PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 25, 2025
WOSB Certification Expansion and Opportunity Act
This bill requires that only women-owned small businesses that have been certified by a federal agency, state government, or national certifying entity approved by the Small Business Administration (SBA) are included when calculating whether a federal agency has met its contracting goals with respect to such businesses during a fiscal year.
Certain self-certified, women-owned small businesses that have filed an application for certification are deemed to have been certified until the SBA or national certifying entity makes a determination with respect to the certification of such business.
The SBA must provide a briefing each quarter about specified aspects of the process of certifying women-owned small businesses and implementing the requirements of the bill.
People & committees
Rep. Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7] · D–NY
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Jun 11, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-25 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
This proposal would change which women-owned and controlled small businesses count toward specified federal governmentwide and agency goals. Businesses would generally need certification under the Small Business Act; self-certification alone would not suffice. A temporary exception would let certain self-certified businesses with pending certification applications count until a decision. The restriction would take effect after a transition period tied to new regulations.
Only small business concerns owned and controlled by women that have been certified under section 8(m)(2)(E) shall be included in calculating the goals established— (A) under paragraph (1)(A)(v); and (B) by the head of a Federal agency for small business concerns owned and controlled by women under paragraph (2).
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a small business concern described in subparagraph (B) shall be deemed to have been certified by the Administrator or a national certifying entity approved by the Administrator under section 8(m) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)) as a small business concern owned and controlled by women under paragraph (2)(E) of such section (15 U.S.C. 637(m)(2)(E)) for the purposes of calculating the goals described in paragraph (4) of section 15(g) of the such Act (as added by subsection (a) of this Act) until the Administrator or such a national certifying entity make a determination with respect to the certification of such concern.
(i) that is self-certified as a small business concern owned and controlled by women as of the date on which the amendments made by subsection (a) take effect; (ii) that files a certification application with the Administrator or a national certifying entity approved by the Administrator under section 8(m) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)) prior to such date; and (iii) for which the Administrator or such a national certifying entity does not make a determination prior to such date regarding certification pursuant to such certification application.
The amendments made by paragraph (1) shall take effect on the first day after the end of the second fiscal year beginning after the Administrator issues the regulations required under subsection (b)(2).
Section 1 would name the legislation the WOSB Certification Expansion and Opportunity Act. WOSB refers to a small business owned and controlled by women.
This Act may be cited as the WOSB Certification Expansion and Opportunity Act.
Exclusion of self-certified WOSBs from goals Only small business concerns owned and controlled by women that have been certified under section 8(m)(2)(E) shall be included in calculating the goals established
Section 2 would add a paragraph to section 15(g) of the Small Business Act restricting which businesses count toward the specified governmentwide and agency goals to women-owned and controlled small businesses certified under section 8(m)(2)(E), subject to the pending-application exception. This provision addresses counting toward goals.
Section 15(g) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644(g)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
Only small business concerns owned and controlled by women that have been certified under section 8(m)(2)(E) shall be included in calculating the goals established— (A) under paragraph (1)(A)(v); and (B) by the head of a Federal agency for small business concerns owned and controlled by women under paragraph (2).
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a small business concern described in subparagraph (B) shall be deemed to have been certified by the Administrator or a national certifying entity approved by the Administrator under section 8(m) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)) as a small business concern owned and controlled by women under paragraph (2)(E) of such section (15 U.S.C. 637(m)(2)(E)) for the purposes of calculating the goals described in paragraph (4) of section 15(g) of the such Act (as added by subsection (a) of this Act) until the Administrator or such a national certifying entity make a determination with respect to the certification of such concern.
(i) that is self-certified as a small business concern owned and controlled by women as of the date on which the amendments made by subsection (a) take effect; (ii) that files a certification application with the Administrator or a national certifying entity approved by the Administrator under section 8(m) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)) prior to such date; and (iii) for which the Administrator or such a national certifying entity does not make a determination prior to such date regarding certification pursuant to such certification application.
The temporary exception would cover a business only if it is self-certified on the restriction's effective date, applied for certification before that date to the Small Business Administration's Administrator or an approved national certifying entity, and has received no determination before that date. It would count as certified for these goals until the Administrator or an approved national certifying entity makes a determination.
(i) that is self-certified as a small business concern owned and controlled by women as of the date on which the amendments made by subsection (a) take effect; (ii) that files a certification application with the Administrator or a national certifying entity approved by the Administrator under section 8(m) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)) prior to such date; and (iii) for which the Administrator or such a national certifying entity does not make a determination prior to such date regarding certification pursuant to such certification application.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a small business concern described in subparagraph (B) shall be deemed to have been certified by the Administrator or a national certifying entity approved by the Administrator under section 8(m) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)) as a small business concern owned and controlled by women under paragraph (2)(E) of such section (15 U.S.C. 637(m)(2)(E)) for the purposes of calculating the goals described in paragraph (4) of section 15(g) of the such Act (as added by subsection (a) of this Act) until the Administrator or such a national certifying entity make a determination with respect to the certification of such concern.
The term Administrator means the Administrator of the Small Business Administration.
The Small Business Administration's Administrator would have to issue implementing regulations within one year after enactment. The counting restriction would begin on the first day after the end of the second fiscal year beginning after those regulations are issued. The bill supplies a timing formula rather than a fixed calendar date.
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall issue regulations carrying out this section.
The amendments made by paragraph (1) shall take effect on the first day after the end of the second fiscal year beginning after the Administrator issues the regulations required under subsection (b)(2).
The term Administrator means the Administrator of the Small Business Administration.
The Administrator would have to brief the House and Senate small-business committees within 60 days after enactment and quarterly afterward. The text says briefings continue until “the date specified in subsection (b),” but does not clearly identify which date in that subsection controls.
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and on a quarterly basis thereafter until the date specified in subsection (b), the Administrator shall provide to the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives and the Committee Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate a briefing on the implementation of the requirements of this section.
as of the date on which the amendments made by subsection (a) take effect
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall issue regulations carrying out this section.
The briefings would report expected certification demand, applications pending during the reporting period, approvals since enactment, and processing times from submission to approval.
(1) the total number of small business concerns expected to seek certification as a small business concern owned and controlled by women; (2) the number of applications for certification pending with the Administrator or a national certifying entity approved by the Administrator under section 8(m) of the Small Business Act during the period covered by the briefing; (3) the total number of applications approved by the Administrator or such a national certifying entity since the date of the enactment of this Act; (4) the timelines associated with processing such applications by the Administrator or such a national certifying entity between submission and approval;
The briefings would also cover the agency's application-review costs, estimated applicant costs for certification by a national certifying entity, current and future outreach to businesses and federal agencies, and recommendations for additional legislative authority or resources needed for implementation.
(5) the administrative costs to the Administration to make determinations on such applications and the estimated cost to such applicant to seek certification from a national certifying entity; (6) a discussion of the Administrator’s current and future outreach efforts to small business concerns owned and controlled by women and to Federal agencies on the requirements of this Act; and (7) recommendations for additional legislative authority or resources required to fully implement the requirements of this Act.
The proposal would use the Small Business Act's definitions of small business concerns and small business concerns owned and controlled by women. It would authorize no additional amounts to be appropriated to carry out the Act or its amendments.
(3) Small business concern The term small business concern has the meaning given under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632). (4) Small business concern owned and controlled by women The term small business concern owned and controlled by women has the meaning given the term in section 8(m) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)).
No additional amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act or the amendments made by this Act.
The official-actions snapshot updated June 11, 2025, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Small Business on February 25, 2025.
Source snapshot updated 2025-06-11T15:36:19Z. 2025-02-25: Referred to the House Committee on Small Business. 2025-02-25: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-25. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified after reviewing the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials, or any amendment's attachment history.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified after reviewing the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials; formal earmark disclosures and related materials were not supplied.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
A narrow transitional exception is identified below. Classification as a targeted benefit is not a judgment about its justification.
Businesses self-certified on the effective date that applied for certification before that date and still lack a determination would receive temporary treatment as certified for counting toward the specified goals. This narrowly defined group could count until a certification determination, creating an exception directly related to the bill's main certification policy.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a small business concern described in subparagraph (B) shall be deemed to have been certified by the Administrator or a national certifying entity approved by the Administrator under section 8(m) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)) as a small business concern owned and controlled by women under paragraph (2)(E) of such section (15 U.S.C. 637(m)(2)(E)) for the purposes of calculating the goals described in paragraph (4) of section 15(g) of the such Act (as added by subsection (a) of this Act) until the Administrator or such a national certifying entity make a determination with respect to the certification of such concern.
(i) that is self-certified as a small business concern owned and controlled by women as of the date on which the amendments made by subsection (a) take effect; (ii) that files a certification application with the Administrator or a national certifying entity approved by the Administrator under section 8(m) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)) prior to such date; and (iii) for which the Administrator or such a national certifying entity does not make a determination prior to such date regarding certification pursuant to such certification application.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Jun 11, 2025. How PlainBill uses AI