I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6845 

To require officials of the Department of Defense to provide a briefing 

on the implementation of category management memorandum, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 15, 2023 

Mr. THANEDAR introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To require officials of the Department of Defense to provide 

a briefing on the implementation of category management memorandum, 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 ‘‘Equitable Contracting 

5 and Small Business Advancement Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. BRIEFING ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CAT7 EGORY MANAGEMENT MEMORANDUM. 

8 (a) BRIEFING REQUIRED.—Not later than 120 days 

9 after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 


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1 thereafter, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition 

2 and Sustainment and the Director of the Office of Small 

3 Business Programs of the Department of Defense shall 

4 jointly provide to the appropriate congressional commit5 tees a briefing on the implementation of the memorandum 

6 by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and 

7 Sustainment entitled ‘‘Achieving Small Business Goals 

8 through Category Management Practices’’ and dated Jan9 uary 27, 2023. 

10 (b) CONTENTS.—Each briefing required under sub11 section (a) shall include the following: 

12 (1) The effects of the implementation of the 

13 memorandum described in subsection (a) on con14 tracting opportunities for small businesses. 

15 (2) The tools and data analysis that are being 

16 used to support small business concerns in procure17 ment decisions to increase small business opportuni18 ties. 

19 (3) The strategic efforts that have been taken 

20 to achieve the small business participation goals of 

21 the Department of Defense through the use of exist22 ing and open market contracts to reach a mix of 

23 new entrants, seasoned 8(a) companies, and other 

24 small disadvantaged businesses. 


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1 (4) The opportunities that have been identified 

2 to transition from bundled or consolidated contracts 

3 without small business participation to contracts 

4 with small business participation or to use small 

5 business set-aside competition. 

6 (5) The metrics the Department of Defense has 

7 established to measure the effects of the implemen8 tation of the memorandum described in subsection 

9 (a) on opportunities for small businesses to contract 

10 with the Department. 

11 (6) The success stories of small business par12 ticipation with the Department of Defense that the 

13 Department has identified and is sharing in industry 

14 engagements. 

15 (7) The sufficiency of the educational resources 

16 identified in the memorandum described in sub17 section (a). 

18 (8) Any recommendations on additional steps 

19 the Department of Defense can take to maximize 

20 small business participation with the Department 

21 through category management practices. 

22 (c) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DE23 FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congres24 sional committees’’ means— 


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1 (1) the Committees on Armed Services and 

2 Small Business of the House of Representatives; and 

3 (2) the Committees on Armed Services and on 

4 Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate. 

Æ 


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