{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases/comisionado-residente-presenta-medida-para-proteger-oportunidades-pequenos", "Comisionado Residente presenta medida para proteger oportunidades a peque\u00f1os negocios en contratos federales", "2026-09-30", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PR", "Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez", "H001103", "hernandez.house.gov", "hernandez", "https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico \u2014 El Comisionado Residente de Puerto Rico, Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez, junto al congresista Gil Cisneros, presentaron el PROMISE for Small Businesses Act (H.R. 10622), un proyecto que busca asegurar que compa\u00f1\u00edas que reciben contratos federales cumplan con sus compromisos de ofrecer oportunidades de trabajo a peque\u00f1os negocios.\n\nCuando una empresa recibe determinados contratos del gobierno federal, usualmente de un valor mayor de $900,000, debe presentar un plan de subcontrataci\u00f3n a peque\u00f1os negocios. Estos planes buscan incluir a empresas peque\u00f1as en el trabajo generado por contratos federales. Sin embargo, estos planes rara vez se fiscalizan y muchos no se cumplen. Mi proyecto de ley aumenta las auditor\u00edas para que los peque\u00f1os negocios reciban las oportunidades que les corresponden por ley.\n\n\u201cSi una compa\u00f1\u00eda recibe un contrato federal y se compromete a darle oportunidades a peque\u00f1os negocios, debemos asegurarnos de que ese compromiso se cumpla. En Puerto Rico, eso significa saber si nuestras peque\u00f1as empresas est\u00e1n teniendo una oportunidad real de participar en el trabajo que generan los contratos federales. Queremos que esos compromisos no se queden solamente en papel\u201d, expres\u00f3 el Comisionado Residente.\n\n\u201cLas peque\u00f1as empresas son esenciales para nuestra econom\u00eda y merecen una oportunidad justa en el mercado a nivel federal. Estoy orgulloso de unirme con el Congresista Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez en la introducci\u00f3n de la llamada \u2018PROMISE for Small Business Act\u2019 para asegurar que no sean excluidas. En el caso de que se establezca, esta legislaci\u00f3n mejorar\u00e1 la supervisi\u00f3n de los grandes contratistas principales para asegurar que cumplan su promesa con los negocios peque\u00f1os, tal cual como indiquen los planes de subcontrataci\u00f3n. El estatuto dirigir\u00e1 la revisi\u00f3n de los planes de subcontratos y requerir\u00e1 el informe al Congreso sobre el cumplimiento normativo, tendencias en faltas de cumplimiento, y acciones tomadas para asegurar el orden. No podemos permitir que impidan que nuestras peque\u00f1as empresas tengan la oportunidad de obtener contratos federales,\u201d expres\u00f3 el congresista Gil Cisneros (D-CA).\n\n\u201cAgradezco la disposici\u00f3n del Comisionado Residente de escuchar las experiencias de los due\u00f1os de peque\u00f1os negocios que buscamos participar en el mercado federal y traducir nuestras preocupaciones en acci\u00f3n legislativa. Fortalecer la fiscalizaci\u00f3n de los planes de subcontrataci\u00f3n y medir sus resultados contribuir\u00eda a que las pol\u00edticas federales dirigidas a los peque\u00f1os negocios se traduzcan en oportunidades reales para las empresas a las que est\u00e1n dirigidas. Estas oportunidades ayudan a las empresas a crecer, crear empleos y contribuir a las econom\u00edas locales, a la vez que fortalecen los servicios del gobierno federal mediante el conocimiento especializado y la agilidad que aportamos los peque\u00f1os negocios,\u201d dijo Carmen A. Cortes Ramos, Legal PM Partners.\n\nLos contratistas federales que cuentan con planes de subcontrataci\u00f3n para peque\u00f1as empresas generalmente son evaluados en funci\u00f3n de si realizaron un \u201cesfuerzo de buena fe\u201d para cumplir con sus metas. Una revisi\u00f3n de la Oficina de Rendici\u00f3n de Cuentas del Gobierno (GAO, por sus siglas en ingl\u00e9s) encontr\u00f3 que rara vez los contratistas recib\u00edan calificaciones inferiores a satisfactorias, incluso cuando no cumpl\u00edan con sus metas de subcontrataci\u00f3n. En el a\u00f1o fiscal 2022, m\u00e1s de $400 mil millones en contratos federales requer\u00edan planes de subcontrataci\u00f3n, mientras que la Administraci\u00f3n de Peque\u00f1as Empresas (SBA, por sus siglas en ingl\u00e9s) realiz\u00f3 \u00fanicamente seis revisiones de cumplimiento durante ese a\u00f1o.\n\nEl impacto para las peque\u00f1as empresas es significativo. El SBA inform\u00f3 que, si los contratistas hubieran cumplido con sus metas de subcontrataci\u00f3n existentes durante el a\u00f1o fiscal 2023, las peque\u00f1as empresas habr\u00edan recibido casi $1,500 millones adicionales en contratos de subcontrataci\u00f3n, incluyendo aproximadamente $850 millones adicionales para Peque\u00f1as Empresas en Desventaja (Small Disadvantaged Businesses).\n\nEl PROMISE for Small Businesses Act requerir\u00eda que la Administraci\u00f3n de Peque\u00f1os Negocios de Estados Unidos (SBA, por sus siglas en ingl\u00e9s) revise cada a\u00f1o al menos el 10% de los contratos sujetos a estos planes en cada agencia federal para verificar su cumplimiento.\n\nAdem\u00e1s, la SBA tendr\u00eda que informar:\n\nsi los contratistas cumplieron con sus compromisos de subcontrataci\u00f3n;\n\ncu\u00e1ntas revisiones de cumplimiento realiz\u00f3;\n\nqu\u00e9 problemas de incumplimiento identific\u00f3; y\n\nqu\u00e9 acciones adicionales tom\u00f3 con relaci\u00f3n a esos contratistas.\n\nEn Puerto Rico, donde los contratos federales apoyan proyectos de infraestructura, reconstrucci\u00f3n y otros servicios, la medida permitir\u00eda conocer mejor si los compromisos de abrir oportunidades a peque\u00f1os negocios locales se est\u00e1n cumpliendo.\n\nEn t\u00e9rminos sencillos, el proyecto busca establecer una revisi\u00f3n m\u00e1s consistente para comprobar que, cuando una compa\u00f1\u00eda grande promete compartir parte del trabajo de un contrato federal con peque\u00f1os negocios, cumpla con ese compromiso.\n\nEl proyecto tambi\u00e9n cuenta con el respaldo de Legal PM Partners, ECONS Group, y The Consulting Lead, peque\u00f1os negocios que apoyan mayores esfuerzos para asegurar que los compromisos de subcontrataci\u00f3n se cumplan.\n\n###\n\nHern\u00e1ndez, Cisneros Introduce Bill to Strengthen Small Business Participation in Federal Contracts\n\nPROMISE for Small Businesses Act would increase oversight of large federal contractors and help ensure promised subcontracting opportunities reach small businesses.\n\nSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez (D-PR) and Congressman Gil Cisneros (D-CA) introduced the PROMISE for Small Businesses Act (H.R. 10622), legislation to strengthen oversight of large federal contractors and ensure they follow through on commitments to provide subcontracting opportunities to small businesses.\n\nWhen large companies or corporations receive certain federal contracts, they are required to establish plans outlining how they will provide subcontracting opportunities to small businesses. These plans are intended to give smaller companies a chance to compete for a share of the work created by federal contracts.\n\n\u201cWhen companies receive federal contracts and commit to working with small businesses, we should make sure they follow through,\u201d said Hern\u00e1ndez. \u201cThese opportunities can help small businesses grow, create jobs, and build experience in the federal marketplace. Our bill strengthens accountability and helps ensure those opportunities reach them.\u201d\n\n\u201cSmall businesses are critical to our economy and they deserve a fair shot in the federal marketplace. I\u2019m proud to join Rep. Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez to introduce the PROMISE for Small Businesses Act to make sure they are not being left out. If enacted, this legislation would strengthen oversight of federal contracts to help ensure that large prime contractors keep their promise to small businesses as outlined in subcontracting plans. It would direct reviews of subcontracting plans and require reporting to Congress on compliance, noncompliance trends, and any enforcement actions taken. We cannot allow our small businesses to be pushed out of federal contracting,\" said Cisneros (D-CA).\n\n\u201cI appreciate the Resident Commissioner\u2019s willingness to listen to the experiences of small business owners seeking to participate in the federal marketplace and translate our concerns into legislative action. Strengthening oversight of subcontracting plans and measuring results can help ensure that federal small business policies create meaningful opportunities for the businesses they are designed to support. These opportunities help small businesses build capacity, create jobs, and contribute to local economies while strengthening federal services through the expertise and agility that small businesses bring,\u201d said Carmen A. Cortes Ramos, Legal PM Partners.\n\nFederal contractors with small business subcontracting plans are generally evaluated on whether they made a \u201cgood faith effort\u201d to meet their goals. A GAO report found that contractors were rarely given below-satisfactory ratings even when subcontracting goals were missed. In fiscal year 2022, more than $400 billion in federal contracts required subcontracting plans, while SBA conducted only six compliance reviews that year.\n\nThe impact on small businesses is significant. SBA reported that if contractors had met their existing subcontracting goals in fiscal year 2023, small businesses would have received nearly $1.5 billion more in subcontracting awards, including about $850 million more for Small Disadvantaged Businesses.\n\nThe PROMISE for Small Businesses Act would require the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to review at least 10 percent of contracts subject to these subcontracting plans at each federal agency every year to determine whether contractors are meeting their commitments.\n\nThe legislation would also require the SBA to report:\n\nwhether contractors complied with their small business subcontracting plans;\n\nhow many compliance reviews the agency conducted;\n\nwhat compliance issues were identified; and\n\nwhat additional actions or reviews the SBA took in response.\n\nFor small businesses, subcontracting can provide an important path into the federal marketplace. A small construction company, technology firm, manufacturer, professional services provider, or other local business may not be in a position to compete for a major federal contract on its own, but can perform part of that work as a subcontractor to a larger company.\n\nThePROMISE for Small Businesses Act would strengthen oversight of that process by requiring regular reviews to determine whether large contractors are delivering on the small business opportunities included in their subcontracting plans.\n\nThis legislation is also endorsed by Legal PM Partners, ECONS Group, and The Consulting Lead, small businesses that support stronger accountability for federal contractors and greater access to subcontracting opportunities.", 1, "2026-10-01T11:23:28Z", "2026-10-01T11:25:15Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases/comisionado-residente-presenta-medida-para-proteger-oportunidades-pequenos"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9628920815885067, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}