Gluesenkamp Perez-Backed Bipartisan Bill Passes House to Help More Small Businesses Access Federal Contracts

Yesterday, the bipartisan Small Business Procurement and Utilization Reform (SPUR) Act, backed by Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), passed the House of Representatives. The legislation now heads to the Senate for consideration.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is tasked with ensuring that small businesses are given a fair shot at competing for federal contracting dollars. Although the amount of federal contract dollars awarded to small businesses has reached record highs, the number of small businesses in the industrial base has declined dramatically. Data indicates the federal government is not retaining current small business contractors, and fewer small businesses are choosing to enter the federal market.

The SPUR Act will require the SBA to include the number of new small businesses entering the federal contracting market as part of their consideration of each federal agency’s performance meeting small business contracting goals.

“Despite more federal contracting dollars making it to small businesses, fewer small businesses are deciding to take up these contracts. It’s why we need to level the playing field and ensure more local small businesses can benefit from these opportunities,” said Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez. “If small businesses can’t clear the regulatory burdens of competing for contracts, our middle class and rural economies will lose out. This bipartisan legislation will help ensure our federal government retains and brings in small business contractors – and its bipartisan House passage brings us closer to making this a reality for Southwest Washington.”

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s remarks on the House Floor in support of the SPUR Act last Congress are available here. Her remarks to the House Small Business Committee are available here.

Full text of the legislation is available here.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez introduced the legislation with Rep. Pete Stauber in the 118th Congress and it passed the House.