[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 102 (Thursday, May 25, 2000)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 34035-34037]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-13367]



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Part X





The President





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Executive Order 13157--Increasing Opportunities for Women-Owned Small 
Businesses
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                         Presidential Documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 102 / Thursday, May 25, 2000 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 34035]]

                Executive Order 13157 of May 23, 2000

                
Increasing Opportunities for Women-Owned Small 
                Businesses

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, including the Small Business Act, 15 U.S.C. 
                631, et seq., section 7106 of the Federal Acquisition 
                Streamlining Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-355), and the 
                Office of Federal Procurement Policy, 41 U.S.C. 403, et 
                seq., and in order to strengthen the executive branch's 
                commitment to increased opportunities for women-owned 
                small businesses, it is hereby ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Executive Branch Policy. In order to 
                reaffirm and strengthen the statutory policy contained 
                in the Small Business Act, 15 U.S.C. 644(g)(1), it 
                shall be the policy of the executive branch to take the 
                steps necessary to meet or exceed the 5 percent 
                Government-wide goal for participation in procurement 
                by women-owned small businesses (WOSBs). Further, the 
                executive branch shall implement this policy by 
                establishing a participation goal for WOSBs of not less 
                than 5 percent of the total value of all prime contract 
                awards for each fiscal year and of not less than 5 
                percent of the total value of all subcontract awards 
                for each fiscal year.

                Sec. 2. Responsibilities of Federal Departments and 
                Agencies. Each department and agency (hereafter 
                referred to collectively as ``agency'') that has 
                procurement authority shall develop a long-term 
                comprehensive strategy to expand opportunities for 
                WOSBs. Where feasible and consistent with the effective 
                and efficient performance of its mission, each agency 
                shall establish a goal of achieving a participation 
                rate for WOSBs of not less than 5 percent of the total 
                value of all prime contract awards for each fiscal year 
                and of not less than 5 percent of the total value of 
                all subcontract awards for each fiscal year. The 
                agency's plans shall include, where appropriate, 
                methods and programs as set forth in section 4 of this 
                order.

                Sec. 3. Responsibilities of the Small Business 
                Administration. The Small Business Administration (SBA) 
                shall establish an Assistant Administrator for Women's 
                Procurement within the SBA's Office of Government 
                Contracting. This officer shall be responsible for:

(a)

working with each agency to develop and implement policies to achieve the 
participation goals for WOSBs for the executive branch and individual 
agencies;

(b)

advising agencies on how to implement strategies that will increase the 
participation of WOSBs in Federal procurement;

(c)

evaluating, on a semiannual basis, using the Federal Procurement Data 
System (FPDS), the achievement of prime and subcontract goals and actual 
prime and subcontract awards to WOSBs for each agency;

(d)

preparing a report, which shall be submitted by the Administrator of the 
SBA to the President, through the Interagency Committee on Women's Business 
Enterprise and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), on findings 
based on the FPDS, regarding prime contracts and subcontracts awarded to 
WOSBs;

(e)

making recommendations and working with Federal agencies to expand 
participation rates for WOSBs, with a particular emphasis on agencies in 
which the participation rate for these businesses is less than 5 percent;

[[Page 34036]]

(f)

providing a program of training and development seminars and conferences to 
instruct women on how to participate in the SBA's 8(a) program, the Small 
Disadvantaged Business (SDB) program, the HUBZone program, and other small 
business contracting programs for which they may be eligible;

(g)

developing and implementing a single uniform Federal Government-wide 
website, which provides links to other websites within the Federal system 
concerning acquisition, small businesses, and women-owned businesses, and 
which provides current procurement information for WOSBs and other small 
businesses;

(h)

developing an interactive electronic commerce database that allows small 
businesses to register their businesses and capabilities as potential 
contractors for Federal agencies, and enables contracting officers to 
identify and locate potential contractors; and

(i)

working with existing women-owned business organizations, State and local 
governments, and others in order to promote the sharing of information and 
the development of more uniform State and local standards for WOSBs that 
reduce the burden on these firms in competing for procurement 
opportunities.

                Sec. 4. Other Responsibilities of Federal Agencies. To 
                the extent permitted by law, each Federal agency shall 
                work with the SBA to ensure maximum participation of 
                WOSBs in the procurement process by taking the 
                following steps:

(a)

designating a senior acquisition official who will work with the SBA to 
identify and promote contracting opportunities for WOSBs;

(b)

 requiring contracting officers, to the maximum extent practicable, to 
include WOSBs in competitive acquisitions;

(c)

prescribing procedures to ensure that acquisition planners, to the maximum 
extent practicable, structure acquisitions to facilitate competition by and 
among small businesses, HUBZone small businesses, SDBs, and WOSBs, and 
providing guidance on structuring acquisitions, including, but not limited 
to, those expected to result in multiple award contracts, in order to 
facilitate competition by and among these groups;

(d)

implementing mentor-protege programs, which include women-owned small 
business firms; and

(e)

offering industry-wide as well as industry-specific outreach, training, and 
technical assistance programs for WOSBs including, where appropriate, the 
use of Government acquisitions forecasts, in order to assist WOSBs in 
developing their products, skills, business planning practices, and 
marketing techniques.

                Sec. 5. Subcontracting Plans. The head of each Federal 
                agency, or designated representative, shall work 
                closely with the SBA, OFPP, and others to develop 
                procedures to increase compliance by prime contractors 
                with subcontracting plans proposed under section 8(d) 
                of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(d)) or section 
                834 of Public Law 101-189, as amended (15 U.S.C. 637 
                note), including subcontracting plans involving WOSBs.

                Sec. 6. Action Plans. If a Federal agency fails to meet 
                its annual goals in expanding contract opportunities 
                for WOSBs, it shall work with the SBA to develop an 
                action plan to increase the likelihood that 
                participation goals will be met or exceeded in future 
                years.

                Sec. 7. Compliance. Independent agencies are requested 
                to comply with the provisions of this order.

                Sec. 8. Consultation and Advice. In developing the 
                long-term comprehensive strategies required by section 
                2 of this order, Federal agencies shall consult with, 
                and seek information and advice from, State and local 
                governments, WOSBs, other private-sector partners, and 
                other experts.

[[Page 34037]]

                Sec. 9. Judicial Review. This order is for internal 
                management purposes for the Federal Government. It does 
                not create any right or benefit, substantive or 
                procedural, enforceable at law or equity by a party 
                against the United States, its agencies, its officers, 
                its employees, or any other person.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    May 23, 2000.

[FR Doc. 00-13367
Filed 5-24-00; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P