Title: Puerto Rico Small Business Contracting Assistance Act of 2018
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
Puerto Rico Small Business Contracting Assistance Act of 2018
This bill amends the Small Business Act to double for four years after its enactment the value of a prime contract awarded by a federal agency to a small business with its principle office in Puerto Rico in order to comply with the Act's governmentwide goal for small businesses' participation to be at least 23% of the total value of all prime contract awards for each fiscal year during such period.
Beginning on enactment of this bill and until the termination of the Financial Oversight and Management Board, the Small Business Administration (SBA):
The bill requires the SBA to allow up to two additional mentor-protege relationships for protege firms that are Puerto Rico businesses. (Currently, the limit on SBA mentor-protege relationships is three.)

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5178 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5178

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. Velazquez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Small Business

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


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

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Puerto Rico Small Business 
Contracting Assistance Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF PUERTO RICO BUSINESS.

    Section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(ee) Puerto Rico Business.--In this Act, the term `Puerto Rico 
business' means a small business concern that has its principal office 
located in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.''.

SEC. 3. SMALL BUSINESS CREDIT FOR PUERTO RICO BUSINESSES.

    Section 15 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(w) Small Business Credit for Puerto Rico Businesses.--
            ``(1) Credit for meeting contracting goals.--If an agency 
        awards a prime contract to Puerto Rico business during the 
        period beginning on the date of enactment of this subsection 
        and ending on the date that is 4 years after such date of 
        enactment, the value of the contract shall be doubled for 
        purposes of determining compliance with the goals for 
        procurement contracts under subsection (g)(1)(A)(i) during such 
        period.
            ``(2) Report.--Along with the report required under 
        subsection (h)(1), the head of each Federal agency shall submit 
        to the Administrator, and make publicly available on the 
        scorecard described in section 868(b) of the National Defense 
        Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (15 U.S.C. 644 note), an 
        analysis of the number and dollar amount of prime contracts 
        awarded pursuant to paragraph (1) for each fiscal year of the 
        period described in such paragraph.''.

SEC. 4. PRIORITY FOR SURPLUS PROPERTY TRANSFERS.

    Section 7(j)(13)(F) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
636(j)(13)(F)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
clause:
            ``(iii)(I) In this clause, the term `covered period' means 
        the period beginning on the date of enactment of this clause 
        and ending on the date on which the Oversight Board established 
        under section 101 of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and 
        Economic Stability Act (48 U.S.C. 2121) terminates.
            ``(II) The Administrator may transfer technology or surplus 
        property under clause (i) to a Puerto Rico business if the 
        Puerto Rico business meets the requirements for such a 
        transfer, without regard to whether the Puerto Rico business is 
        a Program Participant.''.

SEC. 5. CONTRACTING INCENTIVES FOR PROTEGE FIRMS THAT ARE PUERTO RICO 
              BUSINESSES.

    (a) In General.--Section 45(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
657r(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(3) Puerto rico businesses.--During the period beginning 
        on the date of enactment of this paragraph and ending on the 
        date on which the Oversight Board established under section 101 
        of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic 
        Stability Act (48 U.S.C. 2121) terminates, the Administrator 
        shall identify potential incentives to a covered mentor that 
        awards a subcontract to its covered protege, including--
                    ``(A) positive consideration in any past 
                performance evaluation of the covered mentor;
                    ``(B) the application of costs incurred for 
                providing training to such covered protege to the 
                subcontracting plan (as required under paragraph (4) or 
                (5) of section 8(d)) of the covered mentor; and
                    ``(C) such other incentives as the Administrator 
                determines appropriate.''.
    (b) Definitions.--Section 45(d) of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 657r(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs:
            ``(4) Covered mentor.--The term `covered mentor' means a 
        mentor that enters into an agreement under this Act, or under 
        any mentor-protege program approved under subsection (b)(1), 
        with a covered protege.
            ``(5) Covered protege.--The term `covered protege' means a 
        protege of a covered mentor that is a Puerto Rico business.''.

SEC. 6. ADDITIONAL MENTOR-PROTEGE RELATIONSHIPS FOR PROTEGE FIRMS THAT 
              ARE PUERTO RICO BUSINESSES.

    Section 45(b)(3)(A) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
657r(b)(3)(A)) is amended by inserting ``, except that such 
restrictions shall not apply to up to 2 mentor-protege relationships if 
such relationships are between a covered protege and covered mentor'' 
after ``each participant''.
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