H.R. 1597 – Commercial Market Representatives Clarification Act

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Updated April 15, 2026 at 1:46 PM UTC

The Commercial Market Representatives Clarification Act amends the Small Business Act to clearly define the duties and certification rules for commercial market representatives employed by the Small Business Administration. It directs these representatives to promote SBA subcontracting goals by helping prime contractors locate qualified small businesses, providing counseling and training on subcontracting requirements, and reviewing contractor compliance. The changes affect SBA staff, commercial market representatives, prime contractors, and small business firms seeking subcontracting opportunities.

Key Provisions

Specifies that commercial market representatives must advance SBA subcontracting policies, including helping prime contractors find capable small businesses and providing counseling on subcontracting responsibilities.
Requires representatives to give instruction on tools and methods for identifying small‑business subcontractors and to assist in increasing awards to them through visits, training, and performance reviews.
Mandates counseling for small businesses on how to promote their capacity to prime contractors.
Orders periodic reviews of contractors to assess compliance with SBA subcontracting plans.
Updates certification requirements so that the duties are listed in any initial job posting for a commercial market representative hired after November 25, 2015.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.

Small Business Committee

March 17, 2017

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

March 17, 2017

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.

Small Business Committee

March 17, 2017

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued March 17, 2017

I

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1597

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 17, 2017

Mr. Brat (for himself, Mrs. Murphy of Florida, and Mr. Knight) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Small Business

A BILL

To amend the Small Business Act to clarify the responsibilities of commercial market representatives, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the The Commercial Market Representatives Clarification Act.

2.

Responsibilities of commercial market representatives

Section 4(h) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 633(h)) is amended—

(1)

in the subsection heading, by striking Certification requirements for;

(2)

in paragraph (2)—

(A)

by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively (and conforming the margins accordingly);

(B)

by amending clause (ii) (as so redesignated) to read as follows:

(B)

Application

The requirements of clause (i) shall be included in any initial job posting for the position of a commercial market representative and shall apply to any person appointed as a commercial market representative after November 25, 2015.

; and

(C)

in clause (i) (as so redesignated), by striking paragraph (2) and inserting subparagraph (A);

(3)

by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively (and conforming the margins accordingly);

(4)

in subparagraph (A) (as so redesignated), by striking paragraph (2) and inserting subparagraph (B); and

(5)

by inserting before subparagraph (A) (as so redesignated) the following:

(1)

Duties

The principal duties of a commercial market representative employed by the Administrator and reporting to the senior official appointed by the Administrator with responsibilities under sections 8, 15, 31, and 36 (or the designee of such official) shall be to advance the policies established in section 8(d)(1) relating to subcontracting. Such duties shall include—

(A)

helping prime contractors to find small business concerns that are capable of performing subcontracts;

(B)

for contractors awarded contracts containing the clause described in section 8(d)(3), providing—

(i)

counseling on the contractor’s responsibility to maximize subcontracting opportunities for small business concerns;

(ii)

instruction on methods and tools to identify potential subcontractors that are small business concerns; and

(iii)

assistance to increase awards to subcontractors that are small business concerns through visits, training, and reviews of past performance;

(C)

providing counseling on how a small business concern may promote its capacity to contractors awarded contracts containing the clause described in section 8(d)(3); and

(D)

conducting periodic reviews of contractors awarded contracts containing the clause described in section 8(d)(3) to assess compliance with subcontracting plans required under section 8(d)(6).

(2)

Certification requirements

.