New Opportunities for Veteran Small Businesses
Press Release
New Opportunities for Veteran Small Businesses
U.S. Representative John Boozman (R-AR) today introduced legislation to expand opportunity for small businesses owned by military veterans with service-related disabilities.
The "Legislative Branch Recognizes the Value of Service Disable Veteran-Owned Small Business Act," would benefit Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses by ensuring that Congress plays by the same rules as the rest of the federal government when awarding contracts.
Boozman, the ranking member of the Veterans Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, said that "the federal government should play a unique role in promoting opportunities for veterans who choose to be entrepreneurs - who choose to create jobs and invest in America after already doing so much for us."
The legislation ensures that at least 3 percent of the aggregate value of all procurement contracts for goods and services purchased by legislative branch offices goes to eligible disabled veterans small businesses. This requirement would apply to:
The Office of the Architect of the Capitol
The Congressional Budget Office
The Government Accountability Office
The Government Printing Office
The House of Representatives
The Library of Congress
The Office of Compliance
The United States Capitol Police
On October 20, 2004, President George W. Bush signed an executive order requiring executive branch agencies to "establish a goal of not less than 3 percent for participation by service-disabled veteran businesses in Federal contracting." The Boozman legislation would extend similar requirements to Legislative Branch offices.
"It only makes sense that we in Congress establish a 3 percent guideline in order to create even more federal opportunities for veteran businessmen," Boozman said. "Veterans are unique in that they earned whatever advantage the federal government provides through their extraordinary service - unlike all of the other set aside categories of small business."
Today's bill follows previous legislation offered by Rep. Boozman, and signed into law, which improves opportunities for our nation's veterans. Last month, the President signed into law the "Dr. James Allen Veteran Vision Equity Act of 2007." The legislation improves compensation benefits for veterans suffering from impaired vision, and includes the Boozman Amendment, which provides for an extension of the VA Work Study Allowance Program through June 30, 2010.
In 2006, his legislation to allow the Veterans Administration to offer grants to disabled vets to modify their residence was enacted as part of a larger veterans housing bill.
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