H.R. 2781 — Introduced in House

I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2781 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 6, 2017Mr. Dunn (for himself and Mr. Panetta) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to certify the sufficient participation of small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans and small business concerns owned by veterans with service-connected disabilities in contracts under the Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Ensuring Veteran Enterprise Participation in Strategic Sourcing Act. 2. Secretary of Veterans Affairs certification of sufficient participation of small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans and small business concerns owned by veterans with service-connected disabilities in contracts under the Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative (a) Certification required Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress certification in writing that with respect to each contract awarded under the Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative (managed by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy) a sufficient number of small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans and a sufficient number of small business concerns owned by veterans with service-connected disabilities are represented within each category. (b) Insufficient representation If the Secretary determines that the representation by small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans or small business concerns owned by veterans with service-connected disabilities within a category of the contracts awarded under such Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative is not a sufficient number, the Secretary shall— (1) consult with the Administrator of the General Services Administration to increase the number of such concerns awarded contracts under such category; or (2) require the Department of Veterans Affairs to stop awarding orders under that category of the Initiative, effective on the date of such determination. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) The terms small business concern owned and controlled by veterans and small business concern owned and controlled by veterans with service-connected disabilities have the meaning given such terms in section 8127(k) of title 38, United States Code. (2) The term category means— (A) a type of supply or service for which a suite of contracts has been established under the Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative; or (B) any further subdivision or grouping within such a suite of contracts. (3) The term sufficient number, with respect to a type of business concern, means not fewer than two and enough to maximize the percentage of orders entered into by the Secretary with such business concerns, as determined by the Secretary.