jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-11-05 00:00:00

Improving Opportunities for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses Act of 2015

 This bill amends the Small Business Act to expand the definition of "small business concern owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans" for purposes of federal agencies awarding small business contracts pursuant to Small Business Administration (SBA) programs to include:

 a small business concern not less than 51% of which is owned by one or more veterans with service-connected disabilities that are permanent and total who are unable to manage the daily business operations of such concern; or in the case of a publicly owned business, a small business concern not less than 51% of the stock of which is owned by one or more such veterans. (Currently, such veterans with permanent and total disabilities are provided for in a separate small business program under veterans' benefits laws carried out by the Department of Veterans Affairs [VA].) The VA definition of "small business concern owned and controlled by veterans" is revised to be the same as the SBA definition of such term, thereby making the eligibility requirements for participation in veteran-owned small business contracting programs consistent for both SBA programs and VA programs.

 The VA, when listing small businesses in the database of small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans and the veteran owners of such business concerns, must use SBA regulations with respect to a concern's small business status and the ownership and control of it.

 If the VA does not verify a concern for inclusion in its database based on its status as a small business or its ownership or control, the concern may appeal the denial to the SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals, whose decision shall be considered a final agency action.

 The VA shall reimburse the SBA for fiscal year costs incurred by the Office of Hearings and Appeals for actions taken pursuant to this Act.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-11-05 00:00:00

Veteran Small Business Tax Credit Act of 2015

This bill allows a new business-related tax credit for the start-up expenses of a veteran-owned small business. The allowable amount of such credit is 15% of start-up expenditures that do not exceed $80,000. The credit is allowed to any individual (or the surviving spouse of such individual) who: (1) has served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, (2) was stationed outside the United States, and (3) was not discharged or released under dishonorable conditions.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2015-11-17 00:00:00

Women's Small Business Ownership Act of 2015

 This bill amends the Small Business Act to direct the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Women's Business Ownership to address issues concerning specified disciplines required for starting, operating, and increasing a small business.

The Office must work with SBA officials and collaborate with non-SBA entities to ensure that the work of the women's business center program:

 maximizes taxpayer dollars, and coordinates effectively with and is not duplicative of other federal and private sector programs. The mission of the Office is to assist women entrepreneurs in starting, growing, and competing in global markets by providing quality support with access to capital, access to markets, job creation, growth, counseling, and training in a specified manner.

The SBA must:

 provide annual programmatic and financial examination training for women's business center representatives, award grants or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements related to the training, and develop plans for a professional development training program for women's business centers and for a women's business center accreditation program. The SBA may provide up to $250,000 per project year of financial assistance to eligible entities to conduct projects designed to provide training and counseling meeting the needs of women, especially socially and economically disadvantaged women.

The SBA, upon request by a recipient organization, may waive for a fiscal year (but no more than two consecutive fiscal years) the requirement to obtain matching non-federal funds for the organization's technical assistance and counseling activities carried out using financial assistance under the program.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-11-17 00:00:00

Veteran Small Business Tax Credit Act of 2015

This bill allows a new business-related tax credit for the start-up expenses of a veteran-owned small business. The allowable amount of such credit is 15% of start-up expenditures that do not exceed $80,000. The credit is allowed to any individual (or the surviving spouse of such individual) who: (1) has served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, and (2) has not been discharged or released from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-11-18 00:00:00

Promote Startups Act of 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the maximum tax deduction for business start-up expenditures from $5,000 to $15,000 and to increase the deduction for the organizational expenditures of corporations from $5,000 to $10,000. The bill also increases the ceilings for such expenditures over which the amount of the tax deduction is reduced.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2015-12-02 00:00:00

HUBZone Equity Act

This bill amends the Small Business Act to redefine "Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) small business concern" as a small business concern that is at least 51% owned and controlled by U.S. citizens (as under current law) or lawful permanent residents of the United States.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2015-12-03 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Small Business Capital Formation Enhancement Act

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Small Business Investment Incentive Act of 1980 with respect to the annual government-business forum of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to review the current status of problems and programs relating to small business capital formation.

The SEC shall review each of the forum's findings and recommendations and issue a public statement promptly assessing it and disclosing the action, if any, the SEC intends to take with respect to it.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2015-12-09 00:00:00

Commercial Market Representatives Clarification Act

This bill amends the Small Business Act to specify the principal duties of Commercial Market Representatives, government contracting staff stationed at area Small Business Administration (SBA) offices and reporting to specified senior SBA officers.

 Such duties shall include:

 helping prime federal government contractors to find small business concerns capable of performing subcontracts; counseling such contractors on their responsibility to maximize subcontracting opportunities for small business concerns; instructing such contractors on methods and tools to identify potential subcontractors that are small business concerns; assisting such constractors to increase awards to small business subcontractors through visits, training, and reviews of past performance; giving counseling on how a small business concern may promote its capacity to such contractors; and conducting periodic reviews of such contractors to assess compliance with required subcontracting plans regarding small business subcontractors.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2016-01-05 00:00:00

Promoting Reliable Subcontractors Act of 2016 or the PROS Act of 2016

This bill amends the Small Business Act with respect to small businesses performing as first tier subcontractors under federal contracts whose prime contractor must develop a subcontracting plan.

The Small Business Administration shall establish a pilot program for such a small business to request a past performance rating in the system used by the federal government to monitor and record contractor past performance.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2016-01-06 00:00:00

Mentor-Protege Cooperation Reform Act of 2016

This bill amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991 to revise the no-affiliation requirement in the eligibility criteria under the Mentor-Protege Program of the Department of Defense (DOD) for a mentor firm to receive the award of a federal contract and enter into an agreement with one or more protege firms to provide them certain assistance.

The bill establishes procedures for the Small Business Administration (SBA) or DOD to determine that no affiliation between mentor and protege exists.

The bill amends the Small Business Act to bar DOD from carrying out a Mentor-Protege Program for a small business unless: (1) it submits a plan to the SBA, and (2) the SBA approves that plan.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2016-01-06 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Unifying Small Business Terminology Act of 2016

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Small Business Act to revise the range of the anticipated value of federal procurement contracts that must be reserved exclusively for small businesses.

The range shall be between the micro-purchase threshold ($3,000) and the simplified acquisition threshold ($100,000). (Currently the range of the anticipated value must be between $2,500 and $100,000.)
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2016-01-06 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Small and Disadvantaged Business Enhancement Act of 2016

( Sec. 2) This bill amends the Small Business Act to allow for the management of each Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) to be vested in an individual whose primary responsibilities were for the functions and duties of: (1) the procurement program for small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, and (2) the HUBZone program.

The OSDBU of each federal agency with procurement powers shall review agency purchases that are greater than the micro-purchase threshold ($3,000) and less than the simplified acquisition threshold ($100,000) to ensure that the purchases have been made to comply with the Act and have been properly recorded in the Federal Procurement Data System, if the method of payment is a purchase card issued by the Department of Defense or by an executive agency head.

Each OSDBU must cite in its annual report to Congress any failure to comply with such a program.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2016-01-06 00:00:00

Transparency in Small Business Goaling Act of 2016

This bill amends the Small Business Act to revise requirements for federal procurement contracts awarded to small businesses.

The total value of federal procurement contract awards for a fiscal year may not be determined in a manner that excludes the value of a contract based on:

 where the contract is awarded; where it is performed; whether the contract is required by federal law to be performed by an entity other than a small business; whether funding for the contract is made available in an appropriations Act, if the contract is subject to requirements for civilian procurement planning and solicitation or military procurement as well as the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR); or whether the contract is otherwise subject to the FAR.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2016-01-06 00:00:00

Improving Contract Procurement for Small Businesses through More Accurate Reporting Act of 2016

This bill amends the Small Business Act to require the Small Business Administration to report to the President and Congress an analysis of the number and dollar amount of prime contracts awarded by federal agencies each fiscal year to small business concerns, including those:

 owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans; located in qualified HUBZones; owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals; owned by an Indian tribe, an Alaska Native Corporation, or a Native Hawaiian Organization; or owned and controlled by women. The analyses shall cover all such small business concerns:

 that were purchased by another entity after the initial contract was awarded and as a result would no longer be deemed to be small business concerns for purposes of the initial contract, and that were awarded using a procurement method that restricted competition to the kinds of small business concerns listed here or a subset of any of them.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2016-01-06 00:00:00

Small Business Easy Contract Compliance Enhancement and List Act of 2016 or the Small Business ECCEL Act 

This bill amends the Small Business Act to require each Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to assist a small business concern awarded a federal contract or subcontract under the Act, or under military or civilian procurement law, in finding resources for education and training on compliance with contracting regulations (including the Federal Acquisition Regulation [FAR]) after such an award.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991 is amended to require agreements under the Mentor-Protege Program of Department of Defense (DOD) to include, if applicable, the assistance the mentor firm will give the protege firm in understanding contract regulations of the federal government and the DOD (including the FAR and the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement) after the award of a subcontract.

The Small Business Act is amended to require the SBA to give small business development centers and entities participating in the Procurement Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, and make available on the SBA website, a list of resources for small business concerns seeking education and assistance on post-award compliance with contracting regulations.

Each procurement center representative may assist small business concerns in finding such education and training resources.

The SBA, with respect to a non-DOD mentor-protege program, shall issue regulations to address the extent to which assistance to improve the ability of proteges to compete for federal prime contracts and subcontracts complies with post-award federal contracting requirements.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2016-01-06 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Maximizing Small Business Competition Act of 2016

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Small Business Act to authorize a procurement center representative to review any solicitation for a contract or task order without regard to whether:

 it is set aside for small businesses, one or more contract or task order awards are reserved for small businesses under a multiple award contract, or the solicitation would or would not result in a bundled or consolidated contract or a bundled or consolidated task order.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2016-01-06 00:00:00

Education for Contracting Personnel Improvement Act of 2016

This bill amends the Small Business Act to require the Small Business Administration (SBA) at least annually to provide to the Defense Acquisition University, the Federal Acquisition Institute, the individual responsible for mandatory training and education of the acquisition workforce of each executive agency, small business development centers, and entities participating in the Procurement Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program:

 a list of all changes made in the prior year to regulations promulgated by the SBA that affect federal acquisition, and by the Federal Acquisition Council that implement changes to the Act; and any materials the SBA has developed to explain, train, or assist federal agencies or departments or small businesses to comply with such regulations.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2016-01-06 00:00:00

Improving Small Business Advocacy Act of 2016

This bill amends the Small Business Act to declare that the exclusive duties of a Business Opportunity Specialist reporting to the senior official (or designee) appointed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) with certain SBA loan responsibilities, including the procurement program for small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans and the Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program, shall be to implement specified SBA loan programs, and complete other duties related to contracting programs.

Such duties shall include:

 performing specified functions with respect to small business concerns eligible to receive federal contracts and subcontracts; reviewing and monitoring compliance with mentor-protege agreements; representing the interests of the SBA and small business concerns in the award, modification, and administration of contracts and subcontracts awarded pursuant to the Act; and reporting fraud or abuse.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2016-02-24 00:00:00

SAVE for Small Businesses Act or the Savings Accounts for a Variable Economy for Small Businesses Act 

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) provide for tax-exempt small business savings accounts, and (2) allow tax deductible contributions to such accounts of not more than 10% of the gross profits of an eligible small business (a business employing an average of 50 or fewer full-time employees) for the preceding taxable year.

The bill excludes qualified distributions from such accounts from gross income for income tax purposes. A "qualified distribution" is: (1) any amount that is distributed from a small business savings account during a specified period of economic hardship, and (2) the distribution of which is certified as being part of a plan that provides for the reinvestment of such distribution for the funding of worker hiring or financial stabilization for the purposes of job retention or creation.

The Secretary of the Treasury shall: (1) establish minimum standards for small business savings accounts that seek to minimize fees and risk of loss of principal, and (2) ensure a range of investment risk options available to account beneficiaries.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2016-04-14 00:00:00

Main Street Jobs and Opportunity Act of 2016

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) repeal the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes, and (2) make permanent the maximum 35% gift tax rate and the lifetime gift tax exemption, with adjustments for inflation.

The Paperwork Reduction Act is amended to direct federal agency heads not to impose civil fines for first-time paperwork violations by small businesses unless specified criteria are met.

The Department of Labor shall study the effects of occupational licensing requirements to determine how they may affect public safety and the service quality of certain occupations, and impose barriers to entry for establishing small businesses, among other negative effects.

The Internal Revenue Code is further amended to revise the formula for counting the hours of service of non-full-time employees in determining whether an employer is a large employer for health coverage purposes.

An individual or an eligible small business may enter into an agreement with the Department of the Treasury to establish in a bank or other eligible trust a small business start-up savings account for tax-deductible annual contributions by the account beneficiary.

The sanctions requirements of Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are revised to require the court to impose an appropriate sanction on any attorney, law firm, or party that has violated, or is responsible for the violation of, the rule with regard to representations to the court. Requires any sanction to compensate parties injured by the conduct in question.

The Internal Revenue Code is further amended to:

 allow businesses with average annual gross receipts of not more than $50 million that prevail to recover their costs in any administrative or court proceeding involving the determination, collection, or refund of tax, interest, or penalty; increase the amount of civil damages against Internal Revenue Service officers or employees for reckless, intentional, or negligent disregard of internal revenue laws, and extend the statute of limitations for bringing a claim; and increase the penalties against federal officers or employees for unlawful acts in connection with internal revenue laws and for unauthorized disclosures or inspections of tax returns.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2016-04-21 00:00:00

Small Business Lending Assistance Act of 2016

This bill amends the Small Business Act with respect to guarantee fees for small business loans.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) shall have discretion not to collect a guarantee fee for a loan repayable in one year or less.

The SBA may not, however, collect a guarantee fee in connection with a loan repayable in one year or less if it is made to a borrower that resides in a county with an annual unemployment rate for the preceding calendar year of at least one percentage point greater than the national annual unemployment rate for that year.
Topic: Domestic Commerce — Small Businesses
Subject: Commerce
Date: 2016-04-26 00:00:00

Improving Small Business Cyber Security Act of 2016

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Small Business Act to authorize the Small Business Administration (SBA) to make grants to small business development centers (SBDCs) in furtherance of a Small Business Development Center Cyber Strategy to be developed by the SBA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issues a report that reviews federal cybersecurity resources aimed at assisting small businesses.

SBDCs shall have access to cybersecurity specialists to counsel their small business clients.

(Sec. 3) The Homeland Security Act of 2002 and the Small Business Act are amended to allow DHS and other federal agencies coordinating with DHS to leverage SBDCs to disseminate cybersecurity risk information and other homeland security information to help small businesses in developing cybersecurity infrastructure, threat awareness, and employee training programs.

(Sec. 5) The GAO's cyber resources report must include: (1) an accounting, description, and assessment of the utilization of federal programs that provide cybersecurity assistance to small businesses; and (2) an assessment of whether the resources are duplicative of other programs or accessible to small businesses.

The strategy must include:

 plans for leveraging SBDCs into existing federal cyber programs to assist small businesses; methods for the provision of counsel and assistance to improve small businesses' cyber security infrastructure, threat awareness, and training programs for employees, including agreements with Information Sharing and Analysis Centers to gain awareness of actionable threat information that may be beneficial to small businesses; and an analysis of how SBDCs can leverage federal programs and develop partnerships with federal, state, and local governments and private entities to improve cyber support services to small businesses. The SBA's and DHS's strategy must be developed in consultation with entities representing SBDC concerns and submitted to Congress.