15 U.S.C. § 639 (COMMERCE AND TRADE)
§ 639. Reporting requirements and agency cooperation
(a) Annual reports to President and Congressional officers and committees
The Administration shall, as soon as practicable each fiscal year make a comprehensive annual report to the President, the President of the Senate, the Senate Select Committee on Small Business, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Such report shall include a description of the state of small business in the Nation and the several States, and a description of the operations of the Administration under this chapter, including, but not limited to, the general lending, disaster relief, Government regulation relief, procurement and property disposal, research and development, technical assistance, dissemination of data and information, and other functions under the jurisdiction of the Administration during the previous fiscal year. Such report shall contain recommendations for strengthening or improving such programs, or, when necessary or desirable to implement more effectively congressional policies and proposals, for establishing new or alternative programs. In addition, such report shall include the names of the business concerns to whom contracts are let and for whom financing is arranged by the Administration, together with the amounts involved. With respect to minority small business concerns, the report shall include the proportion of loans and other assistance under this chapter provided to such concerns, the goals of the Administration for the next fiscal year with respect to such concerns, and recommendations for improving assistance to minority small business concerns under this chapter.
(b) Cybersecurity reports
(1) Annual report
Not later than 180 days after December 21, 2022, and every year thereafter, the Administrator shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that includes—
(A) a strategy to increase the cybersecurity of information technology infrastructure of the Administration;
(B) a supply chain risk management strategy and an implementation plan to address the risks of foreign manufactured information technology equipment utilized by the Administration, including specific risk mitigation activities for components originating from entities with principal places of business located in the People’s Republic of China; and
(C) an account of—
(i) any incident that occurred at the Administration during the 2-year period preceding the date on which the first report is submitted, and, for subsequent reports, the 1-year period preceding the date of submission; and
(ii) any action taken by the Administrator to respond to or remediate any such incident.
(2) FISMA reports
Each report required under paragraph (1) may be submitted as part of the report required under section 3554 of title 44.
(3) Rule of construction
Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to affect the reporting requirements of the Administrator under chapter 35 of title 44, in particular the requirement to notify the Federal information security incident center under section 3554(b)(7)(C)(ii) of such title, any guidance issued by the Office of Management and Budget, or any other provision of law or Federal policy.
(4) Definitions
In this subsection:
(A) Appropriate congressional committees
The term “appropriate congressional committees” means—
(i) the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate;
(ii) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
(iii) the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives; and
(iv) the Committee on Oversight and Reform of the House of Representatives.
(B) Incident
The term “incident” has the meaning given the term in section 3552 of title 44.
(C) Information technology
The term “information technology” has the meaning given the term in section 3502 of title 44.
(c) Repealed. Pub. L. 104–66, title I, § 1091(f), Dec. 21, 1995, 109 Stat. 722
(d) Annual report of Department of Defense
For the purpose of aiding in carrying out the national policy to insure that a fair proportion of the total purchases and contracts for property and services for the Government be placed with small-business enterprises, and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of the Nation, the Department of Defense shall make an annual report to the Committees on Small Business of the Senate and the House of Representatives, showing the amount of funds appropriated to the Department of Defense which have been expended, obligated, or contracted to be spent with small business concerns and the amount of such funds expended, obligated, or contracted to be spent with firms other than small business in the same fields of operation; and such reports shall show separately the funds expended, obligated, or contracted to be spent for basic and applied scientific research and development.
(e) Retention of records
(1) 1 The Administration and the Inspector General of the Administration shall retain all correspondence, records of inquiries, memoranda, reports, books, and records, including memoranda as to all investigations conducted by or for the Administration, for a period of at least one year from the date of each thereof, and shall at all times keep the same available for inspection and examination by the Senate Select Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives, or their duly authorized representatives.
(2) The Committee on Small Business of either the Senate or the House of Representatives may request that the Office of the Inspector General of the Administration conduct an investigation of any program or activity conducted under the authority of section 636(j) or 637(a) of this title. Not later than thirty days after the receipt of such a request, the Inspector General shall inform the committee, in writing, of the disposition of the request by such office.
(f) Consultation and cooperation with Government departments and agencies
To the extent deemed necessary by the Administrator to protect and preserve small-business interests, the Administration shall consult and cooperate with other departments and agencies of the Federal Government in the formulation by the Administration of policies affecting small-business concerns. When requested by the Administrator, each department and agency of the Federal Government shall consult and cooperate with the Administration in the formulation by such department or agency of policies affecting small-business concerns, in order to insure that small-business interests will be recognized, protected, and preserved. This subsection shall not require any department or agency to consult or cooperate with the Administration in any case where the head of such department or agency determines that such consultation or cooperation would unduly delay action which must be taken by such department or agency to protect the national interest in an emergency.
(g) Annual report of employee conduct complaints received or acted upon and investigations undertaken by Administration
The Administration shall transmit, not later than December 31 of each year, to the Senate Select Committee on Small Business and Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives a sealed report with respect to—
(1) complaints alleging illegal conduct by employees of the Administration which were received or acted upon by the Administration during the preceding fiscal year; and
(2) investigations undertaken by the Administration, including external and internal audits and security and investigation reports.
(h) Report to Congress on secondary market operations
The Administration shall transmit, not later than March 31 of each year, to the Committees on Small Business of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the secondary market operations during the preceding calendar year. This report shall include, but not be limited to, (1) the number and the total dollar amount of loans sold into the secondary market and the distribution of such loans by size of loan, size of lender, geographic location of lender, interest rate, maturity, lender servicing fees, whether the rate is fixed or variable, and premium paid; (2) the number and dollar amount of loans resold in the secondary market with a distribution by size of loan, interest rate, and premiums; (3) the number and total dollar amount of pools formed; (4) the number and total dollar amount of loans in each pool; (5) the dollar amount, interest rate, and terms on each loan in each pool and whether the rate is fixed or variable; (6) the number, face value, interest rate, and terms of the trust certificates issued for each pool; (7) to the maximum extent possible, the use by the lender of the proceeds of sales of loans in the secondary market for additional lending to small business concerns; and (8) an analysis of the information reported in (1) through (7) to assess small businesses’ access to capital at reasonable rates and terms as a result of secondary market operations.
(Pub. L. 85–536, § 2[10], July 18, 1958, 72 Stat. 393; Pub. L. 87–305, § 5(a), Sept. 26, 1961, 75 Stat. 666; Pub. L. 89–348, § 1(3), Nov. 8, 1965, 79 Stat. 1310; Pub. L. 93–237, § 7, Jan. 2, 1974, 87 Stat. 1025; Pub. L. 93–386, § 4, Aug. 23, 1974, 88 Stat. 746; Pub. L. 93–608, § 3(4), (5), Jan. 2, 1975, 88 Stat. 1972; Pub. L. 95–89, title II, §§ 203–208, 211, Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 557, 558; Pub. L. 95–315, § 6, July 4, 1978, 92 Stat. 379; Pub. L. 97–35, title XIX, § 1904, Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 772; Pub. L. 98–352, § 4, July 10, 1984, 98 Stat. 331; Pub. L. 100–656, title IV, § 406, Nov. 15, 1988, 102 Stat. 3876; Pub. L. 101–37, § 15, June 15, 1989, 103 Stat. 73; Pub. L. 101–574, title II, § 241, Nov. 15, 1990, 104 Stat. 2826; Pub. L. 104–66, title I, § 1091(f), Dec. 21, 1995, 109 Stat. 722; Pub. L. 115–189, § 7, June 21, 2018, 132 Stat. 1498; Pub. L. 117–259, § 2(a), Dec. 21, 2022, 136 Stat. 2387.)
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: Prior Provisions
text: Prior similar provisions were contained in sections 211 and 215 of act July 30, 1953, ch. 282, title II, 67 Stat. 237, 238, as amended by act Aug. 9, 1955, ch. 628, §§ 6, 10, 11, 69 Stat. 550, 551, which were previously classified to sections 640 and 644 of this title. The provisions of section 210 of act July 30, 1953, formerly classified to this section, were transferred to section 2 [8] of Pub. L. 85–536, and are classified to section 637(b)(2) of this title. See Codification note set out under section 631 of this title.
heading: Amendments
text: 2022—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 117–259 added subsec. (b).
2018—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–189 struck out subsec. (b). Text read as follows: “The Administration shall make a report to the President, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Senate Select Committee on Small Business and to the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives, as soon as practicable each fiscal year, showing as accurately as possible for each such period the amount of funds appropriated to it that it has expended in the conduct of each of its principal activities such as lending, procurement, contracting, and providing technical and managerial aids. Such report shall contain the number and amount of loans, the number of applications, the total amount applied for, and the number and amount of defaults for each type of equipment or service for which loans are authorized by this this chapter. Such report shall provide such information separately on each type of loan made under paragraphs (10) through (15) of section 636(a) of this title and separately for all other loan programs. In addition, the information on loans shall be supplied on a monthly basis to the Committee on Small Business of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives.”
1995—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–66 struck out subsec. (c) which related to surveys, and their corresponding reports and recommendations, for the determination of factors tending to injure small businesses.
1990—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 101–574 substituted “the Department of Defense shall make an annual report to the Committees on Small Business of the Senate and the House of Representatives” for “the Department of Defense shall make a monthly report to the President, the President of the Senate, the Senate Select Committee on Small Business, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives not less than 45 [“forty-five” in original text] days after the close of the month”, “small business concerns” for “small-business concerns”, and “such reports” for “such monthly reports”.
1989—Subsec. (e)(2). Pub. L. 101–37 substituted “, of the disposition of the request” for “of the disposition of the matter”.
1988—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 100–656 inserted “and the Inspector General of the Administration” after “Administration”, which was executed by making the insertion after the first reference to “Administration”, and added par. (2).
1984—Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 98–352 added subsec. (h).
1981—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 97–35 substituted “this chapter. Such report shall provide such information separately on each type of loan made under paragraphs (10) through (15) of section 636(a) of this title and separately for all other loan programs. In addition, the information on loans shall be supplied on a monthly basis to the Committee on Small Business of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives” for “subsection, and on the projected and actual energy savings and numbers of jobs created by firms through loans made under section 636(l) of this title. The Department of Energy shall assist the Administration in obtaining information and compiling this report”.
1978—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95–315 inserted provisions requiring the report to contain number and amount of loans, applications for loans, etc.
1977—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95–89, §§ 203, 211, included the Senate Select Committee on Small Business as an additional recipient of the annual report and provided for the contents of the report as it relates to minority small business concerns.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95–89, § 204, substituted “Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives” for “House Select Committee to Conduct a Study and Investigation of the Problems of Small Business”.
Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 95–89, § 205, included the Senate Select Committee on Small Business as an additional recipient of the required reports.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 95–89, § 206, included the Senate Select Committee on Small Business as an additional recipient of the required reports.
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 95–89, § 207, substituted “Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives” for “House Select Committee To Conduct a Study and Investigation of the Problems of Small Business”.
Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 95–89, § 208, substituted “Senate Select Committee on Small Business and Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives” for “Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Banking and Currency of the House of Representatives”.
1975—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 93–608, § 3(4), substituted “fiscal” for “calendar” in two places and struck out provisions requiring report to contain information on the progress of the Administration in liquidating the assets and winding up the affairs of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and other information deemed appropriate by the Administration.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 93–608, § 3(5), substituted “as soon as practicable each fiscal year” for “on December 31 of each year”.
1974—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 93–237 substituted provisions requiring the Administration to make comprehensive annual reports to the President and Congressional Officers as soon as practicable describing the state of the small business in the Nation and the States, the operations of the Administration, and recommendations for legislation, for provisions requiring the Administration to make reports on Dec. 31 of each year to the President and Congressional Officers.
Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 93–386 added subsec. (g).
1965–Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 89–348 repealed provision of subsec. (a) which required as part of the annual report to the President and to Congress by the Small Business Administration, a report on the progress in liquidating the assets and winding up the affairs of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.
1961—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 87–305, § 5(a)(1), changed the reporting requirements from semiannual to annual basis and required the inclusion of information on the progress of the Administration in liquidating the assets and winding up the affairs of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, such requirement to be in lieu of progress reports on a quarterly basis.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 87–305, § 5(a)(2), struck out “June 30 and” before “December 31”.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 87–305, § 5(a)(3), designated existing provisions of first and second sentences as pars. (1) and (2), substituted “direct” for “request” and “promote undue concentration of economic power, or otherwise injure small business” for “injure small business, or otherwise promote undue concentration of economic power in the course of the administration of this chapter” and inserted “of any activity of the Government which may affect small business,” after “surveys” in par. (1) and required reports to be made not less than once every year in par. (2).
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: Change of Name
text: Committee on Oversight and Reform of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Oversight and Accountability of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Eighteenth Congress, Jan. 9, 2023.
Committee on Small Business of Senate changed to Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of Senate. See Senate Resolution No. 123, One Hundred Seventh Congress, June 29, 2001. Previously, Select Committee on Small Business of Senate became Committee on Small Business of Senate. See Senate Resolution No. 101, Ninety-Seventh Congress, Mar. 25, 1981.
heading: Effective Date of 1989 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 101–37 applicable as if included in Pub. L. 100–656, see section 32 of Pub. L. 101–37, set out as a note under section 631 of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 1981 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 97–35 effective Aug. 13, 1981, but shall not affect any financing made, obligated, or committed under this chapter or chapter 14B of this title prior to Aug. 13, 1981, see section 1918 of Pub. L. 97–35, set out as a note under section 631 of this title.
heading: Termination of Reporting Requirements
text: For termination, effective May 15, 2000, of provisions in subsecs. (a), (b), and (d) of this section relating to submitting annual reports to Congress, see section 3003 of Pub. L. 104–66, as amended, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance, and pages 64 and 191 of House Document No. 103–7.
heading: Small Business Administration Program Data and Evaluation; Report; Implementation
text: Pub. L. 100–590, title I, § 109, Nov. 3, 1988, 102 Stat. 2994, provided that: “The Small Business Administration shall develop a comprehensive system to systematically acquire data on the number of small businesses which participate in Administration programs, the nature and extent of their participation, the type of business, the results of such participation, and such other information as the Administration deems appropriate. It shall also include the number and dollar amount of guaranteed loans by lender, and the interest rate thereon, and the number and dollar amount of sales in the secondary market both by lender and by purchaser. The data shall be compiled and maintained to permit a statistically valid analysis and computation and evaluation of costs and benefits. The Administration shall submit a report to the Small Business Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives not later than March 31, 1989, such report to include its conclusions and recommendations and estimate of the costs involved in implementing such a program and shall implement the system for all program assistance made available on or after October 1, 1989.”
heading: Executive Documents
heading: Ex. Ord. No. 11518. Increased Representation of Interests of Small Business Concerns Before Government Departments and Agencies
text: Ex. Ord. No. 11518, Mar. 20, 1970, 35 F.R. 4939, provided:
WHEREAS the policy of the Government of the United States is to insure the continuance of a strong and healthy free enterprise system; and
WHEREAS the existence of a strong and healthy free enterprise system is directly related to the well being and competitive strength of small business concerns and their opportunities for free entry into business, growth, and expansion; and
WHEREAS the departments and agencies of the United States Government exercise, through their regulatory and other programs and practices, a significant influence on the well being and competitive strength of business concerns, particularly minority-owned business concerns, and their opportunities for free entry into business, growth and expansion; and
WHEREAS members of minority groups traditionally have aspired to own their own businesses and thereby to participate in our free enterprise system; and
WHEREAS members of certain minority groups through no fault of their own have been denied the full opportunity to achieve these aspirations; and
WHEREAS the policy of the Executive Branch of the United States Government continues to be, as was described by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, “to strive to eliminate obstacles to the growth of small business”; and
WHEREAS the Small Business Act (72 Stat. 384, 15 U.S.C. 631) declares the Congressional policy that the United States Government should aid, counsel, assist and protect, insofar as is possible, the interests of small business concerns; and
WHEREAS the Small Business Administration is the agency within the Executive Branch of the United States Government especially responsible for and with an established program of advocacy in matters relating to small business; and
WHEREAS section 8(b)(12) of the Small Business Act (72 Stat. 391, 15 U.S.C. 637(b)(12)) empowers the Small Business Administration to consult and cooperate with all Government agencies for the purpose of insuring that small business concerns receive fair and reasonable treatment from such agencies, and section 10(f) of that Act (72 Stat. 393, 15 U.S.C. 639(f)) requires each department and agency of the Federal Government, when requested by the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, to consult and cooperate with the Administration in the formulation by such department or agency of policies affecting small business concerns, in order to insure that small business interests will be recognized, protected, and preserved:
NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States and in furtherance of the purpose and policy of the Small Business Act, it is ordered as follows:
Section 1. The Small Business Administration, as the spokesman for and advocate of the small business community, shall advise and counsel small business concerns in their dealings with the departments and agencies of the United States Government to the end that the views of small business concerns will be fully heard, their rights fully protected, and their valid interests fully advanced.
Sec. 2. Departments and agencies of the Executive Branch of the United States Government shall call upon the Small Business Administration for advice, guidance, and assistance when considering matters which reasonably can be construed as materially affecting the well being or competitive strength of small business concerns or their opportunities for free entry into business, growth, or expansion. In taking action on such matters, these departments and agencies shall act in a manner calculated to advance the valid interests of small business concerns.
Sec. 3. The Small Business Administration, whenever it determines that the valid interests of small business concerns so warrant, shall take such action as may be appropriate to insure the timely presentation to departments and agencies of the United States Government of matters materially affecting the well being or competitive strength of small business concerns or their opportunities for free entry into business, growth, or expansion. To this end, the Small Business Administration may participate in investigations, hearings, or other proceedings pending before such departments or agencies and submit evidence, briefs, and arguments in accordance with, and to the extent permitted by, the department’s or agency’s rules of practice and procedure.
Sec. 4. In performing the responsibilities and duties placed on it by this order, the Small Business Administration shall particularly consider the needs and interests of minority-owned small business concerns and of members of minority groups seeking entry into the business community.
Sec. 5. Nothing in this order shall be construed to authorize the Small Business Administration to act as an attorney for an individual concern in any investigation, hearing, or other proceeding pending before any department or agency of the United States Government. Nothing in this order shall be construed to subject any department or agency to the authority of any other department or agency, to affect the present authority of any department or agency to participate in the proceedings of another department or agency, or to affect the authority of the Attorney General under 28 U.S.C. 519.
Sec. 6. The term “small business concern” as used in this order shall have the same meaning as in the Small Business Act.
Richard Nixon.