,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aif  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,january #ca1 #bjac 
,mr4 ,udall of ,new ,mexico introduced  
the following bill2 which was read twice
 and referred to the ,committee on      
,small ,business and ,entrepreneurship  
,a ,,bill  ,to assure equity in         
contracting between the ,federal        
,government and small business concerns1
 and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short    
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,assuring ,contracting ,equity ,act of  
#bjac4  #b4 ,federal contracting goals  
7a7 ,increase in certain goals ,section 
#ae7;g77#a7 of the ,small ,business ,act
 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fdd7;g77#a77 is        
amended--  7#a7 in the second sentence1 
by striking not less than #bc percent   
and inserting not less than #be percent2
 and  7#b7 by striking not less than #e 
percent each place it appears and       
inserting not less than #aj percent4    
7b7 ,limitation on number of categories 
for which a business may qualify        

,section #ae7;g7 of the ,small ,business
 ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fdd7;g77 is       
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  7#c7 7,a7 ,in this          
paragraph1 the term specified category  
means small business concerns1 small    
business concerns owned and controlled  
by service-disabled veterans1 qualified 
,h,u,b,zone small business concerns1    
small business concerns owned and       
controlled by socially and economically 
disadvantaged individuals1 and small    
business concerns owned and controlled  
by women4  7,b7 ,except as provided     
subparagraph 7,c71 a ,federal agency may
 include a business concern in not more 
than #b specified categories for        
purposes of determining whether the     
,federal agency has met the             
,government-wide goals under this       
subsection for the award of contracts to
 business concerns in specified         
categories4  7,c7 ,a ,federal agency may
 not include a small business concern   
that is participating in the program    

under section #h7;a7 in any specified   
category except the category small      
business concerns owned and controlled  
by socially and economically            
disadvantaged individuals for purposes  
of determining whether the ,federal     
agency has met the ,government-wide     
goals under this subsection for the     
award of contracts to business concerns 
in specified categories4  4  #c4        
,improving transparency to assist small 
business concerns ,section #ae7;g77#a7  
of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae       
,u4,s4,c4 #fdd7;g77#a77 is amended by   
inserting after the second sentence the 
following3 ,for purposes of this        
subsection1 the total value of all prime
 contract awards for a fiscal year      
includes the value of each prime        
contract awarded for the fiscal year1   
without regard to whether the prime     
contract was awarded as the result of   
unrestricted competition or any         
determination by the ,administrator with
 respect to the potential for a small   

business concern to perform the prime   
contract or a subcontract under the     
prime contract44  #d4 ,compliance with  
small business subcontracting goals ,the
 ,administrator of the ,small ,business 
,administration shall consult with the  
heads of other ,federal agencies to     
develop and implement standards for     
procurement officers to take into       
consideration the past compliance of    
potential contractors with small        
business subcontracting goals when      
making contract awards4