Bill > HR4281

This bill, titled the "Protecting Business Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2014," aims to improve how contracts awarded by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to small businesses owned by veterans are overseen. Specifically, it amends existing law to ensure that these veteran-owned small businesses, including those with service-connected disabilities, adhere to subcontracting requirements similar to those outlined in Section 46 of the Small Business Act. This means that a certain portion of the contract work must be performed by other small businesses. The bill requires that the VA obtain a certification from these businesses confirming their commitment to these subcontracting rules, which are subject to penalties for false statements under federal law. To enforce these provisions, the Director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization and the Chief Acquisition Officer will jointly establish a system to monitor compliance, referring any violations to the VA's Inspector General, who will then report annually to Congress on the number of violations, their outcomes, and any actions taken, such as suspending or debarring businesses from federal contracts or referring cases for prosecution.