,,ii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #fgc ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #f1 #bjai,ms4 ,ernst 7for herself and ,ms4 ,baldwin7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,small ,business and ,entrepreneurship ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,small ,business ,act to eliminate the inclusion of option years in the award price for sole source contracts1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,expanding ,contracting ,opportunities for ,small ,businesses ,act of #bjai4 #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act-- 7#a7 the terms ,administration and ,administrator mean the ,small ,business ,administration and the ,administrator thereof2 7#b7 the term small business concern owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans has the meaning given the term in section #c7q7 of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcb7q772 and 7#c7 the term small business concern owned and controlled by women has the meaning given the term in section #h7m7 of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcg7m774 #c4 ,amendments to contracting authority for certain small business concerns 7a7 ,qualified ,h,u,b,zone small business concerns ,section #ca7;b77#b77;,a7 of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #feg;a7b77#b77;,a77 is amended to read as follows3 7,a7 ,sole source contracts ,a contracting officer may award sole source contracts under this section to any qualified ,h,u,b,zone small business concern1 if-- 7i7 the qualified ,h,u,b,zone small business concern is determined to be a responsible contractor with respect to performance of the contract opportunity2 7ii7 the contracting officer does not have a reasonable expectation that #b or more qualified ,h,u,b,zone small business concerns will submit offers for the contract opportunity2 7iii7 the anticipated award price of the contract will not exceed-- 7,i7 #g1jjj1jjj1 in the case of a contract opportunity assigned a standard industrial classification code for manufacturing2 or 7,,ii7 #d1jjj1jjj1 in the case of all other contract opportunities2 7iv7 in the estimation of the contracting officer1 the contract award can be made at a fair and reasonable price2 and 7v7 the base and each of the option years of the award1 if any1 are of similar value4 4 7b7 ,small business concern owned and controlled by service-,disabled veterans ,section #cf7;a7 of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #feg;f7a77 is amended to read as follows3 7a7 ,sole ,source ,contracts ,in accordance with this section1 a contracting officer may award a sole source contract to any small business concern owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans if-- 7#a7 the concern is determined to be a responsible contractor with respect to performance of the contract opportunity2 7#b7 the contracting officer does not have a reasonable expectation that #b or more small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans will submit offers for the contract opportunity2 7#c7 the anticipated award price of the contract will not exceed-- 7,a7 #g1jjj1jjj1 in the case of a contract opportunity assigned a standard industrial classification code for manufacturing2 or 7,b7 #d1jjj1jjj1 in the case of any other contract opportunity2 7#d7 in the estimation of the contracting officer1 the contract award can be made at a fair and reasonable price2 7#e7 the contracting officer has notified the ,administration of the intent to make the award and requested that the ,administration determine the eligibility of the concern for the award2 7#f7 the base and each of the option years of the award1 if any1 are of similar value2 and 7#g7 the ,administration has determined that the concern is eligible for the award4 4 7c7 ,certain small business concerns owned and controlled by women ,section #h7m7 of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcg7m77 is amended-- 7#a7 by amending paragraph 7#g7 to read as follows3 7#g7 ,authority for sole source contracts for economically disadvantaged small business concerns owned and controlled by women ,a contracting officer may award a sole source contract under this subsection to any small business concern owned and controlled by women described in paragraph 7#b77;,a7 and certified under paragraph 7#b77;,e7 if-- 7,a7 the concern is determined to be a responsible contractor with respect to performance of the contract opportunity2 7,b7 the contracting officer does not have a reasonable expectation that #b or more small business concerns owned and controlled by women described in paragraph 7#b77;,a7 will submit offers for the contract opportunity2 7,c7 the anticipated award price of the contract will not exceed-- 7i7 #g1jjj1jjj1 in the case of a contract opportunity assigned a standard industrial classification code for manufacturing2 or 7ii7 #d1jjj1jjj1 in the case of any other contract opportunity2 7,d7 in the estimation of the contracting officer1 the contract award can be made at a fair and reasonable price2 7,e7 the contracting officer has notified the ,administration of the intent to make the award and requested that the ,administration determine the eligibility of the concern for the award2 7,f7 the base and each of the option years of the award1 if any1 are of similar value2 and 7,g7 the ,administration has determined that the concern is eligible for the award4 2 and 7#b7 by amending paragraph 7#h7 to read as follows3 7#h7 ,authority for sole source contracts for small business concerns owned and controlled by women in substantially underrepresented industries ,a contracting officer may award a sole source contract under this subsection to any small business concern owned and controlled by women certified under paragraph 7#b77;,e7 that is in an industry in which small business concerns owned and controlled by women are substantially underrepresented 7as determined by the ,administrator under paragraph 7#c77 if-- 7,a7 the concern is determined to be a responsible contractor with respect to performance of the contract opportunity2 7,b7 the contracting officer does not have a reasonable expectation that #b or more businesses in an industry that has received a waiver under paragraph 7#c7 will submit offers for the contract opportunity2 7,c7 the anticipated award price of the contract will not exceed-- 7i7 #g1jjj1jjj1 in the case of a contract opportunity assigned a standard industrial classification code for manufacturing2 or 7ii7 #d1jjj1jjj1 in the case of any other contract opportunity2 7,d7 in the estimation of the contracting officer1 the contract award can be made at a fair and reasonable price2 7,e7 the contracting officer has notified the ,administration of the intent to make the award and requested that the ,administration determine the eligibility of the concern for the award2 7,f7 the base and each of the option years of the award1 if any1 are of similar value2 and 7,g7 the ,administration has determined that the concern is eligible for the award4 4 7d7 ,socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns ,section #h7;a77#a77;,d77i7 of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcg7;a77#a77;,d77i77 is amended to read as follows3 7,d7 7i7 ,a contracting officer may award sole source contracts under this subsection to any qualified socially and economically disadvantaged small business concern1 as defined in paragraph 7#d77;,a71 if-- 7,i7 the qualified socially and economically disadvantaged small business concern is determined to be a responsible contractor with respect to performance of the contract opportunity2 7,,ii7 the contracting officer does not have a reasonable expectation that #b or more qualified socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns will submit offers for the contract opportunity2 7,,iii7 the anticipated award price of the contract will not exceed-- 7aa7 #g1jjj1jjj1 in the case of a contract opportunity assigned a standard industrial classification code for manufacturing2 or 7bb7 #d1jjj1jjj1 in the case of any other contract opportunity2 7,,iv7 in the estimation of the contracting officer1 the contract award can be made at a fair and reasonable price2 and 7,v7 the base and each of the option years of the award1 if any1 are of similar value4 4 #d4 ,,sba certification program notification 7a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator shall notify the ,committee on ,small ,business and ,entrepreneurship of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,small ,business of the ,house of ,representatives when the ,administrator has implemented each of the following3 7#a7 ,a program to certify small business concerns owned and controlled by women4 7#b7 ,a program to certify small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans4 7b7 ,additional notice ,the ,administrator shall submit a copy of a notification required under subsection 7a7 to the ,law ,revision ,counsel of the ,house of ,representatives so that the ,law ,revision ,counsel may execute the amendments required under section #e4 #e4 ,removal of eligibility determination upon implementation of certification programs ,effective upon the notification described in section #d1 the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fca et seq471 as amended by section #c of this ,act1 is amended-- 7#a7 in section #h7m7 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcg7m77-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#g7-- 7i7 in subparagraph 7,d71 by adding and at the end2 7ii7 by striking subparagraphs 7,e7 and 7,g72 7iii7 by redesignating subparagraph 7,f7 as subparagraph 7,e72 and 7iv7 in subparagraph 7,e71 as so redesignated1 by striking 2 and and inserting a period2 and 7,b7 in paragraph 7#h7-- 7i7 in subparagraph 7,d71 by adding and at the end2 7ii7 by striking subparagraphs 7,e7 and 7,g72 7iii7 by redesignating subparagraph 7,f7 as subparagraph 7,e72 and 7iv7 in subparagraph 7,e71 as so redesignated1 by striking 2 and and inserting a period2 and 7#b7 in section #cf7;a7 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #feg;f7a77-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#c71 by adding and at the end2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#d71 by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting a period2 and 7,c7 by striking paragraphs 7#e71 7#f71 and 7#g74 #f4 ,,gao ,report 7a7 ,study ,with respect to the procurement programs of the ,administration for small business concerns owned and controlled by women and for small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans1 the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall conduct an evaluation of the policies and practices used by the ,administration and other ,federal agencies to provide assurances that-- 7#a7 contracting officers are properly classifying sole source awards under those programs in the ,federal ,procurement ,data ,system2 and 7#b7 sole source contracts awarded under those programs are being awarded to eligible concerns4 7b7 ,report ,not later than #ah months after the date on which the ,administration implements the certification programs described in section #d7;a71 the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall submit to the ,committee on ,small ,business and ,entrepreneurship of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,small ,business of the ,house of ,representatives a report containing the findings made in carrying out the study required under subsection 7a74 7c7 ,,sba consideration of ,,gao report 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator shall review the report issued under subsection 7b7 and take such actions as the ,administrator may determine appropriate to address any concerns raised in the report and any recommendations contained in the report4 7#b7 ,report to ,congress ,after the review described under paragraph 7#a71 the ,administrator shall submit to ,congress a report-- 7,a7 stating that no additional actions were necessary to address any concerns or recommendations contained in the report2 or 7,b7 describing the actions taken by the ,administrator to resolve those concerns or implement those recommendations4