Overview
Title
An Act To amend the Small Business Act to require Federal agencies to testify and report on scores received under the scorecard program for evaluating Federal agency compliance with small business contracting goals, to testify for failure to meet Governmentwide contracting goals, and for other purposes.
ELI5 AI
H.R. 7103 wants government agencies to do better at helping small businesses by setting goals. If they miss these goals, they have to tell Congress why and try to do better next time, but they won't get any extra money for it.
Summary AI
H. R. 7103, also known as the “Agency Accountability Act of 2024,” aims to enhance transparency and accountability of federal agencies in meeting small business contracting goals. It requires agency heads to testify before relevant congressional committees if they do not meet certain performance benchmarks, such as achieving a top score on a compliance scorecard or meeting multiple government-wide contracting goals. Additionally, the bill calls for agencies to report on efforts to improve their scorecard scores. Importantly, the act specifies that no extra funding will be allocated to implement these changes.
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AnalysisAI
The proposed legislation, known as the "Agency Accountability Act of 2024," aims to enhance transparency and accountability within federal agencies regarding their performance in meeting small business contracting goals. The bill specifically amends the Small Business Act to enforce stricter reporting and testimonial obligations on these agencies.
General Summary
The bill establishes a framework where federal agencies must report and provide testimony on their performance as graded by a scorecard program. This scorecard evaluates how well an agency complies with government-wide small business contracting goals. In the event an agency receives a score falling short of an equivalent letter grade of 'A,' it must explain its shortcomings to designated Congressional committees. Furthermore, these agencies are required to report on how they plan to improve their scoring and meet their small business contracting objectives.
Summary of Significant Issues
One of the major concerns centers around the lack of transparency in how the scorecard grades are calculated, particularly how an 'A' grade is defined. This could lead to inconsistent evaluations and potentially unjust expectations for federal agencies. Additionally, there are no specified consequences for agencies that consistently fail to meet the required scores or government-wide goals, which might weaken the intended accountability. There is also ambiguity regarding which specific agencies are responsible for improving their performance, which could hinder concerted efforts to address these issues. Lastly, the bill omits any provisions for extra funding, raising questions about whether existing resources are sufficient to implement its mandates.
Potential Impact on the Public
Broadly, the bill aims to hold federal agencies accountable for their engagement with small businesses, which could positively impact small business owners seeking government contracts. Enhanced agency accountability may lead to more equitable distribution of government contracts, potentially stimulating economic growth and development within the small business sector. However, if the ambiguity in the bill persists, it could create confusion among agencies, thereby slowing progress towards improved contracting practices.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
For federal agencies, this bill imposes additional responsibilities that require systematic changes to achieve higher scorecard scores. While intended to promote better practices, it could also increase administrative burdens without guaranteed additional funding, potentially straining agency resources.
For small businesses, this legislation symbolizes federal commitment to improve their participation in government contracts. If effectively implemented, it might provide small businesses with increased opportunities and more transparency regarding contract awards.
Congressional committees that oversee the small business contracting process are positioned as key stakeholders. This bill strengthens their role, giving them direct access to the performance reports and testimonies, which may facilitate more informed legislative oversight.
In conclusion, while the "Agency Accountability Act of 2024" introduces crucial steps towards improving agency accountability in small business contracting, its effectiveness largely hinges on resolving notable ambiguities and ensuring adequate resources are allocated for its execution.
Issues
The section does not specify the criteria or methodology used to determine the score equivalent to a letter grade of 'A' on the scorecard, which may lead to ambiguity or inconsistency in evaluations. This lack of clarity can affect transparency and accountability in Section 2.
There is an absence of clarity on what specific actions or measures should be taken by a federal agency if it fails to meet the scorecard requirements or Governmentwide goals beyond the testimony requirement, as outlined in Section 2. Without clear actions, there is a risk of agencies not making the necessary improvements.
The amendment does not address any consequences or enforcement mechanisms if a federal agency repeatedly fails to achieve the required scores or goals in Section 2, which may undermine accountability. Understanding the repercussions is essential for establishing effectiveness and compliance.
The section relies on terms and references such as 'scorecard' and 'Governmentwide goals' without providing detailed definitions or context (Section 2), which could lead to misunderstandings or misinterpretation. Clear definitions and explanations are needed for consistent application and understanding.
The phrase 'improve the score on the scorecard established under subsection (y)' in Section 3 is unclear without additional context on what the scorecard measures and how scores are calculated. This makes it difficult to understand what improvements are necessary.
The amendment does not specify which federal agency or agencies are responsible for improving the scorecard scores in Section 3, leading to ambiguity in accountability. Identifying the responsible parties is important for setting expectations and ensuring improvements are made.
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section specifies that the official title of the legislation is the "Agency Accountability Act of 2024."
2. Federal agency testimony on scorecard scores and failure to achieve certain goals Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The amendment to the Small Business Act requires that the head of a designated office in a Federal agency must testify before certain Congressional committees if the agency does not get a top score on an official scorecard or if it fails to meet multiple government goals.
3. Federal agency reporting on scorecard scores Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section changes the Small Business Act to require federal agencies to work on improving their scores on a designated scorecard, in addition to meeting existing goals.
4. Compliance with CUTGO Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
In Section 4, the bill states that no extra money can be approved for spending to implement this Act or any changes it makes.