Agency Accountability Act of 2024

Floor Speech

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Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7103) to amend the Small Business Act to require Federal agencies to testify and report on scores received under the scorecard program for evaluating Federal agency compliance with small business contracting goals, to testify for failure to meet Governmentwide contracting goals, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 7103

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Agency Accountability Act of 2024''. SEC. 2. FEDERAL AGENCY TESTIMONY ON SCORECARD SCORES AND FAILURE TO ACHIEVE CERTAIN GOALS.

Section 15(g)(2) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644(g)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``(G) Testimony required.--The head of the office established in a Federal agency under subsection (k) shall testify before the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives under the following circumstances:

``(i) If such agency fails to receive a score equivalent to a letter grade of `A' or above on the scorecard established under subsection (y) for a fiscal year, on the reasons for such failure.

``(ii) If such agency fails to meet two or more of the Governmentwide goals established under paragraph (1)(A), on the reasons for such failure,''. SEC. 3. FEDERAL AGENCY REPORTING ON SCORECARD SCORES.

Section 15(h)(1)(D) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644(h)(1)(D)) is amended by inserting ``and to improve the score on the scorecard established under subsection (y)'' after ``better meet such goals''. SEC. 4. COMPLIANCE WITH CUTGO.

No additional amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act or the amendments made by this Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7103, the Agency Accountability Act of 2024, introduced by Representatives Stauber and McGarvey. H.R. 7103 holds Federal agencies accountable for failing America's small businesses.

The Federal Government is one of the largest customers in the world. In order to ensure small businesses are able to access this vital customer, President Ronald Reagan signed into law a goal for Federal agencies to award a certain percentage of government contracts to small businesses. Not only has this opened the Federal marketplace to small businesses, it also ensures a strong and resilient industrial base in America.

Unfortunately, not every Federal agency is meeting the commitment to contract with the little guys. Worse than that, when an agency misses its small business contracting goals, they face no consequences.

The Agency Accountability Act will help solve these issues. This bill will force agencies to testify to Congress and explain why they aren't meeting their small business goals and what they will do to rectify these issues.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for H.R. 7103, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation that will ensure small businesses have access to one of the largest customers in the world, the Federal Government. I thank Congressmen Stauber and McGarvey for working on this legislation that will help our government meet its contracting objectives.

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