H.R. 8879House119th Congress (2025-2027)Passed House

Oversight and Transparency for Small Business Certifications Act of 2026

To amend the Small Business Act to require a report on small business concern participation in a covered contracting programs, and for other purposes.

AI-Generated Summary

Updated June 30, 2026 at 5:23 AM UTC

The Oversight and Transparency for Small Business Certifications Act of 2026 changes the Small Business Act so the SBA must send Congress an annual report on how small businesses are participating in certain federal contracting programs. The report breaks down how many businesses are certified, how many applications are submitted, approved or denied, and how long the certification process takes. It mainly affects small businesses that seek SBA certifications (including veteran‑owned, women‑owned, and HUBZone firms) and the SBA’s administration of those programs.

Key Provisions

Requires the SBA Administrator to submit a yearly report to Congress along with the President’s budget.
The report must include the total number of unique small businesses certified for any covered contracting program.
Provides detailed statistics on applications: how many have enough information for a decision, how many are certified, denied, or still pending, and how many apply for multiple programs.
Tracks use of a single, unified online platform for submitting certification applications.
Breaks out data for service‑disabled veteran‑owned businesses, women‑owned businesses, and HUBZone businesses, including numbers certified, denied, pending, and the time taken to issue decisions.
Includes timing metrics such as the percentage of decisions made within SBA‑set timeframes and average processing times for first‑time and recertification applicants.
Defines “covered contracting program” as SBA contracting assistance under sections 8(a), 8(m), 31, and 36 of the Small Business Act.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

11 earlier actions

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee

June 24, 2026

View full timeline

HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

May 19, 2026

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.

Small Business Committee

May 19, 2026

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

Small Business Committee

May 20, 2026

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 23 - 0.

Small Business Committee

May 20, 2026

HouseCommittee

Reported by the Committee on Small Business. H. Rept. 119-680.

Small Business Committee

June 3, 2026

HouseCalendars

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 593.

June 3, 2026

HouseFloor

Mr. Williams (TX) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

June 23, 2026 • 3:22 PM

HouseFloor

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4145-4146)

June 23, 2026 • 3:22 PM

HouseFloor

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 8879.

June 23, 2026 • 3:22 PM

HouseFloor

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4145-4146)

June 23, 2026 • 3:27 PM

HouseFloor

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

June 23, 2026 • 3:27 PM

SenateIntro Referral

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee

June 24, 2026

Floor Debate

2 members

What members said about H.R. 8879 on the floor

1 Republican1 Democrat

Rep. Roger WilliamsR-TX-25 · Jun 23, 2026

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8879) to amend the Small Business Act to require a report on small business concern participation in a covered contracting programs,…

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8879, the Oversight and Transparency for Small Business Certifications Act of 2026, introduced by the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Olszewski) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Wied).

As the Trump administration continues its focus on government efficiency and eliminating fraud within Federal programs, Congress needs the information necessary to determine where these programs are succeeding and where they need improvement.

SBA's small business contracting programs help connect eligible small businesses with Federal contracting opportunities. Programs such as the women-owned small business certification, the HUBZone program, and the service-disabled veteran-owned small business program help ensure that small businesses can compete for Federal contracts and grow their businesses.

To effectively oversee these programs, Congress must have access to reliable data on how the certification process is performing. H.R. 8879 requires the SBA to submit annual reports to Congress on certification activities across the agency's small business contracting programs.

The bill requires reporting on certifications granted and denied, application processing times, participation rates, recertification timelines, and the use of the SBA's certification platform.

This information will provide greater transparency into program operations, strengthen congressional oversight, and help ensure that these programs continue to serve eligible small businesses efficiently and effectively.

By improving accountability and providing Congress with better information, this legislation will help protect taxpayer resources while supporting small businesses seeking to compete in the Federal marketplace.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 8879, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, we must pass H.R. 8879 to increase transparency in Federal small business contracting programs by requiring SBA to report on participation in its certification programs so Congress can better evaluate their effectiveness.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 8879 to ensure small business contracting programs are working as they are intended. I yield back the balance of my time.

Rep. Johnny Olszewski, Jr.D-MD-2 · Jun 23, 2026

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Congress' ability to conduct effective oversight depends on regular access to information on the programs and authorities that SBA…

Bill Text

4 versions available

Reading Mode

Raw Text PDF XML

Referred in SenateIssued June 24, 2026

IIB

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 8879

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 24, 2026

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

AN ACT

To amend the Small Business Act to require a report on small business concern participation in a covered contracting programs, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Oversight and Transparency for Small Business Certifications Act of 2026.

Report on small business concern participation in a covered contracting programs

Section 10(c) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 639(c)) is amended to read as follows:

(c)

Certification reports

(1)

In general

Along with the submission to Congress of the budget of the President for each fiscal year pursuant to section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, the Administrator shall submit a report on small business concern participation in a covered contracting program during the year covered by the report that includes the following:

(A)

The total number of unique small business concerns certified for participation in a covered contracting program.

(B)

With respect to applications of small business concerns for participation in a covered contracting program—

(i)

the total number of applications for participation that have sufficient information for the Administrator to issue a certification determination, disaggregated by—

(I)

the number of applications certified for each covered contracting program; and

(II)

the number of applications for which a determination has not been made for any covered contracting program;

(ii)

the number of applications for certification for two or more covered contracting programs and the percentage of total applicants that received two or more certifications;

(iii)

the number of applications received through the single, unified platform established by the Administrator for receipt of certification applications; and

(iv)

the number of small business concerns certified for participation in a covered contracting program for which such certification documentation is contain in a system other than the platform described in clause (iii), disaggregated by covered contracting program.

(C)

With respect to applications of small business concerns for certification as a small business concern owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans that have sufficient information for the Administrator to issue a certification determination—

(i)

the number of applications certified;

(ii)

the number of applications denied; and

(iii)

the number of applications for which a determination has not been made.

(D)

With respect to each application of a small business concern for certification as a small business concern owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, the timeframe between the date of submission of a completed application and the issuance of a certification or recertification determination, disaggregated by—

(i)

the number, expressed as a percentage, of certification determinations made within the timeframe established by the Administration;

(ii)

the average time for a first-time applicant to receive a certification determination; and

(iii)

the average time for an applicant that is a small business concern owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans to receive a recertification determination.

(E)

With respect to applications of small business concerns for certification as a small business concern owned and controlled by women that have sufficient information for the Administrator to issue a certification determination—

(i)

the number of applications certified;

(ii)

of the applications described in clause (i), the number certified that are eligible for award of a sole source contract under section 8(m)(7);

(iii)

the number of applications certified that were processed by a national certifying entity described in section 8(m)(2)(E);

(iv)

the number of applications denied; and

(v)

the number of applications for which a determination has not been made.

(F)

Of the applications described in subparagraph (E)(ii), the number of such applications that initially did not include sufficient information for the Administrator to issue a certification determination.

(G)

With respect to each application of a small business concern for certification as a small business concern owned and controlled by women, the timeframe between the date of submission of a completed application and the issuance of a certification or recertification determination, disaggregated by—

(i)

the number, expressed as a percentage, of certification determinations made within the timeframe established by the Administration;

(ii)

the average time for a first-time applicant to receive a certification determination;

(iii)

the average time for an applicant that is a small business concern owned and controlled by women to receive a recertification determination; and

(iv)

the average time for an applicant certified by a national certifying entity to receive a determination from the Administrator, disaggregated by initial certification applications and recertification applications.

(H)

With respect to applications of small business concerns for certification as a qualified HUBZone small business concern that have sufficient information for the Administrator to issue a certification determination—

(i)

the number of applications certified;

(ii)

the number of applications denied; and

(iii)

the number of applications for which a determination has not been made.

(I)

With respect to each application of a small business concern for certification as a qualified HUBZone small business concern, the timeframe between the date of submission of a completed application and the issuance of a certification or recertification determination, disaggregated by—

(i)

the number, expressed as a percentage, of certification determinations made within the timeframe established by the Administration;

(ii)

the average time for a first-time applicant to receive a certification determination; and

(iii)

the average time for an applicant that is a qualified HUBZone small business concern to receive a recertification determination.

(2)

Covered contracting program defined

In this subsection, the term covered contracting program means contracting assistance provided by the Administrator under following:

(A)

Section 8(a).

(B)

Section 8(m).

(C)

Section 31.

(D)

Section 36.

Passed the House of Representatives June 23, 2026.

Kevin F. McCumber,

Clerk.