Transparency and Predictability in Small Business Opportunities Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8014) to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to issue rules for cancelled covered solicitations, to amend the Small Business Act to provide assistance to small business concerns relating to certain cancelled solicitations, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 8014

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 ``Transparency and Predictability in Small Business Opportunities Act''. SEC. 2. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION RULES FOR CANCELLED COVERED SOLICITATIONS.

(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall issue rules to carry out the following actions:

(1) Disclose information about a covered solicitation that was issued and cancelled that includes the following:

(A) A justification for the cancellation of such covered solicitation.

(B) Available information about any plans to reissue such covered solicitation and any associated timeframes for such reissuance.

(C) Available information about any plans to include the requirements such covered solicitation in another contract or task order of the Federal agency.

(2) With respect to a cancelled covered solicitation which the Federal agency does not intend to reissue, procedures for the referral of a small business concern that prepared a bid for such covered solicitation to the Director of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (as defined in section 15(k) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644(k))) of the Federal agency for assistance in identifying similar contracting opportunities.

(b) Publication.--The information required under subsection (a) shall be made publicly accessible on the single governmentwide point of entry described under section 1708 of title 41, United States Code.

(c) Covered Solicitation Defined.--The term ``covered solicitation'' means a solicitation of a Federal agency for a procurement for which two or more small business concerns were eligible to submit a bid. SEC. 3. DUTIES FOR DIRECTORS OF OFFICES OF SMALL AND DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS UTILIZATION RELATING TO CERTAIN CANCELLED SOLICITATIONS.

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

(1) in paragraph (21), by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

``(22) shall, when notified by a small business concern that a Federal agency cancelled a solicitation for which such concern prepared a bid and such Federal agency does not intend to reissue, assist such concern with identifying similar contracting opportunities.''. SEC. 4. COMPLIANCE WITH CUTGO.

No additional amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act or the amendments made by this Act.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

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. 8014, the Transparency and Predictability in Small Business Opportunities Act sponsored by Representatives Mfume and Alford.

H.R. 8014 seeks to bring clarity to small business owners when an agency cancels a contract solicitation. Small businesses spend an incredible amount of time and resources preparing to bid on government contracts. When an agency cancels a contract solicitation, the small businesses that started preparing are left with nothing to show for their work. Furthermore, there is little clarity about what the agency will do with the products and services it originally intended to purchase.

H.R. 8014 will require agencies to share with the SBA its future plans with the canceled solicitation and a justification as to why it was canceled all while providing assistance to small businesses who were impacted by the cancellation by helping them identify similar contracting opportunities.

Small businesses deserve to have a full understanding of what opportunities are available to them and deserve to know how agencies will fulfill their buying needs.

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

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

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

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, this bill will prevent small businesses from being left with nothing to show for contracting opportunities that never materialize for one reason or another. It is my hope that this will increase the number of small businesses willing to take the leap of faith to compete for government contracts.

Before I yield back, I thank Representative Mfume for this bill and all the work he has done for small businesses throughout the years. I appreciate it very much.

While he may no longer be serving on our committee for the remainder of the 118th Congress, I appreciate his contributions that he has made throughout the years to America's entrepreneurs, and he is my friend.

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

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source