[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 117 (Thursday, June 25, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S3392]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1875. Mr. CARDIN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 4049, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2021 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle E of title VIII, add the following:

     SEC. __. TEMPORARY SOLE-SOURCE AWARD PARITY AMONG CONTRACTING 
                   PROGRAMS.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section--
       (1) the term ``contracting officer'' has the meaning given 
     the term in section 36(e) of the Small Business Act (15 
     U.S.C. 657f(e));
       (2) the term ``economically disadvantaged women-owned small 
     business'' has the meaning given the term in section 127.102 
     of title 13, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor 
     regulation;
       (3) the term ``HUBZone small business concern'' has the 
     meaning given the term in section 31(b) of the Small Business 
     Act (15 U.S.C. 657a(b));
       (4) the term ``small business concern owned and controlled 
     by service-disabled veterans'' has the meaning given the term 
     in section 3(q) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632(q)); 
     and
       (5) 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)).
       (b) Requirement.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law or regulation, during the period beginning on the date of 
     enactment of this Act and ending on September 30, 2021, with 
     respect to a small business concern owned and controlled by 
     women, an economically disadvantaged women-owned small 
     business, a HUBZone small business concern, or a small 
     business concern owned and controlled by service-disabled 
     veterans, a contracting officer may award a sole source 
     contract to the business concern if the anticipated award 
     price of the contract will not exceed the maximum permissible 
     amount for the contract, as provided under the applicable 
     provision of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.).
                                 ______