1. (a) In this section, program means the Pilot Program for Small Business Development by Ex-Offenders.

2. (b)

   1. (1) On or before October 1, 2022, subject to the availability of funds, the Board of Pardons and Paroles, in consultation with the Department of Corrections, shall establish the PREP pilot program to assist individuals exiting the correctional system by providing both of the following:

      1. a. Training, in consultation with J. F. Ingram State Technical College, in how to establish small businesses.
      2. b. Assistance in obtaining funding to establish small businesses.
   2. (2) The Board of Pardons and Paroles and the Department of Corrections may coordinate with other entities, including J. F. Ingram State Technical College, which offer to provide resources for the program, including funding, training, and mentoring services.
   3. (3) Assist the individual in obtaining financing for the individual’s small business through the Alabama Small Business Incubator Act, Sections 41-23-60 to 41-23-66, inclusive, or through other sources.

3. (c) The Board of Pardons and Paroles in consultation with the Department of Corrections shall develop an evaluation process for the program that includes a mechanism to evaluate whether the program developed and operated by the Department of Corrections has operated to encourage the establishment of stable small businesses by individuals who:

   1. (1) Have completed the Prison Entrepreneurship Training Program during the last two years of incarceration.
   2. (2) Have identified an interest or a skill set that indicates a likelihood of successful implementation of the business plan proposed by the individual.
4. (d) An individual selected to participate in the program shall receive training and mentoring in the development of a business plan and related business subjects.

5. (e) The Board of Pardons and Paroles and the Department of Corrections shall develop an evaluation process as prescribed in this section for the program developed and operated by the Board of Pardons and Paroles that does all the following:

   1. (1) Provide training locations, participants, and funding for individuals who did not receive entrepreneurship training during incarceration.
   2. (2) That need training on how to start a business.
   3. (3) Partner an individual participating in the program with a mentor who will guide the individual over a three-year period following the implementation of the individual’s business plan.
6. (f) The Board of Pardons and Paroles and the Department of Corrections shall report to the Legislature and the Legislative Services Agency annually by the fifth legislative day of each regular session of the Legislature, on the effectiveness of the pilot program established under this section in assisting individuals who have completed the Prison Entrepreneurship Training Program and who have been recently released from the correctional system in establishing successful, stable small businesses.
7. (g) This section shall take effect July 1, 2022. It shall remain effective for a period of five years and six months. On December 31, 2027, with no further action required by the Legislature, this section shall be repealed and of no further force and effect.
8. (h) Any funds appropriated by the Legislature for this program shall be designated to the Board of Pardons and Paroles, the Department of Corrections, and J. F. Ingram State Technical College.

(Act 2022-248, §1.)