Service-Disabled Veteran Opportunities in Small Business Act
- Bill Number
- S. 2510
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Commerce
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-07-29: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-16T13:33:20Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The legislation, titled the "Service-Disabled Veteran Opportunities in Small Business Act," aims to boost federal contract opportunities for small businesses owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans. It does this by requiring training and guidance for federal employees to help meet statutory goals for awarding contracts to these businesses.
Key Provisions
- Training Requirement: The Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator, working with the Office of Veterans Business Development, must provide training to specific employees at federal agencies that have not achieved the required 3% goal for contracts awarded to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs). The training focuses on strategies to increase such awards.
- Guidance and Best Practices: Within 180 days of enactment, the SBA must issue guidance and recommended approaches to federal agencies subject to the 3% contracting goal, aimed at improving SDVOSB contract awards.
- Reporting to Congress: Starting one year after enactment and annually thereafter, the SBA must submit a report to Congress. This report includes:
- A list of federal agencies that failed to meet the 3% goal.
- The number of training sessions provided to each failing agency.
- An overview of the training content.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill amends Section 36 of the Small Business Act (which primarily deals with the HUBZone program for economically distressed areas) by adding a new subsection (j). It introduces mandatory training, guidance, and reporting specifically for SDVOSB contracting goals (referenced from Section 15(g) of the Act), which were not previously required in this detailed manner. Previously, federal agencies had a goal to award at least 3% of contracts to SDVOSBs, but there was no explicit mechanism for training non-compliant agencies or for SBA-issued best practices.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Agencies missing the 3% goal will face additional training obligations, potentially increasing administrative workload but improving compliance with contracting targets. This could lead to more efficient use of federal procurement processes.
- On Citizens: Service-disabled veterans who own small businesses may gain better access to federal contracts, supporting their economic opportunities and entrepreneurship. Broader citizen benefits include stronger support for veteran communities through increased business viability.
- On International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic federal contracting and veteran-owned U.S. businesses.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal Agencies: Procurement and contracting staff at agencies like the Department of Defense or others involved in federal spending, who must participate in training if goals are unmet.
- Small Business Administration (SBA) and Office of Veterans Business Development: Responsible for delivering training, issuing guidance, and preparing reports.
- Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs): Primary beneficiaries, as the measures aim to increase their share of federal contracts.
- Congress: Receives annual reports to oversee compliance and effectiveness.
- Veterans and Veteran Organizations: Indirectly affected through enhanced support for veteran entrepreneurship.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens enforcement of existing federal contracting goals under the Small Business Act without altering the 3% target itself. It promotes accountability through reporting but does not impose penalties for non-compliance beyond training requirements.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's authority under the Commerce Clause to regulate interstate commerce and support small businesses. No apparent conflicts with equal protection or due process, as it targets a specific group (service-disabled veterans) already recognized in federal law for preferential treatment in contracting.
- Political: Bipartisan introduction (by Senators Kennedy and Ossoff) highlights broad support for veteran initiatives. It could influence future procurement policies by emphasizing training as a tool for equity in government spending, potentially setting a precedent for similar requirements in other small business categories.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (2)
Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA], Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD]
Recent Actions
- 2025-07-29: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
- 2025-07-29: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Service-Disabled Veteran Opportunities in Small Business Act — issued 2025-07-29 — PDF (3 pages)