Small Business Procurement and Utilization Reform Act of 2024

Floor Speech

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Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7988) to amend the Small Business Act to include requirements relating to new small business entrants in the scorecard program, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 7988

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 ``Small Business Procurement and Utilization Reform Act of 2024'' or the ``SPUR Act''. SEC. 2. MODIFICATIONS TO SCORECARD REQUIREMENTS.

Section 15(y) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644(y)) is amended--

(1) in paragraph (2)--

(A) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as subparagraph (F); and

(B) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new subparagraph:

``(E) The number of new small business entrants, including new small business entrants that are 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 awarded prime contracts in each North American Industry Classification System code during the fiscal year, and a comparison to the number awarded prime contracts during the prior fiscal year, if available.'';

(2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``subparagraphs (B) through (E) of paragraph (2)'' and inserting ``subparagraphs (B) through (F) of paragraph (2)''; and

(3) by amending paragraph (6) to read as follows:

``(6) Definitions.--In this subsection:

``(A) New small business entrant.--The term `new small business entrant' means a small business concern that--

``(i) has been awarded a prime contract; and

``(ii) has not previously been awarded a prime contract by the Federal Government.

``(B) Scorecard.--The term `scorecard' means any summary using a rating system to evaluate the efforts of a Federal agency to meet goals established under subsection (g)(1)(B) that--

``(i) includes the measures described in paragraph (2); and

``(ii) assigns a score to each Federal agency evaluated.''. SEC. 3. COMPLIANCE WITH CUTGO.

No additional amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act or the amendments made by this Act.
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Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7988, the Small Business Procurement and Utilization Reform Act of 2024, also known as the SPUR Act, sponsored by Representatives Stauber and Perez.

Small businesses are vital to the health and resiliency of America's industrial base. Broad and robust small business participation ensures that America can continue to lead the world in innovation and defend us against foreign adversaries. However, small businesses are getting squeezed out of the industrial base at a staggering rate, a direct threat to America's dominance.

There are just half as many small businesses participating in the industrial base as there were just a decade ago. This downward trend is a culmination of years of bad government policy and is being made worse by the Biden administration's regulatory onslaught, dissuading small businesses from even considering participating in the Federal marketplace.

The SPUR Act is a critical step into looking under the hood of the government and bringing accountability to agencies. By grading agencies on how many contracts have been awarded to small businesses for the very first time, we will bring together a great focus on reversing the declining participation of small businesses in the industrial base.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for H.R.

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Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).

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Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, we must ensure that a greater number of small businesses are entering the government contracting space. By forcing agencies to recognize the shortcomings in awarding contracts to first- time suppliers of the Federal Government, I am hopeful that these numbers will begin to move back in the right direction.

Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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