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HR 8879

Oversight and Transparency for Small Business Certifications Act of 2026

119th Congress Introduced by Johnny Olszewski and 1 co-sponsor

Requires annual, detailed SBA certification program reporting to Congress, including processing times, platform usage, and program-specific data for WOSB, HUBZone, and SDVOSB.

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
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Bill Summary · HR 8879

Overview

  • Bill: H.R. 8879
  • Session: 119th Congress
  • Title: Oversight and Transparency for Small Business Certifications Act of 2026
  • Purpose: Amend the Small Business Act to require an annual, comprehensive report to Congress on participation and activity in SBA small business contracting programs, with detailed program-specific data and platform usage. Aim is to improve oversight, transparency, and accountability of SBA certifications for WOSB, HUBZone, and SDVOSB programs (and covered contracting programs generally).

Main purpose and intent

  • Enhance congressional oversight of SBA small business contracting programs by mandating annual reporting on:
    • Certification activity and participation in covered contracting programs.
    • Processing times and platform usage across certification programs.
    • Potential access and efficiency issues, including backlogs or delays.
  • Specifically target transparency around Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone), and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) programs, while defining “covered contracting programs” to include 8(a), WOSB, HUBZone, and SDVOSB.

Key provisions and changes

  • Section 2 (Reporting Requirement):
    • The SBA Administrator must, alongside each annual budget submission, deliver a detailed report on small business participation in covered contracting programs for the preceding year.
    • Report contents include:
    • Total number of unique small business concerns certified for participation.
    • Certification applications: number with sufficient information for a determination, disaggregated by program; number with pending determinations.
    • Applications for multiple programs and the share receiving two or more certifications.
    • Applications submitted via SBA’s unified certification platform and those processed through other systems.
    • Program-specific data for WOSB, HUBZone, and SDVOSB, including:
    • Applications denied, average time to certification for first-time applicants and recertification timelines.
    • Percentage of determinations completed within SBA timelines.
    • Applications seeking certifications in multiple programs.
    • Platform usage details (unified platform vs. other systems).
    • WOSB-specific data, including:
    • Eligible firms for sole-source awards.
    • Certifications processed by national certifying entities.
    • Applications initially submitted with insufficient information.
    • Timeframes for SDVOSB, WOSB, and HUBZone certifications and recertifications, including:
    • Percentage of determinations within SBA-established timeframes.
    • Average times for initial certifications and recertifications.
    • HUBZone-specific data on timing for initial certifications and recertifications.
    • Definitions of “covered contracting program” to include 8(a), WOSB, HUBZone, and SDVOSB, as referenced in the Small Business Act.
  • Section 2 also defines subpoints for data disaggregation and platform usage to enable granular oversight.
  • No changes to the substantive qualifications for SBA programs themselves; rather, the bill adds reporting and transparency requirements.

Who would be affected

  • Primary: U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) – responsible for compiling and transmitting the annual report.
  • Federal legislators and oversight bodies (Senate Small Business Committee, House Small Business Committee) – recipients of the annual report.
  • Small businesses seeking or holding certifications in SBA’s covered contracting programs (WOSB, HUBZone, SDVOSB) – measures and data relate to their application timelines, processing, and eligibility processes.
  • Agencies and contractors relying on SBA data for accountability and procurement planning.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Reporting cadence:
    • Annual report due in conjunction with the President’s budget submission for each fiscal year (as required by current law for budget exercises).
  • Data scope:
    • Year-by-year data on certifications, platform usage, processing times, and program participation.
    • Disaggregation by certification program and by multi-program certification activity.
  • Implementation:
    • Amends Section 10(c) of the Small Business Act to incorporate the new reporting requirements.
  • Legislative status (as of the bill text provided):
    • Introduced May 19, 2026.
    • Committee on Small Business reported favorably with a roll call vote (23-0) on May 20, 2026.
    • Placed on Union Calendar June 3, 2026; Reported as H. Rep. 119-680.
  • Expected administrative impact:
    • Additional data collection and reporting workload for SBA.
    • Need for data systems integration and consistency (emphasis on unified certification platform usage and cross-program data).

Estimated cost and fiscal impact

  • The sponsoring committee notes that they have not received a formal Congressional Budget Office (CBO) cost estimate at the time of reporting but anticipate no new or increased budget authority beyond existing levels. The bill’s core effect is enhanced reporting, not new program funding.

Key takeaways

  • HR 8879 seeks to strengthen oversight by mandating annual, detailed reporting on SBA small business certifications and covered contracting programs.
  • Reports would illuminate certification throughput, backlog, cross-program participation, and platform efficiency, helping Congress evaluate program performance and potential gaps in access to federal contracting opportunities.
  • The bill emphasizes transparency for WOSB, HUBZone, and SDVOSB programs, while maintaining existing authorities and program definitions.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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