H.R. 1597

Commercial Market Representatives Clarification Act

This bill amends the Small Business Act to specify the principal duties of Commercial Market Representatives, government contracting staff stationed at area Small Business Administration (SBA) offices and reporting to specified senior SBA officers.

Such duties shall include:

• helping prime federal government contractors to find small business concerns capable of performing subcontracts;
• counseling such contractors on their responsibility to maximize subcontracting opportunities for small business concerns;
• instructing such contractors on methods and tools to identify potential subcontractors that are small business concerns;
• assisting such constractors to increase awards to small business subcontractors through visits, training, and reviews of past performance;
• giving counseling on how a small business concern may promote its capacity to such contractors; and
• conducting periodic reviews of such contractors to assess compliance with required subcontracting plans regarding small business subcontractors.