Assuring Contracting Equity Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1859
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM]
Introduced: 2015-07-23
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Disability and paralysis

Minority and disadvantaged businesses

Public contracts and procurement

Small business

Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Women in business
Latest action: action_date: 2015-07-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-07-23
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Assuring Contracting Equity Act of 2015</b></p> <p>This bill increases from: (1) 23% to 25% the government-wide small business procurement contract goal, (2) 5% to 10% the government-wide procurement goal for small disadvantaged businesses and women-owned businesses, and (3) 3% to 6% the government-wide procurement goal for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and HUBZONE (historically underutilized business zone) small businesses. The number of categories is limited for which a small business may qualify under such goals.</p> <p>The Small Business Administration (SBA) must include within its report to the President and to Congress on these goals, the percentage of participation by small businesses for the total value of all prime contracts and subcontracts awards for a fiscal year, including the value of each contract awarded.</p> <p>The SBA must consult with the heads of other federal agencies to develop and implement standards for procurement officers to take into consideration the past compliance of potential contractors with small business subcontracting goals when making contract awards.</p>

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1859 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 23, 2015 Mr. Udall introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship A BILL To assure equity in contracting between the Federal Government and small business concerns, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Assuring Contracting Equity Act of 2015 . 2. Federal contracting goals (a) Increase in certain goals Section 15(g)(1)(A) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 644(g)(1)(A) ) is amended— (1) in clause (i), by striking not less than 23 percent and inserting not less than 25 percent ; (2) by striking not less than 5 percent each place that term appears and inserting not less than 10 percent ; and (3) by striking not less than 3 percent each place that term appears and inserting not less than 6 percent . (b) Limitation on number of categories for which a small business may qualify Section 15(g) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 644(g) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (4) Limitation on number of categories for which a small business may qualify (A) Definition In this paragraph, the term specified category means small business concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, qualified HUBZone small business concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, and small business concerns owned and controlled by women. (B) Limitation Except as provided in subparagraph (C), a Federal agency may include a business concern in not more than 2 specified categories for purposes of determining whether the Federal agency has met the Government-wide goals under this subsection for the award of contracts to business concerns in specified categories. (C) Rule of construction A Federal agency may not include a small business concern that is participating in the program under section 8(a) in any specified category except the category small business concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals for purposes of determining whether the Federal agency has met the Government-wide goals under this subsection for the award of contracts to business concerns in specified categories. . 3. Improving transparency to assist small business concerns Section 15(h)(2) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 644(h)(2) ) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (E)(viii)(VIII), by striking and at the end; (2) in subparagraph (F), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (3) by adding at the following new subparagraph: (G) for the Federal Government, the percentage of participation by small business concerns for the total value of all prime contract awards and subcontract awards for a fiscal year, including the value of each prime contract and subcontract awarded for the fiscal year. . 4. Compliance with small business subcontracting goals The Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall consult with the heads of other Federal agencies to develop and implement standards for procurement officers to take into consideration the past compliance of potential contractors with small business subcontracting goals when making contract awards.