Congress·Passed House·H.R. 8879

Oversight and Transparency for Small Business Certifications Act of 2026

Small Business: Tracking Government Contract Certifications

May 19·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Next up: The Senate

The House passed this bill in June 2026 and sent it to the Senate. It is now waiting for the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship to take action. The bill is currently stalled because the Senate has not scheduled any meetings to discuss it since June 2026.

Legislative Progress

✓ House

Senate

President

Law

Unlikely to pass

While the bill has support from both parties, small reporting bills like this often fail to get a full vote unless they are added to a larger package of laws.

Key Points

This bill requires the Small Business Administration to give Congress a detailed report every year about its special contracting programs. These programs help small businesses owned by women, veterans, and people in disadvantaged areas get a fair shot at winning government work.
The report must include specific data on how many businesses applied for these programs and how many were actually approved. It also tracks how many applications are stuck in the system without a decision, which helps identify where the government might be falling behind.
A key part of the bill focuses on speed. The agency would have to report exactly how long it takes for a business to get certified for the first time or to renew their status. This is meant to help small business owners who often struggle with long wait times and confusing paperwork.
The bill also checks on the government's technology. It asks for data on how many people are using the new single website for applications versus older systems. This ensures the agency is moving toward a simpler, one-stop shop for business owners.

Impact Analysis

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

Milestones

5 milestones15 actions

Jun 24, 2026Senate

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

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

Jun 23, 2026House

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

Jun 23, 2026House

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.

The House fast-tracked this bill — limited debate, no amendments allowed, but needs two-thirds support to pass.

Jun 23, 2026

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.

The House fast-tracked this bill — limited debate, no amendments allowed, but needs two-thirds support to pass.

Jun 23, 2026House

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 8879.

No votes, news coverage, or related bills recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Oversight and Transparency for Small Business Certifications Act of 2026

Bill NumberHR 8879

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReceived in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)

R: 1

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.