Overview

Title

An Act To require plain language and the inclusion of key words in covered notices that are clear, concise, and accessible to small business concerns, and for other purposes.

ELI5 AI

H.R. 7987 is a bill that wants to make it easier for small businesses to understand government opportunities by using simple words in notices, like using easy-to-read language so everyone can figure out what the notices are about.

Summary AI

H.R. 7987 aims to make notices about federal contracting opportunities more understandable and accessible to small businesses. It requires these notices to be written in clear and straightforward language, in line with federal guidelines on plain writing. The notices should include key words that help small businesses easily identify and understand their contents. Additionally, the Small Business Administration has 90 days from the enactment of the Act to issue rules to implement these changes.

Published

2024-05-23
Congress: 118
Session: 2
Chamber: SENATE
Status: Reported to Senate
Date: 2024-05-23
Package ID: BILLS-118hr7987rs

Keywords AI

small business plain language federal contracting accessibility small business administration compliance cutgo notice clarity h.r. 7987 implementation rules

Sources

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
3
Words:
540
Pages:
4
Sentences:
15

Language

Nouns: 161
Verbs: 42
Adjectives: 46
Adverbs: 4
Numbers: 31
Entities: 34

Complexity

Average Token Length:
4.27
Average Sentence Length:
36.00
Token Entropy:
4.78
Readability (ARI):
20.09

AnalysisAI

The proposed legislation, known as "H. R. 7987," seeks to make federally issued notices clearer and more accessible for small businesses. Titled the "Plain Language in Contracting Act," this bill aims to ensure that notices regarding government contracting opportunities are understandable and easy to navigate for small businesses. It emphasizes the need for using straightforward language and incorporating key words to help businesses identify relevant opportunities quickly. Furthermore, it tasks the Small Business Administration (SBA) with implementing these requirements through a rulemaking process within 90 days of the bill's enactment. Importantly, the bill does not authorize additional funding for its implementation, which could pose challenges.

Summary of Significant Issues

One significant issue is the requirement for all "covered notices" to adhere to federal plain language guidelines. While this goal promotes clarity and accessibility, it may pose compliance challenges for federal agencies to ensure that their notices consistently meet these standards. Agencies will need to ensure their notices are not only clear and concise but also utilize specific keywords that small businesses can easily identify.

A further concern is the tight 90-day timeline for the SBA to issue rules to enforce the act. Given the complexity involved in formulating and applying these new standards across multiple agencies, this timeframe might be seen as insufficient for a thorough and effective rulemaking process.

The term "covered notice" lacks specificity, as the bill does not provide concrete examples or scenarios. This omission might lead to ambiguity around what documents must comply, potentially leading to inconsistencies in implementation.

Additionally, there is no provision for extra funding to facilitate these changes, which means agencies may have to adjust current resources to meet new requirements, possibly affecting their capacity to implement the bill effectively.

Finally, the bill references "Compliance with CUTGO" without providing an explanation, which could confuse those unfamiliar with this fiscal policy mechanism. This lack of clarity might lead to misunderstandings about the financial implications for federal budgets.

Broad Impact on the Public

The bill aims to make government contracting more accessible to small businesses by ensuring that related information is presented in plain language. This effort could lower barriers to entry, potentially increasing small business participation in federal contracts and fostering a more competitive environment. Increased clarity in notices may also reduce the time and resources small businesses currently spend interpreting government communications.

Impact on Specific Stakeholders

Small Businesses:

For small business owners, especially those less familiar with legal jargon or government processes, the bill promises easier access to important contracting opportunities. By simplifying language and highlighting keywords, the legislation could help small businesses quickly understand and respond to opportunities, potentially enhancing their success in obtaining contracts.

Federal Agencies:

Federal agencies, on the other hand, may face challenges implementing these new standards, especially without additional funding. Ensuring compliance with plain language guidelines and fitting keyword strategies into notices might require training and adjustments to current processes. This could strain agencies' resources or divert attention from other priorities.

Small Business Administration:

The SBA is positioned with a crucial role, facing the pressure of a 90-day timeline to devise rules under this bill. While the intention to enhance accessibility for small businesses aligns with SBA's mission, the administrative burden of creating and implementing these rules swiftly could be substantial.

Overall, while the bill's intention to simplify government communication for small businesses is commendable, its successful implementation hinges on addressing the outlined issues. Without additional resources and clear directives, stakeholders might struggle to fulfill the bill's objectives, potentially impacting its effectiveness.

Issues

  • The bill mandates that all 'covered notices' comply with Federal plain language guidelines, which could pose a compliance challenge for Federal agencies to ensure these standards are consistently met across various notices (Section 2).

  • The 90-day period specified for the Small Business Administration to issue rules may be seen as insufficient given the complexity involved in implementing the new requirements (Section 2, Paragraph c).

  • The definition of 'covered notice' lacks examples or scenarios, which may lead to ambiguity in what constitutes a notice that needs to comply with the Act (Section 2, Paragraph d).

  • There is no provision for additional funding to support the implementation of this Act, potentially resulting in resource constraints that could affect its successful execution (Section 3).

  • The bill refers to CUTGO compliance without explanation, which might be unclear for those not familiar with the term or its implications (Section 3).

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 in the text refers to the name of a legal act, stating that it may be formally called the "Plain Language in Contracting Act."

2. Accessibility and clarity in covered notices for small business concerns Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The section mandates that notices for small businesses should be clear, concise, and use plain language to make them easily understandable. Additionally, it specifies that these notices should include key words to help small businesses find relevant contract opportunities and requires the Small Business Administration to issue implementing rules within 90 days.

3. Compliance with CUTGO Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

No additional funds are allowed to be allocated for the implementation of this Act or its amendments.