I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6039 
To advance commonsense priorities. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 12, 2025 
Mr. MCGOVERN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Small 
Business, Appropriations, Ethics, Education and Workforce, the Judici-
ary, Veterans’ Affairs, Natural Resources, House Administration, 
Science, Space, and Technology, Energy and Commerce, Financial Serv-
ices, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Re-
form, Agriculture, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence (Perma-
nent Select), Homeland Security, Rules, and the Budget, for a period to 
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To advance commonsense priorities. 
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 ‘‘Commonsense Legis-
lating Act’’. 
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TITLE I 
SEC. 101. EXTENSION OF FAST PROGRAM. 
Section 34(i) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
657d(i)) is amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 2005’’ 
and inserting ‘‘September 30, 2030’’. 
SEC. 102. APPLICATION ASSISTANCE TO BROADEN PARTICI-
PATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 9(mm)(1) of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(mm)(1)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (J), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (K), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(L) providing small business concerns 
with assistance applying to the SBIR program 
or STTR program of the Federal agency, in-
cluding providing such assistance to carry out 
the policy directive required under paragraphs 
(2)(F) or (5) of subsection (j) and subsection 
(p)(2)(H) to increase the participation of States 
with respect to which a low level of SBIR or 
STTR awards have historically been awarded.’’. 
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(b) ENHANCED MINORITY INSTITUTION PARTICIPA-
TION.— 
(1) SBIR.—Section 9(j) of the Small Business 
Act (15 U.S.C. 638(j)), is amended by adding at the 
end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(5) INCREASED OUTREACH REQUIREMENTS.— 
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this paragraph, the Administration shall 
modify the policy directives issued pursuant to this 
subsection to require enhanced outreach efforts to 
increase the participation of individuals conducting 
research at minority institutions (as defined in sec-
tion 365 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1067k)) and Hispanic-serving institutions (as 
defined in section 502(a) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 
1101a(a))) in SBIR programs.’’. 
(2) STTR.—Section 9(p)(2) of the Small Busi-
ness Act (15 U.S.C. 638(p)(2)) is amended— 
(A) in subparagraph (F), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (G)(iii), by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; 
and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
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‘‘(H) procedures for outreach efforts to in-
crease the participation of individuals con-
ducting research at minority institutions (as de-
fined in section 365 of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067k)) and Hispanic- 
serving institutions (as defined in section 16 
502(a) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a))) in 
STTR programs.’’. 
TITLE II 
SEC. 201. NATIVE AMERICAN TOURISM GRANT PROGRAMS. 
The Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor 
Experience Act (25 U.S.C. 4351 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating section 6 (25 U.S.C. 4355) 
as section 7; and 
(2) by inserting after section 5 (25 U.S.C. 
4354) the following: 
‘‘SEC. 6. NATIVE AMERICAN TOURISM GRANT PROGRAMS. 
‘‘(a) BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS PROGRAM.—The 
Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs may make grants 
to and enter into agreements with Indian tribes and tribal 
organizations to carry out the purposes of this Act, as de-
scribed in section 2. 
‘‘(b) OFFICE OF NATIVE HAWAIIAN RELATIONS.— 
The Director of the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations 
may make grants to and enter into agreements with Na-
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tive Hawaiian organizations to carry out the purposes of 
this Act, as described in section 2. 
‘‘(c) OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The heads of 
other Federal agencies, including the Secretaries of Com-
merce, Transportation, Agriculture, Health and Human 
Services, and Labor, may make grants under this author-
ity to and enter into agreements with Indian tribes, tribal 
organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations to carry 
out the purposes of this Act, as described in section 2. 
‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$35,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2026 through 
2030.’’. 
TITLE III 
SEC. 301. ELIGIBILITY OF SPOUSES OF MILITARY PER-
SONNEL 
FOR 
THE 
WORK 
OPPORTUNITY 
CREDIT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (1) of section 51(d) of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking 
‘‘or’’ at the end of subparagraph (I), by striking the period 
at the end of subparagraph (J) and inserting ‘‘, or’’, and 
by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(K) a qualified military spouse.’’. 
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