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Union Calendar No. 322 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7105 

[Report No. 118–393] 

To establish requirements relating to certification of small business concerns 

owned and controlled by women for certain purposes, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 29, 2024 

Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ (for herself and Mr. LALOTA) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Small Business 

FEBRUARY 20, 2024 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 

and ordered to be printed 


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•HR 7105 RH

A BILL 

To establish requirements relating to certification of small 

business concerns owned and controlled by women for 

certain purposes, and for other purposes. 


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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

5 and Opportunity Expansion Act’’. 

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

7 CONCERNS OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY 

8 WOMEN FROM GOALS. 

9 (a) EXCLUSION OF SELF-CERTIFIED WOSBS FROM

10 GOVERNMENTWIDE AND AGENCY GOALS.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 15(g) of such Act 

12 (15 U.S.C. 644(g)) is amended by adding at the end 

13 the following new paragraph: 

14 ‘‘(4) EXCLUSION OF SELF-CERTIFIED WOSBS FROM

15 GOALS.—Only small business concerns owned and con16 trolled by women that have been certified under section 

17 8(m)(2)(E) shall be included in calculating the goals es18 tablished— 

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

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

21 business concerns owned and controlled by women 

22 under paragraph (2).’’. 

23 (2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 

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

25 after the end of the second fiscal year beginning 


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1 after the Administrator issues the regulations re2 quired under subsection (b)(2). 

3 (b) REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO SELF-CERTIFIED

4 WOSBS.— 

5 (1) INCLUSION OF CERTAIN SELF-CERTIFIED

6 WOSBS IN GOALS.— 

7 (A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any 

8 other provision of law, a small business concern 

9 described in subparagraph (B) shall be deemed 

10 to have been certified by the Administrator or 

11 a national certifying entity approved by the Ad12 ministrator under section 8(m) of the Small 

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

14 business concern owned and controlled by 

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

16 (15 U.S.C. 637(m)(2)(E)) for the purposes of 

17 calculating the goals described in paragraph (4) 

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

19 subsection (a) of this Act) until the Adminis20 trator or such a national certifying entity make 

21 a determination with respect to the certification 

22 of such concern. 

23 (B) SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS DE24 SCRIBED.—A small business concern described 


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1 in this subparagraph is a small business con2 cern— 

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

4 business concern owned and controlled by 

5 women as of the date on which the amend6 ments made by subsection (a) take effect; 

7 (ii) that files a certification applica8 tion with the Administrator or a national 

9 certifying entity approved by the Adminis10 trator under section 8(m) of the Small 

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

12 such date; and 

13 (iii) for which the Administrator or 

14 such a national certifying entity does not 

15 make a determination prior to such date 

16 regarding certification pursuant to such 

17 certification application. 

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

19 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Ad20 ministrator shall issue regulations carrying out this 

21 section. 

22 (c) QUARTERLY BRIEFINGS REQUIRED.—Not later 

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

24 and on a quarterly basis thereafter until the date specified 

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


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1 Committee on Small Business of the House of Representa2 tives and the Committee Small Business and Entrepre3 neurship of the Senate a briefing on the implementation 

4 of the requirements of this section. Such briefings shall 

5 include— 

6 (1) the total number of small business concerns 

7 expected to seek certification as a small business 

8 concern owned and controlled by women; 

9 (2) the number of applications for certification 

10 pending with the Administrator or a national certi11 fying entity approved by the Administrator under 

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

13 period covered by the briefing; 

14 (3) the total number of applications approved 

15 by the Administrator or such a national certifying 

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

17 (4) the timelines associated with processing 

18 such applications by the Administrator or such a na19 tional certifying entity between submission and ap20 proval; 

21 (5) the administrative costs to the Administra22 tion to make determinations on such applications 

23 and the estimated cost to such applicant to seek cer24 tification from a national certifying entity; 


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

2 and future outreach efforts to small business con3 cerns owned and controlled by women and to Fed4 eral agencies on the requirements of this Act; and 

5 (7) recommendations for additional legislative 

6 authority or resources required to fully implement 

7 the requirements of this Act. 

8 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

9 (1) ADMINISTRATION.—The term ‘‘Administra10 tion’’ means the Small Business Administration. 

11 (2) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis12 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Small Busi13 ness Administration. 

14 (3) SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN.—The term 

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

16 under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 

17 U.S.C. 632). 

18 (4) SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN OWNED AND

19 CONTROLLED BY WOMEN.—The term ‘‘small busi20 ness concern owned and controlled by women’’ has 

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

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

23 (e) COMPLIANCE WITH CUTGO.—No additional 

24 amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

25 this Act or the amendments made by this Act. 


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Union Calendar No. 322 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7105 

[Report No. 118–393] 

A BILL 

To establish requirements relating to certification 

purposes. by women for certain purposes, and for other of small business concerns owned and controlled 

FEBRUARY 20, 2024 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS