Bill > HR1429

This bill, titled the Stronger Voice for Small Business Act of 2015, amends the Small Business Act to grant individuals and businesses the ability to formally challenge and request a reconsideration of any "size standard" set by the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA). A size standard is a criterion, often based on revenue or number of employees, used to determine if a business qualifies as a "small business concern" for various government programs and contracts. Previously, such changes might have been harder to contest. Now, under this bill, any person can file a petition for reconsideration with the SBA's Office of Hearings and Appeals, which is a designated office responsible for reviewing such matters, within 30 days of the final rule being published in the Federal Register. The Office of Hearings and Appeals will use its existing procedures for deciding challenges to a business's size to review these petitions, and the publication of the final rule itself will be considered final agency action, meaning a business can pursue legal action in court without first having to file a reconsideration petition.