[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1816 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1816
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 4, 2025
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business
and Entrepreneurship
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To establish requirements relating to certification of small business
concerns owned and controlled by women for certain purposes, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``WOSB Accountability Act''.
SEC. 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) No Additional Funds Authorized.--No additional funds are
authorized to carry out the requirements of this Act and the amendments
made by this Act.
Passed the House of Representatives June 3, 2025.
Attest:
KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,
Clerk.