115th CONGRESS 2d Session |
To amend the Small Business Act to provide for small business concerns located in Puerto Rico, and for other purposes.
March 6, 2018
Ms. Velázquez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Small Business
To amend the Small Business Act to provide for small business concerns located in Puerto Rico, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
This Act may be cited as the “Puerto Rico Small Business Contracting Assistance Act of 2018”.
SEC. 2. Definition of Puerto Rico business.
Section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
“(ee) Puerto Rico business.—In this Act, the term ‘Puerto Rico business’ means a small business concern that has its principal office located in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.”.
SEC. 3. Small business credit for Puerto Rico businesses.
Section 15 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
“(w) Small business credit for Puerto Rico businesses.—
“(1) CREDIT FOR MEETING CONTRACTING GOALS.—If an agency awards a prime contract to Puerto Rico business during the period beginning on the date of enactment of this subsection and ending on the date that is 4 years after such date of enactment, the value of the contract shall be doubled for purposes of determining compliance with the goals for procurement contracts under subsection (g)(1)(A)(i) during such period.
“(2) REPORT.—Along with the report required under subsection (h)(1), the head of each Federal agency shall submit to the Administrator, and make publicly available on the scorecard described in section 868(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (15 U.S.C. 644 note), an analysis of the number and dollar amount of prime contracts awarded pursuant to paragraph (1) for each fiscal year of the period described in such paragraph.”.
SEC. 4. Priority for surplus property transfers.
Section 7(j)(13)(F) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(j)(13)(F)) is amended by adding at the end the following new clause:
“(iii) (I) In this clause, the term ‘covered period’ means the period beginning on the date of enactment of this clause and ending on the date on which the Oversight Board established under section 101 of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (48 U.S.C. 2121) terminates.
“(II) The Administrator may transfer technology or surplus property under clause (i) to a Puerto Rico business if the Puerto Rico business meets the requirements for such a transfer, without regard to whether the Puerto Rico business is a Program Participant.”.
SEC. 5. Contracting incentives for protege firms that are Puerto Rico businesses.
(a) In general.—Section 45(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657r(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
“(3) PUERTO RICO BUSINESSES.—During the period beginning on the date of enactment of this paragraph and ending on the date on which the Oversight Board established under section 101 of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (48 U.S.C. 2121) terminates, the Administrator shall identify potential incentives to a covered mentor that awards a subcontract to its covered protege, including—
“(A) positive consideration in any past performance evaluation of the covered mentor;
“(B) the application of costs incurred for providing training to such covered protege to the subcontracting plan (as required under paragraph (4) or (5) of section 8(d)) of the covered mentor; and
“(C) such other incentives as the Administrator determines appropriate.”.
(b) Definitions.—Section 45(d) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657r(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
“(4) COVERED MENTOR.—The term ‘covered mentor’ means a mentor that enters into an agreement under this Act, or under any mentor-protege program approved under subsection (b)(1), with a covered protege.
“(5) COVERED PROTEGE.—The term ‘covered protege’ means a protege of a covered mentor that is a Puerto Rico business.”.
SEC. 6. Additional mentor-protege relationships for protege firms that are Puerto Rico businesses.
Section 45(b)(3)(A) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657r(b)(3)(A)) is amended by inserting “, except that such restrictions shall not apply to up to 2 mentor-protege relationships if such relationships are between a covered protege and covered mentor” after “each participant”.