Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa., introduced legislation late last week that looks to streamline contract requirements across the Federal government.
The bipartisan bill, titled the “Conforming Procedures for Federal Task and Delivery Order Contracts Act,” would help to slim down the procurement process for Federal agencies and contractors bidding on government work. The bill would help awards to be made faster and to a wide range of contractors, including small businesses.
“Our nation is at its best when the agencies that serve the American people run smoothly,” Sen. Peters said in a Jan. 19 press release.?“This bipartisan bill streamlines the contracting process for Federal government agencies, and as a result will boost small businesses trying to stay competitive and will increase efficiency for all government agencies, benefitting people across the nation.”
“Entrepreneurs in Iowa and across the country deserve the opportunity to compete for Federal contracts, but too much bureaucratic red tape stands in the way,” added Sen. Ernst. “I’m working to streamline processes for Federal contracting through this bipartisan effort. By making the award process faster and wider, Iowa’s small businesses and entrepreneurs can better compete and succeed.”
While text of the bill is not yet available, the senators said the bill will apply to task and delivery order contracts. Specifically, they said it will expand certain streamlining measures for these contracts that the Department of Defense (DoD) currently has in place to all Federal agencies.
These measures, Sens. Peters and Ernst said, will help to reduce duplication of documentation requirements for agencies, “and provide for a more nimble and meaningful bidding process and evaluation of proposals.”
