[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 73 (Monday, April 29, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H2645-H2646]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   PLAIN LANGUAGE IN CONTRACTING ACT

  Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 7987) to require plain language and the inclusion 
of key words in covered notices that are clear, concise, and accessible 
to small business concerns, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 7987

       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 ``Plain Language in 
     Contracting Act''.

     SEC. 2. ACCESSIBILITY AND CLARITY IN COVERED NOTICES FOR 
                   SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS.

       (a) In General.--Each covered notice shall be written--
       (1) in a manner that is clear, concise, and accessible to a 
     small business concern; and
       (2) in a manner consistent, to the extent practicable, with 
     the Federal plain language guidelines established pursuant to 
     the Plain Writing Act of 2010 (5 U.S.C. 301 note).
       (b) Inclusion of Key Words in Covered Notices.--Each 
     covered notice shall, to the maximum extent practicable, 
     include key words in the description of the covered notice 
     such that a small business concern seeking contract 
     opportunities using the single governmentwide point of entry 
     described under section 1708 of title 41, United States Code, 
     can easily identify and understand such covered notice.
       (c) Rulemaking.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Small 
     Business Administration shall issue rules to carry out this 
     section.
       (d) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Covered notice.--The term ``covered notice'' means a 
     notice pertaining to small business concerns published by a 
     Federal agency on the single Government-wide point of entry 
     described under section 1708 of title 41, United States Code.
       (2) Small business act definitions.--The terms ``Federal 
     agency'' and ``small business concern'' have the meanings 
     given those terms, respectively, in section 3 of the Small 
     Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).

     SEC. 3. COMPLIANCE WITH CUTGO.

       No additional amounts are authorized to be appropriated to 
     carry out this Act or the amendments made by this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Williams) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7987, the Plain Language 
in Contracting Act, introduced by Representatives LaLota and Thanedar.
  Far too often, the government uses language that is difficult to 
understand when it solicits contract opportunities. No one feels the 
burden of this government-speak more than small business owners looking 
to break into the Federal marketplace.
  We have heard from small business owners about how their limited 
resources often prevent them from employing a team of attorneys to sift 
through government solicitations to interpret what the government is 
actually trying to purchase. One entrepreneur even told our committee 
that they examined thousands of government contracts, and only 3 
percent were written in a way that someone without a college degree 
could understand.
  The number of small businesses contracting with the government has 
been shrinking for years. We consistently hear that the barriers to 
entry are simply too high.
  H.R. 7987 will finally remove this barrier facing small businesses by 
forcing the government to take commonsense action and write contract 
solicitations using simple and plain language.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 7987, the 
Plain Language in Contracting Act, and I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their work on this bill, which 
states that certain contracting documents should be written in a way 
that is ``clear, concise, and accessible'' for small businesses.
  This bill is an attempt to reduce confusion and add clarity for some 
small firms that contract with or are looking to contract with the 
Federal Government.
  While we have concerns about how elements of this legislation could 
be implemented, simplifying the contracting process and recruiting new 
entrants into the Federal marketplace are priorities that we share. 
There are certainly ways for the government to improve in both of those 
areas.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaLota).
  Mr. LaLOTA. Mr. Speaker, America's small businesses from Long Island 
and throughout our great country should not need an attorney on staff 
or a compliance department to apply for and win a Federal contract.
  That is why I have introduced the Plain Language in Contracting Act, 
which is aimed at simplifying the process for small businesses to 
secure government contracts.
  I extend my gratitude to my colleague, Representative Thanedar of 
Michigan, for co-leading this crucial legislation across party lines, 
and to the skipper, Chairman Williams, and his diligent staff for 
seeing to it that this bill got to the floor today.
  With over 33 million small businesses in America, only a very small 
fraction win Federal contracts. Many entrepreneurs cite the complexity 
of government procurement processes as a major deterrent.
  The language used in contract solicitations is often ambiguous and 
unnecessarily complex, deterring small businesses from even attempting 
to bid on a contract.
  A study by the Naval Postgraduate School revealed that less than 3 
percent of Department of Defense contract solicitations are written in 
plain English. This complexity drives small businesses away from 
Federal contracting, eroding competition and harming our economy.
  My bill mandates Federal agencies to use clear language in contract 
solicitations, fostering greater accessibility to contract bids for 
small businesses.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense 
legislation recognizing the pivotal role small businesses play in our 
Nation's economy. Together, let's pave the way for a more accessible 
Federal contracting process for all small businesses. Doing so benefits 
small businesses, the Federal Government, and all of our taxpayers.
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Thanedar).
  Mr. THANEDAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7987, the Plain 
Language in Contracting Act, which I am co-leading with Representative 
Nick LaLota of New York. I applaud Representative LaLota's leadership, 
and it is a pleasure to work with him on this bipartisan bill.
  I am also, as an entrepreneur, delighted and excited to be working on 
the Small Business Committee led so well by Chairman Williams and 
Ranking Member Velazquez.
  Having experienced the challenges of running a small business, I 
recognize the urgent need to cut through the jargon of bureaucracy and 
provide clear, concise, and accessible information to our Nation's 
small business owners.
  This bill would require all notices related to small business 
concerns to comply with the Federal plain language guidelines 
established by the Plain Writing Act of 2010, reflecting our core 
values of transparency, efficiency, and unwavering dedication to 
fostering a level playing field for all businesses, regardless of size.
  By including key words and sticking to the Federal plain language 
guidelines, we are not just drafting legislation. We are empowering 
small businesses to navigate the complexity of

[[Page H2646]]

government contracting with confidence and ease.

  This is about more than just policy. It is about supporting our 
economy and ensuring that every entrepreneur has the opportunity to 
succeed.
  Walking down the streets of my district, I meet a lot of small 
business owners every day. Often, I hear from these small businesses, 
the mom-and-pop shops, the entrepreneurs who are working so hard, that 
the complexity of the language contributes to the difficulty in 
obtaining Federal contracts.
  This bill goes a long way in simplifying the matter, helping our 
small businesses that create most of the jobs to be able to acquire 
Federal contracts and work with the Federal Government.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am 
prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to 
close.
  Again, I thank the sponsors for their work on this bill, and I 
believe that the goals are laudable.
  It is a mandate of our committee to regularly review the processes 
that SBA and Federal agencies put in place to recruit, retain, and 
contract with small businesses--and do so with the goal of making it 
easier for them to compete for and win Federal awards.
  Given that small businesses are leaving the Federal market at a 
record pace, and fewer small businesses are choosing to work with the 
government to begin with, we must use the tools available to us to 
provide remedies where we can.

                              {time}  1615

  In closing, I thank the chairman and the sponsors of the legislation 
for their commitment and dedication to our Nation's small business 
owners.
  National Small Business Week is a good reminder that we need to work 
together in a bipartisan way to create more opportunities for our 
Nation's 33 million entrepreneurs.
  Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I didn't mention there are a 
sizeable number of Democratic bills that have been reported favorably 
from the committee but have not been scheduled for the floor.
  In a spirit of bipartisanship, which is what National Small Business 
Week showcases to our constituents, I look forward to the chairman 
bringing more of these bills to the floor soon.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressmen LaLota and 
Thanedar for this bill. Interpreting the Federal contracting language 
should not be a barrier that small businesses need to overcome in order 
to compete for a government contract.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I hear what the 
ranking member is saying. It is a great week for small business and the 
National Small Business Week we have ahead of us.
  This is another example of what this committee is doing, Mr. Speaker, 
on bipartisan legislation that we are getting out to help America. We 
can get it done in Washington, D.C.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 7987.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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