The fiscal year 2015 defense authorization bill (H.R. 4435) the House Armed Services Committee is scheduled to mark up May 7 includes language to increase small firms' access to federal contracting programs.

Included in the measure is language:

• restricting use of reverse auctions for certain services, including construction and design;

• improving opportunities for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses by transferring responsibility for verifying their status from the Department of Veterans Affairs to the Small Business Administration;

• requiring better data on consolidated and bundled contracts; and

• extending a test program on small business subcontracting plans and making changes to better gauge the status of small business subcontractors; and

• authorizing education to inform small businesses on the requirements of the Arms Export Control Act.

Small Business Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.) April 9 asked that six bills reported out of his committee be included in the FY 2015 defense authorization bill, including ones dealing with reverse auctions and SDVOSBs (H.R. 2751, H.R. 2882) (101 FCR 412, 4/15/14).

Among the measures left out of the HASC chairman's mark was the Greater Opportunities for Small Business Act (H.R. 4093), sponsored by Graves, which would increase the small business prime contracting goal from 23 percent to 25 percent and small business subcontracting goal from 36 percent to 40 percent.