DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CONTRACTING PRIORITY FOR VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES.

SEC. 503. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CONTRACTING PRIORITY FOR VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES.(a) Priority for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses.—(1) In general.—Subchapter II of chapter 81, as amended by section 502 of this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following new section:“§ 8128. Small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans: contracting priority“(a) Contracting Priority.—In procuring goods and services pursuant to a contracting preference under this title or any other provision of law, the Secretary shall give priority to a small business concern owned and controlled by veterans, if such business concern also meets the requirements of that contracting preference.“(b) Definition.—For purposes of this section, the term ‘small business concern owned and controlled by veterans’ means a small 120 STAT. 3436 business concern that is included in the small business database maintained by the Secretary under section 8127(f) of this title.” .(2) Clerical amendment.—The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter, as so amended, is further amended by inserting after the item relating to section 8127 the following new item: “8128. Small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans: contracting priority.”. (b) Effective Date.—This section and the amendments made by this section shall take effect on the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.