I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1641 
To amend the Small Business Act to clarify the responsibilities of Business 
Opportunity Specialists, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 20, 2017 
Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California (for herself and Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Small 
Business 
A BILL 
To amend the Small Business Act to clarify the responsibil-
ities of Business Opportunity Specialists, 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. RESPONSIBILITIES OF BUSINESS OPPOR-
TUNITY SPECIALISTS. 
Section 4(g) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
633(g)) is amended— 
(1) in the subsection heading, by striking ‘‘CER-
TIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2)— 
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(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) 
and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively (and 
conforming the margins accordingly); 
(B) by amending clause (ii) (as so redesig-
nated) to read as follows: 
‘‘(ii) 
APPLICATION.—The 
require-
ments of clause (i) shall be included in any 
initial job posting for the position of a 
Business Opportunity Specialist and shall 
apply to any person appointed as a Busi-
ness Opportunity Specialist after January 
3, 2013.’’; and 
(C) in clause (i) (as so redesignated), by 
striking ‘‘paragraph (1)’’ and inserting ‘‘sub-
paragraph (A)’’; 
(3) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 
subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively (and con-
forming the margins accordingly); 
(4) in subparagraph (A) (as so redesignated), 
by striking ‘‘paragraph (2)’’ and inserting ‘‘subpara-
graph (B)’’; and 
(5) by inserting before subparagraph (A) (as so 
redesignated) the following: 
‘‘(1) DUTIES.—The exclusive duties of a Busi-
ness Opportunity Specialist employed by the Admin-
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istrator and reporting to the senior official appointed 
by the Administrator with responsibilities under sec-
tions 8, 15, 31, and 36 (or the designee of such offi-
cial) shall be to implement sections 7, 8, and 45 and 
to complete other duties related to contracting pro-
grams under this Act. Such duties shall include— 
‘‘(A) with respect to small business con-
cerns eligible to receive contracts and sub-
contracts pursuant to section 8(a)— 
‘‘(i) providing guidance, counseling, 
and referrals for assistance with technical, 
management, financial, or other matters 
that will improve the competitive viability 
of such concerns; 
‘‘(ii) identifying causes of success or 
failure of such concerns; 
‘‘(iii) providing comprehensive assess-
ments of such concerns, including identi-
fying the strengths and weaknesses of such 
concerns; 
‘‘(iv) monitoring and documenting 
compliance with the requirements of sec-
tions 7 and 8 and any regulations imple-
menting those sections; 
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‘‘(v) explaining the requirements of 
sections 7, 8, 15, 31, 36, and 45; and 
‘‘(vi) advising on compliance with con-
tracting regulations (including the Federal 
Acquisition Regulation) after award of 
such a contract or subcontract; 
‘‘(B) reviewing and monitoring compliance 
with mentor-protege agreements under section 
45; 
‘‘(C) representing the interests of the Ad-
ministrator and small business concerns in the 
award, modification, and administration of con-
tracts and subcontracts awarded pursuant to 
section 8(a); and 
‘‘(D) reporting fraud or abuse under sec-
tion 7, 8, 15, 31, 36, or 45 or any regulations 
implementing such sections. 
‘‘(2) CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.—’’. 
Æ 
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