IC 5-28-17
    Chapter 17. Small Business Development

IC 5-28-17-1
Powers and duties of corporation
    Sec. 1. (a) The corporation shall do the following to carry out thischapter:
        (1) Contribute to the strengthening of the economy of Indianaby encouraging the organization and development of newbusiness enterprises, including technologically orientedenterprises.
        (2) Submit an annual report to the governor and to the generalassembly not later than November 1 of each year. The annualreport must:
            (A) include detailed information on the structure, operation,and financial status of the corporation, including:
                (i) detailed information on the corporation's efforts tosupport the development of small businesses under thischapter; and
                (ii) an evaluation of the results of the corporation's effortsto encourage the development of small businesses underthis chapter; and
            (B) be in an electronic format under IC 5-14-6.
        The board shall conduct an annual public hearing to receivecomment from interested parties regarding the annual report,and notice of the hearing shall be given at least fourteen (14)days before the hearing in accordance with IC 5-14-1.5-5(b).
        (3) Approve and administer loans from the microenterprisepartnership program fund established by IC 5-28-18.
        (4) Conduct activities for nontraditional entrepreneurs underIC 5-28-18.
        (5) Establish and administer the small and minority businessfinancial assistance program under IC 5-28-20.
        (6) Establish and administer the microenterprise partnershipprogram under IC 5-28-19.
        (7) Assist small businesses in obtaining state and federal taxincentives.
        (8) Maintain, through the Small Business Development Centers,a statewide network of public, private, and educationalresources to, among other things, inform small businesses of thestate and federal programs under which they may obtainfinancial assistance or realize reduced costs through programssuch as the small employer health insurance pooling programunder IC 27-8-5-16(8).
    (b) The corporation may do the following to carry out thischapter:
        (1) Receive money from any source, enter into contracts, andexpend money for any activities appropriate to its purpose.
        (2) Do all other things necessary or incidental to carrying outthe corporation's functions under this chapter.        (3) Establish programs to identify entrepreneurs withmarketable ideas and to support the organization anddevelopment of new business enterprises, includingtechnologically oriented enterprises.
        (4) Conduct conferences and seminars to provide entrepreneurswith access to individuals and organizations with specializedexpertise.
        (5) Establish a statewide network of public, private, andeducational resources to assist the organization anddevelopment of new enterprises.
        (6) Operate a small business assistance center to provide smallbusinesses, including minority owned businesses and businessesowned by women, with access to managerial and technicalexpertise and to provide assistance in resolving problemsencountered by small businesses.
        (7) Cooperate with public and private entities, including theIndiana Small Business Development Center Network and thefederal government marketing program, in exercising thepowers listed in this subsection.
        (8) Establish and administer the small and minority businessfinancial assistance program under IC 5-28-20.
        (9) Approve and administer loans from the microenterprisepartnership program fund established by IC 5-28-18.
        (10) Coordinate state funded programs that assist theorganization and development of new enterprises.
As added by P.L.4-2005, SEC.34. Amended by P.L.56-2009, SEC.3.

IC 5-28-17-2
Debts of small business development corporation
    Sec. 2. Debts incurred by the small business developmentcorporation under authority of IC 4-3-12 (before its repeal) do notrepresent or constitute a debt of the state within the meaning of theConstitution of the State of Indiana or Indiana statutes. Thecorporation may not incur debt under this chapter. However, thecorporation shall assume the debt of the small business developmentcorporation that is outstanding on the date the small businessdevelopment corporation is abolished.
As added by P.L.4-2005, SEC.34.

IC 5-28-17-3
Access to small business division
    Sec. 3. The corporation's small business division described inIC 5-28-5-6.5 shall provide free access to the office's servicesthrough:
        (1) a toll free telephone number; and
        (2) an Internet web page maintained on the corporation's website.
As added by P.L.56-2009, SEC.4.
IC 5-28-17-4
Application of chapter
    Sec. 4. This chapter may not be construed to limit thecorporation's ability to carry out its responsibilities under this chapterwith respect to a business that:
        (1) the corporation considers to be a small business; and
        (2) does not meet the definition of a small business set forth inIC 5-28-2-6.
As added by P.L.56-2009, SEC.5.

IC 5-28-17-5
Small business ombudsman; designation; duties
    Sec. 5. The board shall designate an employee in the smallbusiness division to be the small business ombudsman. The smallbusiness ombudsman serves at the pleasure of the board. Thecorporation shall provide staff support to the small businessombudsman. The small business ombudsman shall carry out thefollowing duties:
        (1) Work with state agencies to permit increased enforcementflexibility and the ability to grant common sense exemptions forfirst time offenders of state rules and policies, including,notwithstanding any other law, policies for the compromise ofinterest and penalties related to a listed tax (as defined inIC 6-8.1-1-1) and other taxes and fees collected or administeredby a state agency.
        (2) Work with state agencies to seek ways to consolidate formsand eliminate the duplication of paperwork, harmonize data,and coordinate due dates.
        (3) Coordinate with OMB (as defined in IC 4-3-22-3) toperform cost benefit analyses.
        (4) Work with state agencies to monitor any outdated,ineffective, or overly burdensome information requests fromstate agencies to small businesses.
        (5) Carry out the duties specified under IC 4-22-2-28 andIC 4-22-2.1 to review proposed rules and participate inrulemaking actions that affect small businesses.
        (6) Coordinate with the ombudsmen designated underIC 13-28-3-2 and the office of voluntary compliance establishedby IC 13-28-1-1 to coordinate the provision of services requiredunder IC 4-22-2-28.1 and IC 13-28-3.
        (7) Prepare written and electronic information for periodicdistribution to small businesses describing the small businessservices provided by coordinators (as defined in IC 4-3-22-16)and work with the office of technology established byIC 4-13.1-2-1 to place information concerning the availabilityof these services on state Internet web sites that the smallbusiness ombudsman or a state agency determines are mostlikely to be visited by small business owners and managers.
        (8) Assist in training agency coordinators that will be assignedto rules under IC 4-22-2-28.1(e).        (9) Investigate and attempt to resolve any matter regardingcompliance by a small business with a law, rule, or policyadministered by a state agency, either as a party to a proceedingor as a mediator.
State agencies shall cooperate with the small business ombudsmanto carry out the purpose of this section. The department of staterevenue and the department of workforce development shall establisha program to distribute the information described in subdivision (7)to small businesses that are required to file returns or informationwith these state agencies.
As added by P.L.110-2010, SEC.11.