H.R. 1873 Small Business Fairness in Contracting Act

On May 10, 2007, the House passed H.R. 1873, The Small Business Fairness in Contracting Act. The legislation, introduced by Rep. Bruce L. Braley, contains provisions concerning contract bundling, government procurement goals for small business contracts, and the accuracy of contracting data maintained in federal databases.

As reported by the Oversight Committee, the bill expands the definition of contract bundling to ensure that small businesses have access to work previously available for small business. The bill also improves the current bundling dispute process by allowing small businesses to request that the Small Business Administration (SBA) appeal a contract award to the contracting agency on their behalf and by requiring agencies to provide written responses to SBA. In addition, the bill would provide for the establishment of appropriate limitations on the award of contracts without competition to Alaska Native Corporations and other economically disadvantaged Indian tribes.