Rep. Cisneros Introduces SPUR Act to Help Small Businesses Compete for More Federal Contracts

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (CA-31) introduced the Small Business Procurement and Utilization Reform (SPUR) Act alongside Republican Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) and Democratic Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03). The bipartisan SPUR Act would help small businesses compete for federal contracts by requiring the Small Business Administration (SBA) to consider the number of small businesses that secure a first-time federal prime contract when evaluating a federal agency on its contracting scorecard. A contracting scorecard is a ranking system that evaluates each agency’s efforts in meeting goals for awarding contracts to small businesses.

“Small business owners and entrepreneurs take a chance when they start their ventures, so it is only fair that the federal government provides them with greater opportunity to succeed,” said Rep. Cisneros. “The SPUR Act will help ensure that more small businesses have a leg up in the federal contracting process and the chance to compete. I’m grateful to my colleagues Rep. Stauber and Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez for co-leading this common-sense, bipartisan legislation to ensure our small businesses continue to be the engine of the American economy. ”

Specifically, the SPUR Act would require federal agencies to examine the following data:

Rep. Cisneros serves on the House Committee on Small Business and is the Ranking Member on its Contracting and Infrastructure Subcommittee. The SPUR Act was previously introduced in the 118th Congress and passed the House on a bipartisan voice vote.