Transparency and Predictability in Small Business Opportunities Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 789) 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, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 789

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 as follows:

(1) Requiring disclosure of 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 of 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, establishing procedures for the referral of a small business concern (as defined under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)) that prepared a bid for such covered solicitation to the Director of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (as defined in section 15(k) of such 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, Government-wide point of entry described under section 1708 of title 41, United States Code.

(c) Covered Solicitation Defined.--In this section, 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 such solicitation, assist such concern with identifying similar contracting opportunities.''. SEC. 4. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.

No additional funds are authorized to carry out the requirements of this Act and the amendments made by this Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in full support of H.R. 789, the Transparency and Predictability in Small Business Opportunities Act, introduced by Representatives Latimer, Alford, and Mfume.

H.R. 789 seeks to bring clarity to small business owners when solicitations for contracts are canceled. Often, small businesses devote a considerable amount of time and resources in preparing these proposals for solicitations.

Unfortunately, these solicitations are often canceled by agencies with no explanation provided to the businesses that have already submitted proposals.

H.R. 789 will require agencies to share with the SBA information as to why the solicitation was canceled. Moreover, this bill requires agencies to assist small businesses impacted by the canceled solicitation by identifying similar contracts to bid on.

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 789, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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