House OKs latest NDAA

      The latest version of the annual national Defense Dept. authorization bill includes 12 sections exclusively targeted to small businesses.

      The House has approved the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 2019 conference report released on July 23. It must be passed by the Senate and signed by the president to become law.

      The 2,500+-page conference report contains small business matters under Section F.

      These include:

• Sec. 851: Small business strategy - DOD would adopt a small business strategy that reflects the department’s mission.
• Sec. 852: Prompt payments - DOD would set a goal of paying within 15 days all small prime contractors and primes that utilize small subcontractors. The House version covered all agencies.
• Sec. 854: SBIR & STTR- DOD would expand phase flexibility for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) from fiscal 2018-2022, create a pilot program to accelerate DOD SBIR and STTR awards, order a review comparing how long DOD components take to make decisions on SBIR and STTR proposals and make other modifications;
• Sec. 855: Construction contracts - Federal agencies will provide construction bidders with information on the agency’s policies and performance regarding change orders. Senate added clarifications to timeframes and circumstances for definitizing orders.
• Sec. 858: PTAC funding - Federal funding for Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) would rise to 75%, from 65%, and community funding would drop to 25%, from 35%. -
• Sec. 860: Commercialization - DOD would create a pilot program for commercialization assistance.
• and Sec. 861: Puerto Rico - The Small Business Act would be modified to include a definition for Puerto Rico businesses and identify potential incentives for businesses in a mentor-protege relationship with Puerto Rican businesses.

More information:
House conference report: https://bit.ly/2LJxJNW

House OKs latest NDAA

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