Congress·In Progress·H.R. 1118

Value Over Cost Act of 2025

Government Contracts: Choosing Quality Over Lowest Price

Feb 5·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

This bill is one vehicle in a longer effort. See the full story across every version.View effort →

Next up: A house committee

The Value Over Cost Act of 2025 is currently in the House committee stage. Although the committee voted to move the bill forward in February 2026, no further action has occurred for five months. It is now stalled as it waits for the next steps in the House.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

How we got here

This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.

Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 9596 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 9596 (118th) →

Key Points

This bill changes how the government buys goods and services. Currently, the law often forces agencies to pick the cheapest bid. This bill would allow officials to choose a higher-quality option if it provides a better deal for taxpayers over time, even if it costs a bit more upfront.
The head of the General Services Administration (GSA) would be allowed to decide when "best value" is more important than the lowest price. This is intended to prevent the government from buying low-quality products that might break easily or fail to meet the needs of federal workers and the military.
The policy applies to both civilian agencies and the Department of Defense. By prioritizing quality and performance, the bill aims to help the government work with more reliable contractors and reduce the need for expensive repairs or replacements later on.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

3 milestones4 actions

Feb 5, 2026House

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 44 - 0.

The committee approved this bill and is sending it to the full chamber for a vote. This is a significant step — most bills never get this far.

Feb 4, 2026House

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

Feb 7, 2025House

Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Feb 7, 2025

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

No votes or news coverage recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Value Over Cost Act of 2025

Bill NumberHR 1118

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionOrdered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 44 - 0.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)

D: 1

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.