By: Edward T. DeLisle & Maria L. Panichelli
Eight bills aimed at assisting small businesses won approval in the House of Representatives on May 18, 2012. The bills include not only the Government Efficiency Through Small Business Contracting Act, the Small Business Advocate Act, the Subcontracting Transparency and Reliability Act, the Small Business Opportunity Act, which we discussed previously, but also:
- the Building Better Business Partnerships Act (H.R. 3985), which would amend the Small Business Act with respect to mentor-protégée programs, and allow the Small Business Administration to oversee 13 current mentorship programs for small businesses;
- the Contractor Opportunity Protection Act (H.R. 4081), which would overhaul the appeals process for contract bundling;
- the Contracting Oversight for Small Business Jobs Act (H.R. 4206), which would amend the Small Business Act to provide for increased penalties for contracting fraud; and
- the Small Business Protection Act (H.R. 3987) which would revamp the SBA’s size standards, or the measure it uses to determine when a business is small.
Although these bills passed the House, the legislation’s fate remains uncertain; the measures are attached to a defense spending bill that President Obama has threatened to veto. We will continue to monitor the progress of these bills and report on any changes in the law.
Edward T. DeLisle is a Partner in the firm and a member of the Federal Contracting Practice Group. Maria L. Panichelli is an Associate in the firm’s Federal Practice Group.