Today in Washington – September 26, 2018
September 26, 2018
Source: Jennifer White – Legislative Counsel

House Small Business Bills to be Voted On Today – Last night, the House passed a number of small business bills under suspension of the rules, which does not allow amendments and requires two-thirds majority for passage. This maneuver is used for non-contentious bills that will likely pass. The bills passed include:

• H.R. 6369: Federal contracting officers could award larger sole-source manufacturing contracts to disadvantaged small business groups. (increases manufacturing amount to $7 million and allows the $4 million/$7 million sole source amounts to be awarded each year instead of for the total the life of the contract)
• H.R. 6330: Businesses would be classified as small based on their average earnings over five years, instead of three. The classification is used to determine eligibility for certain SBA resources, programs, and assistance, including for winning federal contracts.
• H.R. 6382: The SBA would have to report on small business participation in “best-in-class” contracts — a designation used by the Office of Management and Budget for contracts that can be used by multiple agencies. (category management bill)
• H.R. 6367: Required subcontracting plans for companies that win federal contracts would be modified. The measure would also establish a dispute resolution process for payment issues between subcontractors and prime contractors.
• H.R. 6368: Subcontractors could receive higher performance ratings if they serve as mentors.
• H.R. 6758: Would extend the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s authority to set fees to examine patent applications by eight years. The bill also would require USPTO and the Small Business Administration to report to Congress on patent applications filed by and approved for women, minorities, and veterans.
• H.R. 6348: Collateral requirements for the Small Business Administration’s 504/Certified Development Company loan program for real estate and capital acquisition would be modified
• H.R. 6347: Collateral requirements for the SBA’s 7(a) loan program for startup costs would be modified.
• H.R. 6316: The SBA’s Office of Advocacy would have to represent small businesses internationally in regulatory and trade initiatives.
• S. 791: The SBA and the Patent and Trade Office would have to provide intellectual property protection training to small businesses.

Appropriations Watch – The House plans to vote on a FY2019 spending package that would cover 70% of the discretionary budget and provide stopgap funding for the rest of the government. Passage would send the bill to the President before funding expires Oct. 1. The package would fund the Departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. The bill also includes a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the rest of the government through December 7.

Tax Reform 2.0 – The House has scheduled votes on the three bills in the Tax Reform 2.0 package. The House will vote tomorrow on two of three bills in the tax cut package — the Family Savings Act of 2018, which focuses on expanding retirement plans; and the American Innovation Act of 2018, which is meant to spur innovation by allowing startup businesses to write off more of their costs. The third bill in the package, the Protecting Family and Small Business Tax Cuts Act of 2018, which would make the individual and pass-through provisions in the 2017 tax law permanent, will be taken up separately later this week. All three bills were passed out of the House Ways and Means Committee earlier this month.

Hearings
• Thursday, September 27 @ 10 AM: House Small Business Committee, Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access, The Local Impact of Economic Growth, 2360 Rayburn House Office Building. Brenda Jones Barwick testifying on behalf of Women Impacting Public Policy.