1.Short title; table of
contents
(a)This Act may be cited
as the Small Business Opportunity Act
of 2012
.
(b)
Sec. 1. Short title; table of
contents.
Title I—Procurement center
representatives
Sec. 101. Procurement center
representatives.
Sec. 102. Small Business Act contracting
requirements training.
Title II—Acquisition planning
Sec. 201. Acquisition planning.
<enum>I</enum><header>Procurement center
representatives</header>
<section id="HAD350D0BBBDA48F389AACABCA2D618A0"><enum>101.</enum><header>Procurement center
representatives</header>
<subsection id="H00E83FDE2CE84518904B38FD8ED5F6D0"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In
general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 15(l) of the
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644(l)) is amended by striking the subsection
enumerator and inserting the following:</text>
<quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HSM00" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HC873399A86B74E81BC627D8DE5B3E378" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC">
<subsection id="H63BF7FDC199C46258FDFE6D41D9D703C"><enum>(l)</enum><header>Procurement center
representatives</header>
</subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection id="HF87CFEDA88454A2990BDFEA073D16585"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Assignment and
role</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Paragraph (1) of section
15(l) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 644(l)) is amended to read as follows:</text>
<quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HSM00" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H974DC2E81BC04B998D68DCA3353E9045" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC">
<paragraph id="H3C9C555F3A1841C0806DBBA4362EAA26"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Assignment and
role</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Administrator shall
assign to each major procurement center a procurement center representative
with such assistance as may be
appropriate.</text>
</paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection id="HD7046DE3AF8A4092813CF0B884E2803D"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Activities</header><text>Section
15(l)(2) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 644(l)(2)) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="HEF129D71ADAE4C02ABEE45561C02479B"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in the matter preceding
subparagraph (A) by striking <quote>(2) In addition to carrying out the
responsibilities assigned by the Administration, a breakout</quote> and
inserting the following:</text>
<quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HSM00" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HF67ABF613A29445386E04DD528B010FD" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC">
<paragraph id="HD33F56AF2C974D328AB59992B36B5BBC"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Activities</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A</text>
</paragraph><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H0F27FF983C684C0AA5DCFB80CD0FBB41"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by striking subparagraph
(A) and inserting the following:</text>
<quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HSM00" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H339FC8AA40D94C0A90AB282F9E66EEF6" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="H08EE3890544742D58CB8784FCF9EB0D6"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">attend any provisioning conference or
similar evaluation session during which a determination may be made with
respect to the procurement method to be used to satisfy a requirement, review
any acquisition plan with respect to a requirement, and make recommendations
regarding procurement method determinations and acquisition
plans;</text>
</subparagraph><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H9638C6B87700440E92D5ADECC738B3C4"><enum>(3)</enum><text>in subparagraph
(B)—</text>
<subparagraph id="HEC3C359704CD44DB857C994E318C2B06"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by striking <quote>(B)
review, at any time, restrictions on competition</quote> and inserting the
following:</text>
<quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HSM00" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HACF9D2A356C94AD7837083C84280422A" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="H24D8F121E89B4E72B44C98A177F3998C"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">review, at any time, barriers to small
business participation in Federal
contracting</text>
</subparagraph><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H06085AB6CB4A440E8EE50B46E24A6754"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>items</quote> and inserting <quote>goods and services</quote>;
and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HE13701000A2D4C2AABC4A4F53DF41296"><enum>(C)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>limitations</quote> and inserting <quote>barriers</quote>;</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H6F0F0A3031A240E6AC6FB693B699ECAD"><enum>(4)</enum><text>in subparagraph (C) by
striking <quote>(C) review restrictions on competition</quote> and inserting
the following:</text>
<quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HSM00" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H0D1383D15B2341DA8A4CE7498D86FDF4" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="H817254626BC54185BDA95CB4B05677FB"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">review barriers to small business
participation in Federal
contracting</text>
</subparagraph><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H27024BF90E4644F4A4E786F229487087"><enum>(5)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by striking subparagraph (D) and inserting
the following:</text>
<quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HSM00" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HF943270E68AA424089D976BF2B803111" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="H31318B835F134E7985480D1879F00A5D"><enum>(D)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">review any bundled or consolidated
solicitation or contract in accordance with this
Act;</text>
</subparagraph><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H589B118A4738408196C1A94403A7B6AE"><enum>(6)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subparagraph (E) by striking <quote>(E)
have access to</quote> and inserting the following:</text>
<quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HSM00" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HD820814592184B09BD5C27166F6E00FF" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="H19E21E64D33641ED91083FBCBF43212E"><enum>(E)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">have access
to</text>
</subparagraph><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HC112712D8AD14EA882808257342FA7AE"><enum>(7)</enum><text>by striking subparagraphs
(F) and (G) and inserting the following:</text>
<quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HSM00" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H230848514562444485311EAE66D77DCC" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="H30C8C2FDAF2F4E3C9D874AF970F7CBFD"><enum>(F)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">receive, from personnel responsible for
reviewing unsolicited proposals, copies of unsolicited proposals from small
business concerns and any information on outcomes relating to such
proposals;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H869543A233454D54A11FE68AEF971302"><enum>(G)</enum><text>participate in any
session or planning process and review any documents with respect to a decision
to convert an activity performed by a small business concern to an activity
performed by a Federal employee;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HE0DD7B4157B54B50928EFC0A3172351E"><enum>(H)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">have electronic access to any acquisition
plan developed or in development with respect to a procurement activity;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H448CEBF776B24B549E849591BF5A6F86"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">be an advocate for the maximum practicable
utilization of small business concerns in Federal contracting, including by
advocating against the bundling of contract requirements when not justified;
and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H41A307BEAFFE4264AD7B6D864B52D714"><enum>(J)</enum><text>carry out any other
responsibility assigned by the
Administrator.</text>
</subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H75E495982B504420A2B8335C4C8BCE04"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Appeals</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 15(l)(3) of such Act (15 U.S.C.
644(l)(3)) is amended by striking <quote>(3) A breakout procurement center
representative</quote> and inserting the following:</text>
<quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HSM00" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H6764DF6501024541A9D845188647686E" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC">
<paragraph id="H8EC90C1737E84009982956296716D4B0"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Appeals</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A procurement center
representative</text>
</paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection id="H7E322A51FF1A4DD7866E172BA0F026AC"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Notification and
inclusion</header><text>Paragraph (4) of section 15(l) of such Act (15 U.S.C.
644(l)) is amended to read as follows:</text>
<quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HSM00" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H62605B913A634F168A24C1F7BD8F23F8" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC">
<paragraph id="H3ADD455F92834F6E919F3856BD1163FB"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Notification and
inclusion</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A procurement
center representative shall be notified of and included in all applicable
acquisition planning
processes.</text>
</paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection id="HD4CC3642EA80456FB310AF84FBA93D9B"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Position
requirements</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 15(l)(5)
of such Act (15 U.S.C. 644(l)(5)) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="H03FD2B944E204172BEEB4F7903FC36F0"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking the paragraph
enumerator and inserting the following:</text>
<quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HSM00" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H226106B63758477E87D6F939A37E54A1" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC">
<paragraph id="HA2900DBDB52E4B9C91FDB7EE8FEBAC2F"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Position
requirements</header>
</paragraph><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H8B701619962C48508867170EB5CF7B0B"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by striking subparagraphs
(A) and (B) and inserting the following:</text>
<quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HSM00" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H9CC79DF553194A099A72D3F0E1D7D617" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="HD27EBBB092E94A2BB467A02C22D2DF4D"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In
general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A procurement center
representative assigned under this subsection shall—</text>
<clause id="H72695EF971054EBFB731B9594EE6B194"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">be a full-time employee of the
Administration;</text>
</clause><clause id="H6BB1203B284747B58E3F965C1CF127B0"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">be fully qualified, technically trained,
and familiar with the goods and services procured by the major procurement
center to which that representative is assigned; and</text>
</clause><clause id="H7584D57223CD46DC8D019178D605C9C2"><enum>(iii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">have a Level III Federal Acquisition
Certification in Contracting (or any successor certification) or the equivalent
Department of Defense certification, except that any person serving in such a
position on the date of enactment of this clause may continue to serve in that
position for a period of 5 years without the required
certification.</text>
</clause></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>;
and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H502E4F6C99604744A88208D40AC354D5"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subparagraph (C) by striking <quote>(C)
The Administration shall establish personnel positions for breakout procurement
representatives and advisers assigned pursuant to</quote> and inserting the
following:</text>
<quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HSM00" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H3BB6B9B3CABF4335810820B038E3672B" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="HC89F3FC4426D440B97EC4B344194819E"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Compensation</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Administrator shall establish personnel
positions for procurement center representatives assigned
under</text>
</subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HAEC9C2B48A0F43C3AC9C156F1D2AEBF5"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Major procurement
center defined</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section
15(l)(6) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 644(l)(6)) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="HB5A135E969E347BAA1696001EF06EB18"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking <quote>(6)
For purposes</quote> and inserting the following:</text>
<quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HSM00" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HEDAB552142374B6CBEDA3107B6CFFAF4" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC">
<paragraph id="HCEAC0CBF349147658755B71EDA7809C5"><enum>(6)</enum><header>Major procurement
center defined</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">For
purposes</text>
</paragraph><after-quoted-block>;
and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HE2130432DD0048F1907236509EDB649B"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by striking <quote>other than commercial
items and which has the potential to incur significant savings as the result of
the placement of a breakout procurement center representative</quote> and
inserting <quote>goods or services, including goods or services that are
commercially available</quote>.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H0AED8ADD108B4F0D8E9AE6CE7CB32286"><enum>(h)</enum><header>Training</header><text>Section
15(l)(7) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 644(l)(7)) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="H1E05C402E1C6485E8457AB97059926BB"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking the paragraph
enumerator and inserting the following:</text>
<quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HSM00" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H29FB1C4FCC164E61BBE452DC6422FD42" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC">
<paragraph id="H3FA0257575DD41798999F005225BBF2F"><enum>(7)</enum><header>Training</header>
</paragraph><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H2A9D1D92FD0E4A5E92B5761763074715"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by striking subparagraph
(A) and inserting the following:</text>
<quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HSM00" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H9D0E8C0713474400A6E6023FB91A1D4E" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="HCC64F0288AB94AB39AA9EF015124C9AF"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Authorization</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">At such times as the Administrator deems
appropriate, a procurement center representative shall provide training for
contracting officers, other appropriate personnel of the procurement center to
which such representative is assigned, and small businesses groups seeking to
do business with such procurement center. Such training shall acquaint the
participants with the provisions of this subsection and shall instruct the
participants in methods designed to further the purposes of this
subsection.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HF4FCFD00A6914C209C941B26DA8C529E"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Limitation</header><text>A
procurement center representative may provide training under subparagraph (A)
only to the extent that the training does not interfere with the representative
carrying out other activities under this
subsection.</text>
</subparagraph><after-quoted-block>;
and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H85BB2369788B46618F1008A34ADEDF59"><enum>(3)</enum><text>in subparagraph
(B)—</text>
<subparagraph id="HD964164DB4044A448024865C35210E6A"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by striking <quote>(B)
The breakout procurement center representative</quote> and inserting the
following:</text>
<quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HSM00" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H8668C9D458804F11AD62D91606831787" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC">
<paragraph id="HD5078D40A3E74827ADBEC32375C9B059"><enum>(8)</enum><header>Annual briefing and
report</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A procurement center
representative</text>
</paragraph><after-quoted-block>;
and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H1B0264DF31FA49DEA8A8C365634EE7C4"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>sixty</quote> and inserting <quote>60</quote>.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="HC46B95517D36411DA48EE9BE54208FAB"><enum>102.</enum><header>Small Business Act
contracting requirements training</header>
<subsection id="H71FF9B69EA1E4AE98ECCF10638736B48"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Establishment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Defense Acquisition University and the Federal
Acquisition Institute shall each provide a course on contracting requirements
under the Small Business Act, including the requirements for small business
concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, qualified HUBZone
small business concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by
socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, and small business
concerns owned and controlled by women.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HA41D3E8ABA284D14A212C26A46F4191D"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Course
required</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">To have a Federal
Acquisition Certification in Contracting (or any successor certification) or
the equivalent Department of Defense certification an individual shall be
required to complete the course established under subsection (a).</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H4089E1E32C5C4ED19B11A80331B5B6E7"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Requirement that
Business Opportunity Specialists be certified</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 7(j)(10)(D)(i) of the Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(j)(10)(D)(i)) is amended by inserting after
<quote>to assist such Program Participant.</quote> the following: <quote>The
Business Opportunity Specialist shall have a Level I Federal Acquisition
Certification in Contracting (or any successor certification) or the equivalent
Department of Defense certification, except that a Business Opportunity
Specialist serving at the time of the date of enactment of the Small Business
Opportunity Act of 2012 may continue to serve as a Business Opportunity
Specialist for a period of 5 years beginning on that date of enactment without
such a certification.</quote>.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HB37E0B53B315452592639BBF61764BA6"><enum>(d)</enum><header>GAO
Report</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 365
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the
United States shall conduct a study and submit a report to the Committee on
Small Business of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Small
Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate on the relationship between the
size and quality of the acquisition workforce and the Federal government’s
ability to maximize the utilization of small businesses in Federal procurement.
The report shall specifcally address the following:</text>
<paragraph id="HF8B5E9B6A93F46959F09EA32110DAA56"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The extent to which training on small
business contracting laws affects a contracting officer’s determination to use
one of the contracting authorities provided in the Small Business Act.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HD3938DE2BB8A42F5A7C7E894DD68EE7D"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The relationship between a robust Federal
acquisition workforce and small business success in obtaining Federal
contracting opportunities.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HC8379AFB148E401A898A58BD59BF089F"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The effect on economic growth if small
businesses experienced a significant reduction in small business procurement
activities.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H0F5654EE4BD54921BDA884EB7A841E07"><enum>(4)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The effect of the anticipated acceleration
of retirements by the acquisition workforce on small business procurement
opportunities.</text>
</paragraph></subsection></section><enum>II</enum><header>Acquisition
planning</header>
<section id="H21ED70E7D93E41249B5DE278E6FEDF6C"><enum>201.</enum><header>Acquisition
planning</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 15(e)(1) of
the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644(e)(1)) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="H20DDFB7CBA21481B9CF11C0702A72B38"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking <quote>the
various agencies</quote> and inserting <quote>a Federal department or
agency</quote>; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H54F7E343ED1A4E70A39A5552A49F032D"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by striking the period
and inserting</text>
<quoted-block changed="added" committee-id="HSM00" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="H477C9B61B63C4987A6FD75F0F000DA9A" reported-display-style="italic" style="OLC">
<text>and each such Federal department
or agency shall—</text><subparagraph id="HFFA94E63A12D4914A8506FCC6E9A9226"><enum>(A)</enum><text>enumerate opportunities
for the participation of small business concerns during all acquisition
planning processes and in all acquisition plans;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HAC4B81ABC9FD4EF2A2785EA2D0C1EF2D"><enum>(B)</enum><text>invite the participation
of the appropriate Director of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization in
all acquisition planning processes and provide that Director access to all
acquisition plans in development; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HF3BE73F1DB594A31B9965AD398CAE019"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">invite the participation of the appropriate
procurement center representative in all acquisition planning processes and
provide that representative access to all acquisition plans in
development.</text>
</subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></section>
December 21, 2012
Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State
of the Union and ordered to be printed