The House has approved raising the government’s small business contracting goal and allowing sole-source contracts to women-owned small firms in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of fiscal 2015.

      The federal government’s goal for small business prime contracts would rise to 25%, up from 23% currently, under an amendment approved by the House on a voice vote on May 21. The subcontracting goal would rise to 40%, from 35.9%.

      That amendment was sponsored by Rep. Sam Graves, R-MO, who chairs the House Small Business Committee. It’s at least the second time the House has voted to raise the goal; the most recent was in the fiscal 2013 NDAA.

      The House also voted yes on an amendment to allow sole-source contracts to be awarded through the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) program.That provision was introduced by Rep. Jackie Speier, D-CA.

      Barbara Kasoff, president of Women Impacting Public Policy, called it “an enormous victory for women business owners.”

      The Senate still must vote on its own version, and a jointly-negotiated final version must pass both chambers and be signed by the president to become law.

      The House version also would:

• Transfer certification of service-disabled veteran-owned small firms to the Small Business Administration, from the Veterans Affairs Department;
• Improve data on bundling and consolidation of contracts;
• Require that justifications for bundling be published prior to a strategic sourcing solicitation;
• Reform the bidding process for design-build contracts;
• Require non-corporate sureties to pledge specific and secure assets and raise the SBA’s guarantee of surety bonds to 90%, from 70%.