Today in Washington – September 24, 2018
September 24, 2018
Source: Jennifer White – Legislative Counsel

House Small Business Bills to be Voted On – This week the House will consider 38 bills under suspension of the rules, which bars amendments, limits debate to 40 minutes and requires two-thirds majority for passage. This maneuver is used for non-contentious bills that will likely pass. Under consideration are a number of small business bills, including those that passed out of the Small Business Committee in July:

• H.R. 6369: Federal contracting officers could award larger sole-source manufacturing contracts to disadvantaged small business groups. (increases manufacturing amount to $7 million and allows the $4 million/$7 million sole source amounts to be awarded each year instead of for the total the life of the contract)
• H.R. 6330: Businesses would be classified as small based on their average earnings over five years, instead of three. The classification is used to determine eligibility for certain SBA resources, programs, and assistance, including for winning federal contracts.
• H.R. 6382: The SBA would have to report on small business participation in “best-in-class” contracts — a designation used by the Office of Management and Budget for contracts that can be used by multiple agencies. (category management bill)
• H.R. 6367: Required subcontracting plans for companies that win federal contracts would be modified. The measure would also establish a dispute resolution process for payment issues between subcontractors and prime contractors.
• H.R. 6368: Subcontractors could receive higher performance ratings if they serve as mentors.
• H.R. 6758: Would extend the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s authority to set fees to examine patent applications by eight years. The bill also would require USPTO and the Small Business Administration to report to Congress on patent applications filed by and approved for women, minorities, and veterans.
• H.R. 6348: Collateral requirements for the Small Business Administration’s 504/Certified Development Company loan program for real estate and capital acquisition would be modified
• H.R. 6347: Collateral requirements for the SBA’s 7(a) loan program for startup costs would be modified.
• H.R. 6316: The SBA’s Office of Advocacy would have to represent small businesses internationally in regulatory and trade initiatives.
• S. 791: The SBA and the Patent and Trade Office would have to provide intellectual property protection training to small businesses.

Appropriations Watch – The House plans to vote on a second spending package that would fund the Departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. The defense spending bill would provide $674.4 billion and the Labor-HHS-Education provision would provide $178.1 billion, out of a total of about $1.3 trillion in discretionary spending for FY2019. The continuing resolution funding the rest of the government would also reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families grants through Dec. 7.

Business Taxes – The House will also take up H.R. 6760, under which new businesses could deduct more of their startup costs. The measure would also modify limits on the value of net operating losses and general business credits that a startup can use after an ownership change. The bill would consolidate and increase the value of two deductions for businesses’ initial costs. Currently businesses can deduct as much as $5,000 of startup expenses in their first year. Corporations and partnerships can also deduct as much as $5,000 of organizational expenditures in their first year. Both amounts are reduced by the amount that total costs exceed $50,000, and the remainder is spread over 180 months, or 15 years.

Hearings
• Thursday, September 27 @ 10 AM: House Small Business Committee, Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access, The Local Impact of Economic Growth, 2360 Rayburn House Office Building. Brenda Jones Barwick testifying on behalf of Women Impacting Public Policy.