I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7105 

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 

A BILL 

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, 

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.— 


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

2 (15 U.S.C. 644(g)) is amended by adding at the end 

3 the following new paragraph: 

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

5 GOALS.—Only small business concerns owned and con6 trolled by women that have been certified under section 

7 8(m)(2)(E) shall be included in calculating the goals es8 tablished— 

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

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

11 business concerns owned and controlled by women 

12 under paragraph (2).’’. 

13 (2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 

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

15 after the end of the second fiscal year beginning 

16 after the Administrator issues the regulations re17 quired under subsection (b)(2). 

18 (b) REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO SELF-CERTIFIED

19 WOSBS.— 

20 (1) INCLUSION OF CERTAIN SELF-CERTIFIED

21 WOSBS IN GOALS.— 

22 (A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any 

23 other provision of law, a small business concern 

24 described in subparagraph (B) shall be deemed 

25 to have been certified by the Administrator or 


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1 a national certifying entity approved by the Ad2 ministrator under section 8(m) of the Small 

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

4 business concern owned and controlled by 

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

6 (15 U.S.C. 637(m)(2)(E)) for the purposes of 

7 calculating the goals described in paragraph (4) 

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

9 subsection (a) of this Act) until the Adminis10 trator or such a national certifying entity make 

11 a determination with respect to the certification 

12 of such concern. 

13 (B) SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS DE14 SCRIBED.—A small business concern described 

15 in this subparagraph is a small business con16 cern— 

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

18 business concern owned and controlled by 

19 women as of the date on which the amend20 ments made by subsection (a) take effect; 

21 (ii) that files a certification applica22 tion with the Administrator or a national 

23 certifying entity approved by the Adminis24 trator under section 8(m) of the Small 


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

2 such date; and 

3 (iii) for which the Administrator or 

4 such a national certifying entity does not 

5 make a determination prior to such date 

6 regarding certification pursuant to such 

7 certification application. 

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

9 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Ad10 ministrator shall issue regulations carrying out this 

11 section. 

12 (c) QUARTERLY BRIEFINGS REQUIRED.—Not later 

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

14 and on a quarterly basis thereafter until the date specified 

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

16 Committee on Small Business of the House of Representa17 tives and the Committee Small Business and Entrepre18 neurship of the Senate a briefing on the implementation 

19 of the requirements of this section. Such briefings shall 

20 include— 

21 (1) the total number of small business concerns 

22 expected to seek certification as a small business 

23 concern owned and controlled by women; 

24 (2) the number of applications for certification 

25 pending with the Administrator or a national certiVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:07 Feb 13, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7105.IH H7105

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1 fying entity approved by the Administrator under 

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

3 period covered by the briefing; 

4 (3) the total number of applications approved 

5 by the Administrator or such a national certifying 

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

7 (4) the timelines associated with processing 

8 such applications by the Administrator or such a na9 tional certifying entity between submission and ap10 proval; 

11 (5) the administrative costs to the Administra12 tion to make determinations on such applications 

13 and the estimated cost to such applicant to seek cer14 tification from a national certifying entity; 

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

16 and future outreach efforts to small business con17 cerns owned and controlled by women and to Fed18 eral agencies on the requirements of this Act; and 

19 (7) recommendations for additional legislative 

20 authority or resources required to fully implement 

21 the requirements of this Act. 

22 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

23 (1) ADMINISTRATION.—The term ‘‘Administra24 tion’’ means the Small Business Administration. 


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1 (2) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis2 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Small Busi3 ness Administration. 

4 (3) SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN.—The term 

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

6 under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 

7 U.S.C. 632). 

8 (4) SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN OWNED AND

9 CONTROLLED BY WOMEN.—The term ‘‘small busi10 ness concern owned and controlled by women’’ has 

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

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

13 (e) COMPLIANCE WITH CUTGO.—No additional 

14 amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

15 this Act or the amendments made by this Act. 

Æ 


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