[Federal Register: May 25, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 102)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Page 34033-34037]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25my00-112]
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Part X
The President
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Executive Order 13157--Increasing Opportunities for Women-Owned Small
Businesses
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
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Executive Order 13157 of May 23, 2000
Increasing Opportunities for Women-Owned Small
Businesses
By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, including the Small Business Act, 15 U.S.C.
631, et seq., section 7106 of the Federal Acquisition
Streamlining Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-355), and the
Office of Federal Procurement Policy, 41 U.S.C. 403, et
seq., and in order to strengthen the executive branch's
commitment to increased opportunities for women-owned
small businesses, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Executive Branch Policy. In order to
reaffirm and strengthen the statutory policy contained
in the Small Business Act, 15 U.S.C. 644(g)(1), it
shall be the policy of the executive branch to take the
steps necessary to meet or exceed the 5 percent
Government-wide goal for participation in procurement
by women-owned small businesses (WOSBs). Further, the
executive branch shall implement this policy by
establishing a participation goal for WOSBs of not less
than 5 percent of the total value of all prime contract
awards for each fiscal year and of not less than 5
percent of the total value of all subcontract awards
for each fiscal year.
Sec. 2. Responsibilities of Federal Departments and
Agencies. Each department and agency (hereafter
referred to collectively as ``agency'') that has
procurement authority shall develop a long-term
comprehensive strategy to expand opportunities for
WOSBs. Where feasible and consistent with the effective
and efficient performance of its mission, each agency
shall establish a goal of achieving a participation
rate for WOSBs of not less than 5 percent of the total
value of all prime contract awards for each fiscal year
and of not less than 5 percent of the total value of
all subcontract awards for each fiscal year. The
agency's plans shall include, where appropriate,
methods and programs as set forth in section 4 of this
order.
Sec. 3. Responsibilities of the Small Business
Administration. The Small Business Administration (SBA)
shall establish an Assistant Administrator for Women's
Procurement within the SBA's Office of Government
Contracting. This officer shall be responsible for:
(a)
working with each agency to develop and implement policies to achieve the
participation goals for WOSBs for the executive branch and individual
agencies;
(b)
advising agencies on how to implement strategies that will increase the
participation of WOSBs in Federal procurement;
(c)
evaluating, on a semiannual basis, using the Federal Procurement Data
System (FPDS), the achievement of prime and subcontract goals and actual
prime and subcontract awards to WOSBs for each agency;
(d)
preparing a report, which shall be submitted by the Administrator of the
SBA to the President, through the Interagency Committee on Women's Business
Enterprise and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), on findings
based on the FPDS, regarding prime contracts and subcontracts awarded to
WOSBs;
(e)
making recommendations and working with Federal agencies to expand
participation rates for WOSBs, with a particular emphasis on agencies in
which the participation rate for these businesses is less than 5 percent;
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(f)
providing a program of training and development seminars and conferences to
instruct women on how to participate in the SBA's 8(a) program, the Small
Disadvantaged Business (SDB) program, the HUBZone program, and other small
business contracting programs for which they may be eligible;
(g)
developing and implementing a single uniform Federal Government-wide
website, which provides links to other websites within the Federal system
concerning acquisition, small businesses, and women-owned businesses, and
which provides current procurement information for WOSBs and other small
businesses;
(h)
developing an interactive electronic commerce database that allows small
businesses to register their businesses and capabilities as potential
contractors for Federal agencies, and enables contracting officers to
identify and locate potential contractors; and
(i)
working with existing women-owned business organizations, State and local
governments, and others in order to promote the sharing of information and
the development of more uniform State and local standards for WOSBs that
reduce the burden on these firms in competing for procurement
opportunities.
Sec. 4. Other Responsibilities of Federal Agencies. To
the extent permitted by law, each Federal agency shall
work with the SBA to ensure maximum participation of
WOSBs in the procurement process by taking the
following steps:
(a)
designating a senior acquisition official who will work with the SBA to
identify and promote contracting opportunities for WOSBs;
(b)
requiring contracting officers, to the maximum extent practicable, to
include WOSBs in competitive acquisitions;
(c)
prescribing procedures to ensure that acquisition planners, to the maximum
extent practicable, structure acquisitions to facilitate competition by and
among small businesses, HUBZone small businesses, SDBs, and WOSBs, and
providing guidance on structuring acquisitions, including, but not limited
to, those expected to result in multiple award contracts, in order to
facilitate competition by and among these groups;
(d)
implementing mentor-protege programs, which include women-owned small
business firms; and
(e)
offering industry-wide as well as industry-specific outreach, training, and
technical assistance programs for WOSBs including, where appropriate, the
use of Government acquisitions forecasts, in order to assist WOSBs in
developing their products, skills, business planning practices, and
marketing techniques.
Sec. 5. Subcontracting Plans. The head of each Federal
agency, or designated representative, shall work
closely with the SBA, OFPP, and others to develop
procedures to increase compliance by prime contractors
with subcontracting plans proposed under section 8(d)
of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(d)) or section
834 of Public Law 101-189, as amended (15 U.S.C. 637
note), including subcontracting plans involving WOSBs.
Sec. 6. Action Plans. If a Federal agency fails to meet
its annual goals in expanding contract opportunities
for WOSBs, it shall work with the SBA to develop an
action plan to increase the likelihood that
participation goals will be met or exceeded in future
years.
Sec. 7. Compliance. Independent agencies are requested
to comply with the provisions of this order.
Sec. 8. Consultation and Advice. In developing the
long-term comprehensive strategies required by section
2 of this order, Federal agencies shall consult with,
and seek information and advice from, State and local
governments, WOSBs, other private-sector partners, and
other experts.
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Sec. 9. Judicial Review. This order is for internal
management purposes for the Federal Government. It does
not create any right or benefit, substantive or
procedural, enforceable at law or equity by a party
against the United States, its agencies, its officers,
its employees, or any other person.
(Presidential Sig.)<Clinton1><Clinton2>
THE WHITE HOUSE,
May 23, 2000.
[FR Doc. 00-13367 Filed 5-24-00; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P