WOSB Certification Expansion and Opportunity Act
Officially: “WOSB Certification Expansion and Opportunity Act” Read the full text
What it does
Read it in plain language
1Short title
This section would let the Act be called the WOSB Certification Expansion and Opportunity Act.
Show official text
1. Short title This Act may be cited as the WOSB Certification Expansion and Opportunity Act .
2Exclusion of self-certified small business concerns owned and controlled by women from goals
This section would add a new rule to the Small Business Act saying that only small businesses owned and controlled by women that have been certified under section 8(m)(2)(E) of that Act count toward the government-wide small business goal for women-owned businesses and toward the goal that the head of a federal agency sets for women-owned businesses at that agency; women-owned businesses that only self-certify, without going through that certification process, would no longer count toward either goal. This new counting rule would not take effect until the first day after the end of the second fiscal year that begins after the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) issues the regulations described below. As a transition measure, a small business would still be treated as certified for purposes of counting toward these goals, even though no certification decision has been made, if it was self-certified as a women-owned small business on the date the new counting rule takes effect, if it had already filed a certification application with the Administrator or an SBA-approved national certifying organization before that date, and if the Administrator or that organization had not yet decided on the application by that date; such a business would keep counting toward the goals until the Administrator or the certifying organization actually decides its application. Not later than one year after this Act becomes law, the Administrator must issue regulations carrying out this section. Not later than 60 days after enactment, and every quarter after that until the date on which the new counting rule takes effect, the Administrator must brief the House Committee on Small Business and the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship on how this section is being carried out, and each briefing must cover: the total number of small businesses expected to seek women-owned certification; the number of certification applications pending with the Administrator or an approved certifying organization during the period covered by the briefing; the total number of applications approved since enactment; how long it takes to process applications from submission to approval; the administrative cost to the SBA of deciding these applications and the estimated cost to a business of getting certified through a national certifying organization; the Administrator's current and future outreach to women-owned businesses and to federal agencies about this Act's requirements; and any recommendations for additional legislative authority or resources needed to fully carry out this Act. This section defines Administration to mean the Small Business Administration, Administrator to mean the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, small business concern to have the meaning given in section 3 of the Small Business Act, and small business concern owned and controlled by women to have the meaning given in section 8(m) of the Small Business Act. Finally, this section states that no additional money is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act or the changes it makes.
Show official text
2. Exclusion of self-certified small business concerns owned and controlled by women from goals (a) Exclusion of self-Certified WOSBs from Governmentwide and agency goals (1) In general Section 15(g) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 644(g) ) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (4) Exclusion of self-certified WOSBs from goals Only small business concerns owned and controlled by women that have been certified under section 8(m)(2)(E) shall be included in calculating the goals established— (A) under paragraph (1)(A)(v); and (B) by the head of a Federal agency for small business concerns owned and controlled by women under paragraph (2). . (2) Effective date The amendments made by paragraph (1) shall take effect on the first day after the end of the second fiscal year beginning after the Administrator issues the regulations required under subsection (b)(2). (b) Requirements relating to self-Certified WOSBs (1) Inclusion of certain self-certified WOSBs in goals (A) In general Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a small business concern described in subparagraph (B) shall be deemed to have been certified by the Administrator or a national certifying entity approved by the Administrator under section 8(m) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 637(m) ) as a small business concern owned and controlled by women under paragraph (2)(E) of such section ( 15 U.S.C. 637(m)(2)(E) ) for the purposes of calculating the goals described in paragraph (4) of section 15(g) of the such Act (as added by subsection (a) of this Act) until the Administrator or such a national certifying entity make a determination with respect to the certification of such concern. (B) Small business concerns described A small business concern described in this subparagraph is a small business concern— (i) that is self-certified as a small business concern owned and controlled by women as of the date on which the amendments made by subsection (a) take effect; (ii) that files a certification application with the Administrator or a national certifying entity approved by the Administrator under section 8(m) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 637(m) ) prior to such date; and (iii) for which the Administrator or such a national certifying entity does not make a determination prior to such date regarding certification pursuant to such certification application. (2) Rulemaking Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall issue regulations carrying out this section. (c) Quarterly briefings required Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and on a quarterly basis thereafter until the date specified in subsection (b), the Administrator shall provide to the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives and the Committee Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate a briefing on the implementation of the requirements of this section. Such briefings shall include— (1) the total number of small business concerns expected to seek certification as a small business concern owned and controlled by women; (2) the number of applications for certification pending with the Administrator or a national certifying entity approved by the Administrator under section 8(m) of the Small Business Act during the period covered by the briefing; (3) the total number of applications approved by the Administrator or such a national certifying entity since the date of the enactment of this Act; (4) the timelines associated with processing such applications by the Administrator or such a national certifying entity between submission and approval; (5) the administrative costs to the Administration to make determinations on such applications and the estimated cost to such applicant to seek certification from a national certifying entity; (6) a discussion of the Administrator’s current and future outreach efforts to small business concerns owned and controlled by women and to Federal agencies on the requirements of this Act; and (7) recommendations for additional legislative authority or resources required to fully implement the requirements of this Act. (d) Definitions In this section: (1) Administration The term Administration means the Small Business Administration. (2) Administrator The term Administrator means the Administrator of the Small Business Administration. (3) Small business concern The term small business concern has the meaning given under section 3 of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 632 ). (4) Small business concern owned and controlled by women The term small business concern owned and controlled by women has the meaning given the term in section 8(m) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 637(m) ). (e) Compliance with CUTGO No additional amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act or the amendments made by this Act.
Where it is
In the House.