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Union Calendar No. 481 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5178 

[Report No. 115–628] 

To amend the Small Business Act to provide for small business concerns 

located in Puerto Rico, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 6, 2018 

Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Small Business 

APRIL 10, 2018 

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

and ordered to be printed 


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•HR 5178 RH

A BILL 

To amend the Small Business Act to provide for small business concerns located in Puerto Rico, and for other purposes. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
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•HR 5178 RH

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 ‘‘Puerto Rico Small 

5 Business Contracting Assistance Act of 2018’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF PUERTO RICO BUSINESS. 

7 Section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632) 

8 is amended by adding at the end the following new sub9 section: 

10 ‘‘(ee) PUERTO RICO BUSINESS.—In this Act, the 

11 term ‘Puerto Rico business’ means a small business con12 cern that has its principal office located in the Common13 wealth of Puerto Rico.’’. 

14 SEC. 3. SMALL BUSINESS CREDIT FOR PUERTO RICO BUSI15 NESSES. 

16 Section 15 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644) 

17 is amended by adding at the end the following new sub18 section: 

19 ‘‘(w) SMALL BUSINESS CREDIT FOR PUERTO RICO

20 BUSINESSES.— 

21 ‘‘(1) CREDIT FOR MEETING CONTRACTING

22 GOALS.—If an agency awards a prime contract to 

23 Puerto Rico business during the period beginning on 

24 the date of enactment of this subsection and ending 

25 on the date that is 4 years after such date of enactVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:35 Apr 10, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5178.RH H5178

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1 ment, the value of the contract shall be doubled for 

2 purposes of determining compliance with the goals 

3 for procurement contracts under subsection 

4 (g)(1)(A)(i) during such period. 

5 ‘‘(2) REPORT.—Along with the report required 

6 under subsection (h)(1), the head of each Federal 

7 agency shall submit to the Administrator, and make 

8 publicly available on the scorecard described in sec9 tion 868(b) of the National Defense Authorization 

10 Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (15 U.S.C. 644 note), an 

11 analysis of the number and dollar amount of prime 

12 contracts awarded pursuant to paragraph (1) for 

13 each fiscal year of the period described in such para14 graph.’’. 

15 SEC. 4. PRIORITY FOR SURPLUS PROPERTY TRANSFERS. 

16 Section 7(j)(13)(F) of the Small Business Act (15 

17 U.S.C. 636(j)(13)(F)) is amended by adding at the end 

18 the following new clause: 

19 ‘‘(iii)(I) In this clause, the term ‘covered period’ 

20 means the period beginning on the date of enact21 ment of this clause and ending on the date on which 

22 the Oversight Board established under section 101 

23 of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and 

24 Economic Stability Act (48 U.S.C. 2121) termi25 nates. 


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1 ‘‘(II) The Administrator may transfer tech2 nology or surplus property under clause (i) to a 

3 Puerto Rico business if the Puerto Rico business 

4 meets the requirements for such a transfer, without 

5 regard to whether the Puerto Rico business is a Pro6 gram Participant.’’. 

7 SEC. 5. CONTRACTING INCENTIVES FOR PROTEGE FIRMS 

8 THAT ARE PUERTO RICO BUSINESSES. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 45(a) of the Small Busi10 ness Act (15 U.S.C. 657r(a)) is amended by adding at 

11 the end the following new paragraph: 

12 ‘‘(3) PUERTO RICO BUSINESSES.—During the 

13 period beginning on the date of enactment of this 

14 paragraph and ending on the date on which the 

15 Oversight Board established under section 101 of 

16 the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Eco17 nomic Stability Act (48 U.S.C. 2121) terminates, 

18 the Administrator shall identify potential incentives 

19 to a covered mentor that awards a subcontract to its 

20 covered protege, including— 

21 ‘‘(A) positive consideration in any past per22 formance evaluation of the covered mentor; 

23 ‘‘(B) the application of costs incurred for 

24 providing training to such covered protege to 

25 the subcontracting plan (as required under 


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1 paragraph (4) or (5) of section 8(d)) of the cov2 ered mentor; and 

3 ‘‘(C) such other incentives as the Adminis4 trator determines appropriate.’’. 

5 (b) DEFINITIONS.—Section 45(d) of the Small Busi6 ness Act (15 U.S.C. 657r(d)) is amended by adding at 

7 the end the following new paragraphs: 

8 ‘‘(4) COVERED MENTOR.—The term ‘covered 

9 mentor’ means a mentor that enters into an agree10 ment under this Act, or under any mentor-protege 

11 program approved under subsection (b)(1), with a 

12 covered protege. 

13 ‘‘(5) COVERED PROTEGE.—The term ‘covered 

14 protege’ means a protege of a covered mentor that 

15 is a Puerto Rico business.’’. 

16 SEC. 6. ADDITIONAL MENTOR-PROTEGE RELATIONSHIPS 

17 FOR PROTEGE FIRMS THAT ARE PUERTO 

18 RICO BUSINESSES. 

19 Section 45(b)(3)(A) of the Small Business Act (15 

20 U.S.C. 657r(b)(3)(A)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, except 

21 that such restrictions shall not apply to up to 2 mentor22 protege relationships if such relationships are between a 

23 covered protege and covered mentor’’ after ‘‘each partici24 pant’’. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS

sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 481 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5178 

[Report No. 115–628] 

A BILL 

To amend the Small Business Act to provide for 

and for other purposes. small business concerns located in Puerto Rico, 

APRIL 10, 2018 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS