School of Economics professor Danny Boston spoke with the Senate Small Business Committee about Minority Entrepreneurship: Evaluating Small Business Resources and Programs on Thursday, September 24, 2009.

In 1998 the SDB Program sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration was modified by the
establishment of the Personal net worth (PNW) ceiling or cap. The $750,000 ceiling was designed to
narrowly tailor the SDB Program in response to the US Supreme Court's decision in the case of Adarand.
While the modification was intended to restrict the access to federal preferential procurement to
disadvantaged business owners, in practice the ceiling has severely constrained the capacity of
participating firms. Increasing the PNW ceiling is a necessary condition, but it is a very short" run solution
to a major regulatory impediment.

To continue reading Dr. Boston's written statement, see the Business Development Index Summary below