Two bills to affect veteran-owned

Reps.Neal Dunn, R-FL, and Jimmy Paneta, D-CA, introduced legislation (HR 2781) that seeks to increase veteran-owned small business participation in strategic sourcing.

If the veteran-owned are found to be underrepresented in strategic sourcing contracts, the Veteran Affairs Dept. and General Services Administration must either find ways to increase the veterans’ participation, or the VA must stop using the strategic sourcing contracts, the bill states.

A second bill (HR 2749) introduced by Rep. Jack Bergman, R-RI, would identify and punish companies that improperly “pass-through” VA contracts meant for veterans and the services disabled.

The bill would require the veterans to certify to the VA that they are performing the requisite minimum amount of work themselves. Violators would be suspended.