[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4339 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4339

  To amend the Small Business Act to clarify the responsibilities of 
       Business Opportunity Specialists, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 6, 2016

    Ms. Maxine Waters of California (for herself and Ms. Velazquez) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             Small Business

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Small Business Act to clarify the responsibilities of 
       Business Opportunity Specialists, 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 ``Improving Small Business Advocacy 
Act of 2016''.

SEC. 2. RESPONSIBILITIES OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY SPECIALISTS.

    Section 4(g) of the Small Business Act (as added by section 865 of 
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 
114-92)) is amended--
            (1) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Certification 
        Requirements for'';
            (2) in paragraph (2), by redesignating subparagraphs (A) 
        and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively (and conforming 
        the margins accordingly);
            (3) by amending clause (ii) (as so redesignated) to read as 
        follows:
                    ``(B) Application.--The requirements of clause (i) 
                shall be included in any initial job posting for the 
                position of a Business Opportunity Specialist and shall 
                apply to any person appointed as a Business Opportunity 
                Specialist after January 3, 2013.'';
            (4) in clause (i) (as so redesignated), by striking 
        ``paragraph (1)'' and inserting ``subparagraph (A)'';
            (5) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 
        subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively (and conforming the 
        margins accordingly);
            (6) in subparagraph (A) (as so redesignated), by striking 
        ``paragraph (2)'' and inserting ``subparagraph (B)''; and
            (7) by inserting before subparagraph (A) (as so 
        redesignated) the following:
            ``(1) Duties.--The exclusive duties of a Business 
        Opportunity Specialist employed by the Administrator and 
        reporting to the senior official appointed by the Administrator 
        with responsibilities under sections 8, 15, 31, and 36 (or the 
        designee of such official) shall be to implement sections 7, 8, 
        and 45 and to complete other duties related to contracting 
        programs under this Act. Such duties shall include--
                    ``(A) with respect to small business concerns 
                eligible to receive contracts and subcontracts pursuant 
                to section 8(a)--
                            ``(i) providing guidance, counseling, and 
                        referrals for assistance with technical, 
                        management, financial, or other matters that 
                        will improve the competitive viability of such 
                        concerns;
                            ``(ii) identifying causes of success or 
                        failure of such concerns;
                            ``(iii) providing comprehensive assessments 
                        of such concerns, including identifying the 
                        strengths and weaknesses of such concerns;
                            ``(iv) monitoring and documenting 
                        compliance with the requirements of sections 7 
                        and 8 and any regulations implementing those 
                        sections;
                            ``(v) explaining the requirements of 
                        sections 7, 8, 15, 31, 36 and 45; and
                            ``(vi) advising on compliance with 
                        contracting regulations (including the Federal 
                        Acquisition Regulation) after award of such a 
                        contract or subcontract;
                    ``(B) reviewing and monitoring compliance with 
                mentor-protege agreements under section 45;
                    ``(C) representing the interests of the 
                Administrator and small business concerns in the award, 
                modification, and administration of contracts and 
                subcontracts awarded pursuant to section 8(a); and
                    ``(D) reporting fraud or abuse under section 7, 8, 
                15, 31, 36 or 45 or any regulations implementing such 
                sections.
            ``(2) Certification requirements.--''.
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