|
WASHINGTON— Today the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
passed bipartisan legislation which will make it easier for small businesses
to obtain federal contracts by a vote of 19-0. The Small Business
Contracting Revitalization Act, S. 2300, improves the oversight of unbundling
contracts for small firms, increases enforcement of protections for subcontractors,
and expands opportunities for minority, women and service-disabled entrepreneurs.
“Passing this legislation out of Committee is just the first step
towards making sure that small businesses, especially those owned by
minorities, women, and veterans, are treated fairly in the contracting
process,” said Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Committee
on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. “This legislation
will help ensure that the Bush Administration identifies opportunities
for small businesses to compete for contracts, and gives small businesses
that subcontract with a large firm more recourse if they are mistreated. Small
businesses are the lifeblood of America, and we need to eliminate all
barriers that stand in the way of their success in order to keep the
American economy healthy.”
“The Federal government is not aggressive enough in fulfilling
its statutory small business contracting goaling requirements and in
assisting small businesses to access Federal contracting dollars,” said
Senator Snowe, (R-Maine), Ranking Member of the Committee on Small Business
and Entrepreneurship. “Currently, small businesses are eligible
for $340 billion in Federal contracting dollars, yet they receive only
$77 billion. The legislation the Committee approved today will
help ensure that small businesses no longer miss out on billions of dollars
in contracting opportunities by taking steps to provide the Federal government
with additional tools it needs to consistently meet and exceed its small
business contracting goals. I look forward to the enactment of
this bipartisan small business contracting legislation.”
The bill was drafted
by Senators Kerry and Snowe and cosponsored by Senator Benjamin L.
Cardin (D-Md.). Specifically,
the bill addresses challenges faced by small businesses by:
- Reducing contract bundling by improving oversight of bundling regulation
compliance by the Small Business Administration(SBA);
- Preventing misrepresentations in subcontracting by prime contractors
by increasing oversight and establishing enforcement mechanisms;
- Helping service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses gain government
contract and subcontract opportunities by expanding the authority for
sole-source awards;
- Directing the
SBA to implement the women-owned small business program – enacted
into law in 2000 but which the Administration has failed to implement – within
90 days;
- Extending the 8(a) contracting program through 2012 and improving
it by:
- Allowing the small disadvantaged business certifications issued
by other agencies to be accepted by the SBA;
- Adjusting for inflation the personal income and net worth requirements
for 8(a) program participants; and
- Prohibiting
qualified retirement plans from being used by the SBA to determine
an individual’s
net worth.
- Strengthening
the government’s
ability to enforce the size and status standards for small business
certification.
###
Laurel Brown
Press Assistant
U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
John F. Kerry, Chairman
428A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Office: (202) 224-0216
Mobile: (202) 744-7954
Fax: (202) 224-5619
|
