Transparency and Predictability in Small Business Opportunities Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. McGarvey for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I recognize the colleagues who have joined me in leading this bill, Congressman Alford of Missouri, Congressman Mfume of Maryland, and Congresswoman Goodlander of New Hampshire. I appreciate the opportunity to work together and to highlight why this important legislation is needed.

Small business owners are often resource constrained. Every day, these individuals play the role of salesman, compliance officer, marketing professional, and more, often juggling a variety of business- related activities to support their business.

When a small business owner submits a proposal to work with the Federal Government, they invest considerable time and resources into making their submission the best it can be. They are also forced to navigate a complex and time-consuming contracting process while balancing their other important responsibilities.

Last year, the Small Business Committee heard testimony from a small business owner who said that solicitation proposals can cost a small business upward of $10,000 worth of labor to draft, develop, review, and execute.

With that in mind, it can be rightfully frustrating for a small business owner if a Federal agency decides to cancel a solicitation without transparency into why that decision has been made. Without insight into how the decision was made, it can feel as though their hard work and considerable investment to submit a proposal was made in vain.

If we are serious about bringing more small businesses into Federal contracting, then we must ensure that businessowners have confidence and trust in their Federal partners. This bipartisan bill, the Transparency and Predictability in Small Business Opportunities Act, would improve accountability in the Federal contracting process for small businesses.

The bill would require SBA to issue rules requiring that when an agency cancels a solicitation, they must share a justification for why they are canceling the solicitation and provide information about any plans to reissue it. If an agency does not plan to reissue the solicitation, then the bill would create procedures for a small business to receive assistance in identifying similar contracting opportunities.

This bill passed the Small Business Committee unanimously in March and passed the House by voice vote in the last Congress. It is a bipartisan and commonsense solution to help our small businesses more successfully navigate the Federal contracting process.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues here to support this important bill.

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