Florida Senate - 2025 (NP) SR 1888 By Senator Jones 34-03484-25 20251888__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution recognizing April 23, 2025, as “National 3 Association of Women Business Owners Day” in Florida. 4 5 WHEREAS, in 1975, a dozen like-minded businesswomen in the 6 Washington, D.C., area gathered to share information and create 7 an atmosphere of professional community and to further and 8 strengthen their entrepreneurial interests, and 9 WHEREAS, this group quickly grew to become what is now 10 known as the National Association of Women Business Owners 11 (NAWBO), and 12 WHEREAS, in 1988, NAWBO played a key role in the passage of 13 the Women’s Business Ownership Act, also known as H.R. 5050, 14 which allowed women to receive business loans without the 15 cosignature of a male relative, and 16 WHEREAS, the federal legislation also created the National 17 Women’s Business Council, a panel of women entrepreneurs and 18 women’s organizations which provides counsel to the President 19 and members of Congress, and 20 WHEREAS, NAWBO strongly supports the achievement of state 21 and federal procurement goals for women-owned small businesses 22 and other steps designed to ensure that women business owners 23 win their fair share of state and federal contracts, realizing 24 that the failure to achieve such goals has cost women business 25 owners an average of $5 billion in lost revenues per year, and 26 WHEREAS, over the past 50 years, NAWBO, has expanded across 27 the United States, boasting a chapter in nearly every major 28 metropolitan area, including 5 chapters in Florida: Miami, Fort 29 Lauderdale/Broward County, Southwest Florida/Estero, Orlando, 30 and Lakeland Metro, and 31 WHEREAS, through its affiliation with the World Association 32 of Women Entrepreneurs, NAWBO has extended its global reach to 33 60 countries on 5 continents, and 34 WHEREAS, NAWBO propels women entrepreneurs into economic, 35 social, and political spheres of power by strengthening the 36 wealth-creating capacity of its members and promoting economic 37 development within the entrepreneurial community; creating 38 innovative and effective change in the business culture; 39 building strategic alliances, coalitions, and affiliations; and 40 transforming public policy and influencing opinion makers, and 41 WHEREAS, on April 23, 2025, the Florida chapters of NAWBO 42 will converge upon the Capitol to focus the political spotlight 43 on issues affecting women business owners and to celebrate the 44 50th anniversary of NAWBO’s founding, NOW, THEREFORE, 45 46 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 47 48 That April 23, 2025, is recognized as “National Association 49 of Women Business Owners Day” in Florida.