U.S. Capital

Veterans Attorney Applauds New Bill To Support Vet-Launched Businesses

May 24, 2013

Tampa, FL (Law Firm Newswire) May 23, 2013 – A new bill has been introduced to help direct business to qualified disabled vets.

A bill has been introduced in Connecticut which would establish a program requiring state and semi-public agencies contracting for goods and services in excess of $100,000 to set aside a percentage of contracts for bids exclusively from disabled veterans who are qualified contractors.

“There are numerous small business construction companies led by qualified disabled vets,” remarked Tampa veterans attorney David W. Magann. “This Set-Aside bill is one way to help them prove their work and build their business.”

State Sen. L. Scott Frantz (R-36) talked about Senate Bill 384, An Act Creating a Set-Aside Program for Disabled Veteran Contractors, to the General Assembly’s Veterans’ Affairs Committee in February. Sen. Frantz said the bill was designed to help qualified disabled vets as they worked to establish their own businesses and to acknowledge their sacrifices in service of the country.

Franz was supported in the public hearing by vet Dean Chamberlain, who served in the U.S. Army for five years, in the U.S. 4th Infantry Division until he was discharged after a disabling injury while in the line of duty. Chamberlain is now CEO of Mischler Financial Group, Inc., a certified Service Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise (SDVBE).

Executive Order 13360 instructs that at least 3 percent of all contracting business by federal agencies should go to businesses which are owned by service-disabled vets. Agencies are now looking for service-disabled, vet-owned businesses, but have had trouble identifying them in the past, as there is a shortage – not of service-disabled, vet-owned businesses, but businesses clearly identified as such. A push for better visibility through community outreach and education in conjunction with the General Service Administration’s Office of Small Business Utilization (OSBU) has helped better identify SDVOBs for federal and quasi-public agencies looking to hire contractors.

The GSA’s commitment to supporting SDVBOs includes the agency pushing for the contracting goal and exceeding it. GSA is attempting to better educate service-disabled veteran-owned business owners so that they know there are federal contract set-asides, a portion of public contracts which are awarded to a small businesses or minorities. Service-disabled veteran-owned business owners are invited to pursue online and on-site small business training and are encouraged to pursue Governmentwide Acquisitions Contracts (GWACs) and PBS Construction and Service Contracts.

To learn more about the Tampa veterans attorney David W. Magann and his law practice, go to http://www.tampaveteranslawyer.com/ or call 813-657-9175.

David W. Magann, P.A.
Main Office:
156 W. Robertson St.
Brandon, FL 33511
Call: (813) 657-9175

Tampa Office:
6107 Memorial Hwy
Tampa, Florida 33615

South Tampa Office:
Bank of Tampa Building
601 Bayshore Blvd Ste 105
Tampa, FL 33606

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