Legislative Activity

The Affordable Housing for Our Troops Act mandates that the Secretary of Defense brief Congress on strategies to improve off-base housing affordability for service members. This briefing must detail efforts to partner with local governments and private landlords to address high-cost areas. The report will outline current agreements, potential incentives for landlords, and recommendations for new policies to reduce housing insecurity near military installations.

The Servicemember Retention and Education Advancement Act mandates a study by the Secretary of Defense regarding the feasibility and advisability of providing tuition assistance to all active-duty servicemembers after one year of service. This report, due to Congress within one year of enactment, must detail the findings and identify any potential obstacles to implementing such a policy.

The SBIR Commercialization Improvement Act aims to boost the transition of technologies developed under the SBIR/STTR programs into full government use. It mandates new federal training for acquisition staff on utilizing Phase III awards and streamlines the process for securing these final contracts. Furthermore, the bill requires government representatives to actively advocate for small businesses to receive Phase III awards based on their prior research.

This Act mandates that the Small Business Administration (SBA) must address technology modernization risks identified by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The SBA Administrator is required to submit a detailed implementation plan to Congress within 180 days outlining new procedures for managing IT projects based on GAO best practices. This plan must cover risk management, security involvement in contracting, and schedule/cost estimation guidelines. Finally, the Administrator must brief the relevant committees on the submitted plan.