,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #dcj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #bh1 #bjac
 ,mr4 ,heller 7for himself and ,mr4     
,manchin7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code1 to enhance treatment of  
certain small business concerns for     
purposes of ,department of ,veterans    
,affairs contracting goals and          
preferences1 and for other purposes4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,veterans ,small ,business      
,opportunity and ,protection ,act of    
#bjac4  #b4 ,modification of treatment  
under contracting goals and preferences 
of ,department of ,veterans ,affairs for
 small businesses owned by veterans of  
small businesses after death of disabled
 veteran owners  7a7 ,in general        
,section #habg7;h7 of title #ch1 ,united
 ,states ,code1 is amended--  7#a7 in   
paragraph 7#c71 by striking rated as and

 all that follows through disability4   
and inserting a period2 and  7#b7 in    
paragraph 7#b71 by amending subparagraph
 7,c7 to read as follows3  7,c7 ,the    
date that--  7i7 in the case of a       
surviving spouse of a veteran with a    
service-connected disability rated as   
#ajj percent disabling or who dies as a 
result of a service-connected           
disability1 is #aj years after the date 
of the veteran's death2 or  7ii7 in the 
case of a surviving spouse of a veteran 
with a service-connected disability     
rated as less than #ajj percent         
disabling who does not die as a result  
of a service-connected disability1 is   
three years after the date of the       
veteran's death4  4  7b7 ,effective date
 ,the amendments made by subsection 7a7 
shall take effect on the date that is   
#ahj days after the date of the         
enactment of this ,act and shall apply  
with respect to contracts awarded on or 
after such date4  #c4 ,treatment of     
businesses after deaths of              

servicemember-owners for purposes of    
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
contracting goals and preferences  7a7  
,in general ,section #habg of title #ch1
 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended--    
7#a7 by redesignating subsections 7i7   
through 7l7 as subsections 7j7 through  
7m71 respectively2 and  7#b7 by         
inserting after subsection 7h7 the      
following new subsection 7i73  7i7      
,treatment of businesses after death of 
servicemember-,owner  7#a7 ,if a member 
of the ,armed ,forces owns at least #ea 
percent of a small business concern and 
such member is killed in line of duty in
 the active military1 naval1 or air     
service1 the surviving spouse or        
dependent of such member who acquires   
such ownership rights in such small     
business concern shall1 for the period  
described in paragraph 7#b71 be treated 
as if the surviving spouse or dependent 
were a veteran with a service-connected 
disability for purposes of determining  
the status of the small business concern

 as a small business concern owned and  
controlled by veterans for purposes of  
contracting goals and preferences under 
this section4  7#b7 ,the period referred
 to in paragraph 7#a7 is the period     
beginning on the date on which the      
member of the ,armed ,forces dies and   
ending on the date as follows3  7,a7 ,in
 the case of a surviving spouse1 the    
earliest of the following dates3  7i7   
,the date on which the surviving spouse 
remarries4  7ii7 ,the date on which the 
surviving spouse relinquishes an        
ownership interest in the small business
 concern and no longer owns at least #ea
 percent of such small business concern4
  7iii7 ,the date that is ten years     
after the date of the member's death4   
7,b7 ,in the case of a dependent who is 
not a spouse1 the earliest of the       
following dates3  7i7 ,the date on which
 the surviving dependant relinquishes an
 ownership interest in the small        
business concern and no longer owns at  
least #ea percent of such small business

 concern4  7ii7 ,the date that is ten   
years after the date of the member's    
death4  4  7b7 ,effective date          
,subsection 7i7 of section #habg of     
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code 7as    
added by subsection 7a7 of this         
section71 shall take effect on the date 
of the enactment of this ,act1 and shall
 apply with respect to the deaths of    
members of the ,armed ,forces occurring 
on or after such date4