Bipartisan Bill Aims to Support Service-Disabled Veterans' Small Businesses

Strategic Insights -

Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) have reintroduced the Service-Disabled Veteran Opportunities in Small Business Act to help disabled veterans' small businesses thrive. The bipartisan bill, proposed as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, aims to ensure government agencies give service-disabled veterans' small businesses a fair chance to compete for contracts. The bill's reintroduction coincides with the efforts of Reps. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) and Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.) in the U.S. House of Representatives, who introduced a companion bill. The legislation seeks to enhance the effectiveness of the Small Business Administration's (SBA) existing program for awarding contracts to service-disabled veterans' small businesses.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Service-Disabled Veteran Opportunities in Small Business Act aims to improve contracting opportunities for service-disabled veterans' small businesses.
  • The bill proposes requiring the Small Business Administration (SBA) to issue guidance to meet goals for extending contracts to small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans more effectively.
  • The legislation also mandates training for federal agencies that fail to meet contracting goals and requires the SBA to issue a report detailing agencies that failed to meet their contracting goals.
  • The bill aims to level the playing field for service-disabled veterans' small businesses by ensuring they have a fair chance to compete for contracts.
  • Senator John Kennedy notes that America owes a debt of gratitude to every veteran who sacrifices for the country, and this bill would do right by service-disabled veterans by ensuring government agencies give their small businesses a fair shake.
  • Senator Jon Ossoff emphasizes that service-disabled veterans have made huge sacrifices in national defense, and this bipartisan bill would support small businesses run by service-disabled veterans in Georgia and nationwide.

Statistics:

  • The bill aims to improve contracting opportunities for service-disabled veterans' small businesses through enhanced SBA guidance (Source: Senator Kennedy's statement).
  • The SBA currently offers a program to allocate certain contracts to service-disabled veterans' small businesses (Source: Senator Ossoff's statement).
  • The Service-Disabled Veterans Opportunities in Small Business Act would provide training for federal agencies failing to meet contracting goals (Source: Senate bill).
  • The bill requires the SBA to issue a report detailing each federal agency that failed to meet its contracting goals (Source: Senate bill).

Sources:

  • Senator John Kennedy: alexandria.house.gov
  • Senator Jon Ossoff: ossoff.senate.gov
  • Small Business Administration: sba.gov
  • Service-Disabled Veteran Opportunities in Small Business Act: (Bill text available at senatorkennedy.senate.gov)