March 4, 2026
Ms. King-Hinds introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish and maintain a database of certified veteran-owned small businesses and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses to assist the Department of Veterans Affairs in meeting its subcontracting goals, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Veterans Affairs Subcontractor Competition and Opportunity Network Act
or the VA SUBCON Act
.
Sec. 2. Veterans Affairs Subcontractor Competition and Opportunity Network Database
(a) Database required
(1) In general
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, acting through the Director of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization of the Department of Veterans Affairs (as established pursuant to section 15(k) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644(k))), shall establish and maintain a database of small business concerns certified by the Small Business Administration as small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans.
(2) Purpose
The purpose of the database shall be to assist the Department in meeting the small business contracting goals established pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 8127(a)(1) of title 38, United States Code (relating to small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans), and in implementing the review mechanism required by section 8127(a)(4) of such title. As such, the database shall enable users to distinguish between—
(A)
small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans who are not veterans with service-connected disabilities; and
(B)
small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans with service-connected disabilities.
(3) Exclusion
Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), the Secretary, acting through the Director, shall exclude from the database—
(A)
any small business concern that is part of a mentor-protegé program or joint venture; and
(B)
any small business concern that has not had at least two past prime contracts for which the concern received an evaluation rating of Satisfactory
or better pursuant to the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS).
(b) Availability
The Secretary, acting through the Director, shall make the database available to other-than-small businesses who are offerors on Department contracts (including subcontracts) at appropriate stages of the acquisition process for use by such businesses in formulating any required small business subcontracting plans.
(c) Report
Not later than 180 days after the date of the establishment of the database, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the database. The report shall include—
(1)
a description of the extent to which the database has been made available to, and used by, businesses under subsection (b);
(2)
the number of small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans who, since the date of the establishment of the database, have been selected as subcontractors on Department contracts, including the number of such concerns owned and controlled by veterans who are not veterans with service-connected disabilities and the number of such concerns owned and controlled by veterans with service-connected disabilities; and
(3)
the recommendations of the Secretary for increasing the utilization of the database.
(d) Use of existing resources
This section shall be implemented using existing personnel, systems, and funds. This section does not authorize additional appropriations or the establishment of a new program, office, or organizational entity.
(e) Sunset
This section shall sunset on December 31, 2028.