[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2485 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2485
To require certain recipients of funds for disadvantaged business
enterprises to provide an analysis of efforts to expand opportunities
available to disadvantaged business enterprises to participate in the
DBE program.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 6, 2023
Mr. Castro of Texas (for himself, Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Barragan,
Mr. Evans, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, and Ms.
Norton) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require certain recipients of funds for disadvantaged business
enterprises to provide an analysis of efforts to expand opportunities
available to disadvantaged business enterprises to participate in the
DBE program.
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 ``Expanding Opportunities for Diverse
Entrepreneurs Act''.
SEC. 2. DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE OUTREACH EFFORTS.
(a) Establishment.--Each recipient of financial assistance provided
by the Department of Transportation that is required to implement a DBE
program that conforms to the requirements of part 23 and 26 of title
49, Code of Federal Regulations, shall direct the disadvantaged
business enterprise liaison officer, or the individual responsible for
implementing the requirements of the DBE program, to carry out the
duties described in subsection (b).
(b) Duties.--The duties of a disadvantaged business enterprise
liaison officer, or the individual responsible for implementing the
requirements of the DBE program, shall include tracking and providing
an analysis of all efforts to expand knowledge of services and
opportunities available to non-certified disadvantaged business
enterprises and disadvantaged business enterprises certified in the DBE
program to facilitate the capacity of the enterprise to compete for,
and perform on, federally assisted transportation contracts and
procurement activities, including--
(1) minimum outreach, training, workshops, and education
efforts, including business development programs, courses,
conferences, networking events, marketing to publicize a DBE
program; and online development support, informative workshops;
and
(2) such other information as the Secretary considers
appropriate.
SEC. 3. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION; REPORT.
(a) Collection of Information.--The Secretary of Transportation
shall require disadvantaged business enterprise liaison officers, or
the individual responsible for implementing the requirements of a DBE
program, to--
(1) collect the information required under section 2(b)(2)
and submit such information to the appropriate operating
administration; and
(2) submit to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure and the Committee on Small Business of the House
of Representatives a report on the efforts to carry out the
duties described in section 2(b).
(b) Report on Progress of DBE Program.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary
of Transportation shall submit to Congress a report on the
disadvantaged business enterprises program carried out by the
Department of Transportation pursuant to section 11101(e) of
the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (23 U.S.C. 101
note).
(2) Contents.--
(A) In general.--The report required under
subsection (a) shall include, at a minimum, the
percentage and dollar amount of Federal funds paid to
small business concerns owned and controlled by
socially and economically disadvantaged individuals in
the prior fiscal year for each State and territory of
the United States, disaggregated by race, sex, and any
other federally recognized category.
(B) Public availability.--The Secretary of
Transportation shall publicly disclose on the website
of each operating administration, in a searchable,
exportable, and easy to find manner in the uniform
report of DBE awards--commitments and payments
specified in part 26 of title 49, Code of Federal
Regulations, for each State.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) DBE program.--The term ``DBE program'' means the
disadvantaged business enterprise program that is carried out
by--
(A) with respect to the Federal Highway
Administration, any recipient or subrecipient of DOT
funds that awards prime contracts exceeding a total of
$250,000 in a fiscal year;
(B) with respect to the Federal Transit
Administration, any recipient of DOT funds that awards
prime contracts exceeding a total of $250,000 in a
fiscal year; and
(C) with respect to the Federal Aviation
Administration, any recipient of DOT funds subject to
part 23 and 26 of title 49, Code of Federal
Regulations, that awards prime contracts exceeding a
total of $250,000 in a fiscal year.
(2) Small business concern; socially and economically
disadvantaged individuals.--The terms ``small business
concern'' and ``socially and economically disadvantaged
individuals'' have the meanings given such terms in section
11101(e) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (23
U.S.C. 101 note).
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