IIB 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7105 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 29, 2024 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and 

Entrepreneurship 

AN ACT 

To establish requirements relating to certification of small 

business concerns owned and controlled by women for 

certain purposes, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘WOSB Certification 

3 and Opportunity Expansion Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. EXCLUSION OF SELF-CERTIFIED SMALL BUSINESS 

5 CONCERNS OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY 

6 WOMEN FROM GOALS. 

7 (a) EXCLUSION OF SELF-CERTIFIED WOSBS FROM

8 GOVERNMENTWIDE AND AGENCY GOALS.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 15(g) of the Small 

10 Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644(g)) is amended by add11 ing at the end the following new paragraph: 

12 ‘‘(4) EXCLUSION OF SELF-CERTIFIED WOSBS

13 FROM GOALS.—Only small business concerns owned 

14 and controlled by women that have been certified 

15 under section 8(m)(2)(E) shall be included in calcu16 lating the goals established— 

17 ‘‘(A) under paragraph (1)(A)(v); and 

18 ‘‘(B) by the head of a Federal agency for 

19 small business concerns owned and controlled 

20 by women under paragraph (2).’’. 

21 (2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 

22 by paragraph (1) shall take effect on the first day 

23 after the end of the second fiscal year beginning 

24 after the Administrator issues the regulations re25 quired under subsection (b)(2). 


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1 (b) REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO SELF-CERTIFIED

2 WOSBS.— 

3 (1) INCLUSION OF CERTAIN SELF-CERTIFIED

4 WOSBS IN GOALS.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any 

6 other provision of law, a small business concern 

7 described in subparagraph (B) shall be deemed 

8 to have been certified by the Administrator or 

9 a national certifying entity approved by the Ad10 ministrator under section 8(m) of the Small 

11 Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)) as a small 

12 business concern owned and controlled by 

13 women under paragraph (2)(E) of such section 

14 (15 U.S.C. 637(m)(2)(E)) for the purposes of 

15 calculating the goals described in paragraph (4) 

16 of section 15(g) of the such Act (as added by 

17 subsection (a) of this Act) until the Adminis18 trator or such a national certifying entity make 

19 a determination with respect to the certification 

20 of such concern. 

21 (B) SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS DE22 SCRIBED.—A small business concern described 

23 in this subparagraph is a small business con24 cern— 


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1 (i) that is self-certified as a small 

2 business concern owned and controlled by 

3 women as of the date on which the amend4 ments made by subsection (a) take effect; 

5 (ii) that files a certification applica6 tion with the Administrator or a national 

7 certifying entity approved by the Adminis8 trator under section 8(m) of the Small 

9 Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)) prior to 

10 such date; and 

11 (iii) for which the Administrator or 

12 such a national certifying entity does not 

13 make a determination prior to such date 

14 regarding certification pursuant to such 

15 certification application. 

16 (2) RULEMAKING.—Not later than one year 

17 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Ad18 ministrator shall issue regulations carrying out this 

19 section. 

20 (c) QUARTERLY BRIEFINGS REQUIRED.—Not later 

21 than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act 

22 and on a quarterly basis thereafter until the date specified 

23 in subsection (b), the Administrator shall provide to the 

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1 neurship of the Senate a briefing on the implementation 

2 of the requirements of this section. Such briefings shall 

3 include— 

4 (1) the total number of small business concerns 

5 expected to seek certification as a small business 

6 concern owned and controlled by women; 

7 (2) the number of applications for certification 

8 pending with the Administrator or a national certi9 fying entity approved by the Administrator under 

10 section 8(m) of the Small Business Act during the 

11 period covered by the briefing; 

12 (3) the total number of applications approved 

13 by the Administrator or such a national certifying 

14 entity since the date of the enactment of this Act; 

15 (4) the timelines associated with processing 

16 such applications by the Administrator or such a na17 tional certifying entity between submission and ap18 proval; 

19 (5) the administrative costs to the Administra20 tion to make determinations on such applications 

21 and the estimated cost to such applicant to seek cer22 tification from a national certifying entity; 

23 (6) a discussion of the Administrator’s current 

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1 cerns owned and controlled by women and to Fed2 eral agencies on the requirements of this Act; and 

3 (7) recommendations for additional legislative 

4 authority or resources required to fully implement 

5 the requirements of this Act. 

6 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

7 (1) ADMINISTRATION.—The term ‘‘Administra8 tion’’ means the Small Business Administration. 

9 (2) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis10 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Small Busi11 ness Administration. 

12 (3) SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN.—The term 

13 ‘‘small business concern’’ has the meaning given 

14 under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 

15 U.S.C. 632). 

16 (4) SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN OWNED AND

17 CONTROLLED BY WOMEN.—The term ‘‘small busi18 ness concern owned and controlled by women’’ has 

19 the meaning given the term in section 8(m) of the 

20 Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)). 


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1 (e) COMPLIANCE WITH CUTGO.—No additional 

2 amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

3 this Act or the amendments made by this Act. 

Passed the House of Representatives February 28, 

2024. 

Attest: KEVIN F. MCCUMBER, 

Clerk. 


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