I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1816 
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 
MARCH 3, 2025 
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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘WOSB Accountability 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. EXCLUSION OF SELF-CERTIFIED SMALL BUSINESS 
CONCERNS OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY 
WOMEN FROM GOALS. 
(a) EXCLUSION OF SELF-CERTIFIED WOSBS FROM 
GOVERNMENTWIDE AND AGENCY GOALS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 15(g) of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644(g)) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) EXCLUSION
OF
SELF-CERTIFIED
WOSBS 
FROM GOALS.—Only small business concerns owned 
and controlled by women that have been certified 
under section 8(m)(2)(E) shall be included in calcu-
lating the goals established— 
‘‘(A) under paragraph (1)(A)(v); and 
‘‘(B) by the head of a Federal agency for 
small business concerns owned and controlled 
by women under paragraph (2).’’. 
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 
by paragraph (1) shall take effect on the first day 
after the end of the second fiscal year beginning 
after the Administrator issues the regulations re-
quired under subsection (b)(2). 
(b) REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO SELF-CERTIFIED 
WOSBS.— 
(1) INCLUSION
OF
CERTAIN
SELF-CERTIFIED 
WOSBS IN GOALS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, a small business concern 
described in subparagraph (B) shall be deemed 
to have been certified by the Administrator or 
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a national certifying entity approved by the Ad-
ministrator under section 8(m) of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)) as a small 
business concern owned and controlled by 
women under paragraph (2)(E) of such section 
(15 U.S.C. 637(m)(2)(E)) for the purposes of 
calculating the goals described in paragraph (4) 
of section 15(g) of the such Act (as added by 
subsection (a) of this Act) until the Adminis-
trator or such a national certifying entity make 
a determination with respect to the certification 
of such concern. 
(B) SMALL
BUSINESS
CONCERNS
DE-
SCRIBED.—A small business concern described 
in this subparagraph is a small business con-
cern— 
(i) that is self-certified as a small 
business concern owned and controlled by 
women as of the date on which the amend-
ments made by subsection (a) take effect; 
(ii) that files a certification applica-
tion with the Administrator or a national 
certifying entity approved by the Adminis-
trator under section 8(m) of the Small 
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Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)) prior to 
such date; and 
(iii) for which the Administrator or 
such a national certifying entity does not 
make a determination prior to such date 
regarding certification pursuant to such 
certification application. 
(2) RULEMAKING.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Ad-
ministrator shall issue regulations carrying out this 
section. 
(c) QUARTERLY BRIEFINGS REQUIRED.—Not later 
than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act 
and on a quarterly basis thereafter until the date specified 
in subsection (b), the Administrator shall provide to the 
Committee on Small Business of the House of Representa-
tives and the Committee Small Business and Entrepre-
neurship of the Senate a briefing on the implementation 
of the requirements of this section. Such briefings shall 
include— 
(1) the total number of small business concerns 
expected to seek certification as a small business 
concern owned and controlled by women; 
(2) the number of applications for certification 
pending with the Administrator or a national certi-
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fying entity approved by the Administrator under 
section 8(m) of the Small Business Act during the 
period covered by the briefing; 
(3) the total number of applications approved 
by the Administrator or such a national certifying 
entity since the date of the enactment of this Act; 
(4) the timelines associated with processing 
such applications by the Administrator or such a na-
tional certifying entity between submission and ap-
proval; 
(5) the administrative costs to the Administra-
tion to make determinations on such applications 
and the estimated cost to such applicant to seek cer-
tification from a national certifying entity; 
(6) a discussion of the Administrator’s current 
and future outreach efforts to small business con-
cerns owned and controlled by women and to Fed-
eral agencies on the requirements of this Act; and 
(7) recommendations for additional legislative 
authority or resources required to fully implement 
the requirements of this Act. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ADMINISTRATION.—The term ‘‘Administra-
tion’’ means the Small Business Administration. 
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(2) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Small Busi-
ness Administration. 
(3) SMALL
BUSINESS
CONCERN.—The term 
‘‘small business concern’’ has the meaning given 
under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 632). 
(4) SMALL
BUSINESS
CONCERN
OWNED
AND 
CONTROLLED BY WOMEN.—The term ‘‘small busi-
ness concern owned and controlled by women’’ has 
the meaning given the term in section 8(m) of the 
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)). 
(e) COMPLIANCE WITH CUTGO.—No additional 
amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this Act or the amendments made by this Act. 
Æ 
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