[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4203 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4203

To amend the Small Business Act with respect to the procurement program 
    for women-owned small business concerns, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 19, 2012

 Ms. Velazquez (for herself, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Chu, and Ms. 
    Hahn) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Small Business

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Small Business Act with respect to the procurement program 
    for women-owned small business concerns, 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 ``Women's Procurement Program 
Improvement Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. PROCUREMENT PROGRAM FOR WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS.

    Section 8(m) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)) is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) by striking subparagraph (D);
                    (B) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as 
                subparagraph (D) respectively; and
                    (C) by striking subparagraph (F), and inserting the 
                following:
                    ``(E) each of the concerns--
                            ``(i) is certified by a Federal agency, a 
                        State government, or a national certifying 
                        entity approved by the Administrator, as a 
                        small business concern owned and controlled by 
                        women; or
                            ``(ii) is certified by the Administrator as 
                        a small business concern owned and controlled 
                        by women.'';
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``subparagraph (2)(A)'' 
        inserting the following: ``paragraph (2)(A) or paragraph 
        (7)(A)'';
            (3) in paragraph (5) by striking ``under paragraph (2)(F)'' 
        each place it appears and inserting ``under paragraph (2)(E)''; 
        and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(7) Sole source contracts for economically disadvantaged 
        women-owned small businesses.--In accordance with this section, 
        a contracting officer may award a sole source contract to any 
        small business concern meeting the requirements of section 
        8(m)(2)(A) of this Act if--
                    ``(A) such concern is determined to be a 
                responsible contract with respect to performance of 
                such contract opportunity and the contracting officer 
                does not have a reasonable expectation that 2 or more 
                businesses meeting the requirements of section 
                8(m)(2)(A) will submit offers;
                    ``(B) the anticipated award price of the contract 
                (including options) will not exceed--
                            ``(i) $6,500,000 in the case of a contract 
                        opportunity assigned a standard industrial code 
                        for manufacturing; or
                            ``(ii) $4,000,000 in the case of any other 
                        contract opportunity; and
                    ``(C) in the estimation of the contracting officer, 
                the contract award can be made at a fair and reasonable 
                price.
            ``(8) Sole source contracts for women-owned small 
        businesses in substantially underrepresented industries.--In 
        accordance with this section, a contracting officer may award a 
        sole source contract to any small business concerns meeting the 
        requirements of section 8(m)(3) of this Act if--
                    ``(A) such concern is determined to be a 
                responsible contract with respect to performance of 
                such contract opportunity and the contracting officer 
                does not have a reasonable expectation that 2 or more 
                businesses meeting the requirements of section 8(m)(3) 
                will submit offers;
                    ``(B) the anticipated award price of the contract 
                (including options) will not exceed--
                            ``(i) $6,500,000 in the case of a contract 
                        opportunity assigned a standard industrial code 
                        for manufacturing; or
                            ``(ii) $4,000,000 in the case of any other 
                        contract opportunity; and
                    ``(C) in the estimation of the contracting officer, 
                the contract award can be made at a fair and reasonable 
                price.''.
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