means the Interagency Working Group convened under [paragraph (2)(A)](#b-2-A). - (2) **Working group—** - (A) **In general—** Not later than 30 days after the date on which the President submits the notification required under [section 4204(a) of title 19](/usc/19/4204.md?p=a), the Chief Counsel for Advocacy shall convene an Interagency Working Group, which shall consist of an employee from each of the following [agencies](/usc/15/632.md?p=b), as selected by the head of the [agency](/usc/15/632.md?p=b) or an official delegated by the head of the [agency](/usc/15/632.md?p=b): - (i) The Office of the United States Trade Representative. - (ii) The Department of Commerce. - (iii) The Department of Agriculture. - (iv) Any other [agency](/usc/15/632.md?p=b) that the Chief Counsel for Advocacy, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative, determines to be relevant with respect to the subject of the covered trade [agreement](/usc/15/7a.md?p=2). - (B) **Views of small businesses—** Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Chief Counsel for Advocacy convenes the Working Group under [subparagraph (A)](#b-2-A), the Chief Counsel for Advocacy shall identify a diverse group of small businesses, representatives of small businesses, or a combination thereof, to provide to the Working Group the views of small businesses in the manufacturing, services, and agriculture industries on the potential economic effects of the covered trade [agreement](/usc/15/7a.md?p=2). - (3) **Report—** - (A) **In general—** Not later than 180 days after the date on which the Chief Counsel for Advocacy convenes the Working Group under [paragraph (2)(A)](#b-2-A), the Chief Counsel for Advocacy shall submit to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives a report on the economic impacts of the covered trade [agreement](/usc/15/7a.md?p=2) on small businesses, which shall— - (i) identify the most important priorities, opportunities, and challenges to various industries from the covered trade [agreement](/usc/15/7a.md?p=2); - (ii) assess the impact for new small businesses to start exporting, or increase their exports, to markets in countries that are parties to the covered trade [agreement](/usc/15/7a.md?p=2); - (iii) analyze the competitive position of industries likely to be significantly affected by the covered trade [agreement](/usc/15/7a.md?p=2); - (iv) identify— - (I) any [State](/usc/15/15g.md?p=2)-owned enterprises in each country participating in negotiations for the covered trade [agreement](/usc/15/7a.md?p=2) that could pose a threat to small businesses; and - (II) any steps to take to create a level playing field for those small businesses; - (v) identify any rule of an [agency](/usc/15/632.md?p=b) that should be modified to become compliant with the covered trade [agreement](/usc/15/7a.md?p=2); and - (vi) include an overview of the methodology used to develop the report, including the number of small business participants by industry, how those small businesses were selected, and any other factors that the Chief Counsel for Advocacy may determine appropriate. - (B) **Delayed submission—** To ensure that negotiations for the covered trade [agreement](/usc/15/7a.md?p=2) are not disrupted, the President may require that the Chief Counsel for Advocacy delay submission of the report under [subparagraph (A)](#b-3-A) until after the negotiations for the covered trade [agreement](/usc/15/7a.md?p=2) are concluded, provided that the delay allows the Chief Counsel for Advocacy to submit the report to Congress not later than 45 days before the Senate or the House of Representatives acts to approve or disapprove the covered trade [agreement](/usc/15/7a.md?p=2). - (C) **Avoidance of duplication—** The Chief Counsel for Advocacy shall, to the extent practicable, coordinate the submission of the report under this paragraph with the United States International Trade Commission, the United States Trade Representative, other [agencies](/usc/15/632.md?p=b), and trade advisory committees to avoid unnecessary duplication of reporting requirements. ## Source credit (Pub. L. 94–305, title II, § 203, June 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 669; Pub. L. 111–240, title I, § 1602(a), Sept. 27, 2010, 124 Stat. 2551; Pub. L. 114–125, title V, § 502, Feb. 24, 2016, 130 Stat. 172.) ## Notes ### Editorial Notes ### References in Text The Small Business Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(3), is Pub. L. 85–536, § 2(1 et seq.), July 18, 1958, 72 Stat. 384, which is classified generally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 631 of this title and Tables. ### Codification Section was not enacted as part of the Small Business Act which comprises this chapter. ### Amendments 2016—Pub. L. 114–125 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, and added subsec. (b). 2010—Par. (6). Pub. L. 111–240 added par. (6). ### Executive Documents ### Delegation of Authority Under 15 U.S.C. 634c(b)(3)(B) Memorandum of President of the United States, Oct. 9, 2020, 85 F.R. 65631, provided: Memorandum for the United States Trade Representative By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby delegate to the United States Trade Representative the authority vested in the President by section 634c(b)(3)(B) of title 15, United States Code. You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.