Parity for Hubzone Appeals Act of 2020
Floor Speech
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Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8229) to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to issue a rule authorizing the Office of Hearings and Appeals to decide appeals relating to the status of HUBZone business concerns, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 8229
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 ``Parity for HUBZone Appeals Act of 2020''. SEC. 2. AUTHORITY FOR THE OFFICE OF HEARINGS AND APPEALS TO DECIDE APPEALS RELATING TO QUALIFIED HUBZONE SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS.
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall issue a rule authorizing the Office of Hearings and Appeals of the Administration to decide all appeals from formal protest determinations in connection with the status of a concern as qualified HUBZone small business concern (as such term is defined in section 31(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657a(b))).
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 8229, the Parity for HUBZone Appeals Act of 2020, introduced by the gentlewoman from American Samoa (Mrs. Radewagen) and the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Houlahan).
H.R. 8229 will grant SBA's Office of Hearings and Appeals jurisdiction over appeals of HUBZone eligibility determinations. The Office of Hearings and Appeals provides independent quasi-judicial review of certain SBA program decisions. Under current law, the office decides appeals of eligibility determinations in the women-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small business contracting programs, but it does not review appeals for the HUBZone program. That process is different.
When a protest challenging a HUBZone designation is filed, SBA's HUBZone director will review and make a decision. If the decision is appealed, the head of the Office of Government Contracting and Business Development will review and render a decision, which is final.
By shifting HUBZone eligibility appeals to the Office of Hearings and Appeals, H.R. 8229 achieves priority and uniformity in SBA's contracting programs. Moreover, it promotes transparency since the office's decisions are published.
Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, we all know consistent procedures in government foster a better understanding of the rules and improve overall agency effectiveness.
H.R. 8229 furthers that ideal by providing the HUBZone program with parity and uniformity with the women-owned and the service-disabled veteran-owned programs.
Furthermore, by making the Office of Hearings and Appeals the final arbiter of all protest eligibility determinations, H.R. 8229 capitalizes on everything the office has to offer: subject matter expertise, efficiency, and transparency.
I thank Mrs. Radewagen and Ms. Houlahan for working together on this bipartisan solution.
Lastly, I would like to take a moment to thank the ranking member, Mr. Chabot, for his outstanding service on the Small Business Committee.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chabot and I have led this committee together through four Congresses, each of us spending equal time as chair and ranking member. Throughout it all, he has been an incredible partner, working closely with me in good times and bad.
Over the course of our tenure, we have shepherded scores of bipartisan bills through the House, giving small businesses better access to capital, counseling, and Federal contracts. We have held numerous oversight hearings to make sure SBA programs were operating effectively and efficiently for small businesses, regardless of which party held the White House. In sum, we worked very well together.
You may ask what is the secret to our success, especially during these polarizing times. And I will point to Representative Chabot, who is as committed to public service as I am. He puts politics aside and works with Democrats and Republicans alike to solve problems.
When the pandemic struck, it hit small businesses particularly hard, and our committee was called to action. Small businesses that were once thriving were fighting for their very survival. Our committee was working day and night, trying to develop a bipartisan package in mere days that will provide economic relief to small businesses. These were trying economic times, and we needed to bring people together and act fast to rescue small businesses. It wasn't easy, but one thing was certain. I was fortunate to have Ranking Member Chabot by my side.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the relief we have been able to deliver to our Main Street small businesses. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention Ranking Member Chabot's excellent staff, who have worked tirelessly with us. I thank Kevin Fitzpatrick, Jan Oliver, Joe Hartz, Rob Yavor, Vivian Ling, Delia Barr, Alison Kerman, and Rachel Emmons for their commitment and dedication. They have worked hand in glove with my staff to ensure hearings went well and the pandemic relief programs were working as intended.
Mr. Speaker, I am saddened that Ranking Member Chabot will not be returning to the committee as ranking member in the next Congress. I will certainly miss our conversations during hearings and listening to the many unique ways his name is pronounced. I thought my name was tough.
Steve, you will be sorely missed. Thank you for your leadership, dedication, and willingness to work across the aisle to make our world a little bit brighter. I wish you the very best in the next Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 8229, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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