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H.R. 787

U.S. House•In Senate Committee

Summary

H.R. 787, the Plain Language in Contracting Act, was introduced in the House on Jan 28, 2025 by Rep. Nick LaLota (R) with 3 co-sponsors. It was referred to Small Business And Entrepreneurship, and last saw action on Jun 4, 2025: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Record

Text

H.R. 787 has 3 co-sponsors.

hb787/engrossed-in-house.txt
119 HR 787 EH: Plain Language in Contracting Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 IB
 119th CONGRESS  1st Session
 H. R. 787
 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 AN ACT
To require plain language and the inclusion of key words in covered notices that are clear, concise, and accessible to small business concerns, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Plain Language in Contracting Act  .
2.
Accessibility and clarity in covered notices for small business concerns
(a)
In general
Each covered notice shall be written in a manner—
(1)
such that a small business concern can easily understand the intent of the covered notice; and
(2)
that—
(A)
is clear, concise, and well-organized; and
(B)
to the maximum extent practicable, follows other best practices appropriate to the subject or field of the covered notice and the intended audience of the covered notice.
(b)
Inclusion of key words in covered notices
Each covered notice shall, to the maximum extent practicable, include key words in the description of the covered notice such that a small business concern seeking contract opportunities using the single, Government-wide point of entry described under section 1708 of title 41, United States Code, can easily identify and understand such covered notice.
(c)
Rulemaking
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall issue rules to carry out this section.
(d)
Definitions
In this section:
(1)
Covered notice
The term  covered notice  means a notice pertaining to small business concerns published by a Federal agency on the single Government-wide point of entry described under section 1708 of title 41, United States Code.
(2)
Small Business Act definitions
The terms  Federal agency  and  small business concern  have the meanings given those terms, respectively, in section 3 of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 632 ).
3.
No additional funds authorized
No additional funds are authorized to carry out the requirements of this Act.
     Passed the House of Representatives June 3, 2025.  Kevin F. McCumber,  Clerk.

Tracker

The tracker indicates the progress of this legislation as it moves through the legislative process.

  1. Introduced2025-01-28
  2. Passed House2025-06-03
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Conference
  5. To President
  6. Became Law

CRS Summary

The summaries are the Congressional Research Service’s, one per stage. Read them in full.

Introduced in House Jan 28, 2025

hb787/introduced-in-house.md

Shown Here:
Introduced in House (01/28/2025)

Plain Language in Contracting Act

This bill requires that notices of contracting opportunities for small businesses are written in a clear, concise, and accessible manner.

Each notice also must comply with the requirements of the Plain Writing Act of 2010, which are applicable to publications and notices by federal agencies.

The Small Business Administration must issue rules to implement these requirements.

Sponsors

Rep. Nick LaLota (R) sponsors H.R. 787, and 3 members have co-sponsored it, 2 of them from the day it was introduced.

Committees

H.R. 787 went before 2 committees: Small Business and Entrepreneurship and Small Business.

Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Referred To · Jun 4, 2025 · 80 Bills
Small Business
Small Business
Reported By · Mar 24, 2025 · 81 Bills

Reports

1 committee report has been filed on H.R. 787, the latest H. Rept. 119-34.

Actions

H.R. 787 has taken 13 actions since Jan 28, 2025, the latest on Jun 4, 2025.

ChamberAction
Jun 4, 2025
Senate
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee
Jun 3, 202515:32
House
Mr. Williams (TX) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Jun 3, 202515:32
House
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2395-2396)
Jun 3, 202515:32
House
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 787.
Jun 3, 202515:40
House
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2395)

Votes

H.R. 787 has not gone to a roll call.

Titles

H.R. 787 goes by 7 titles, 4 of them short titles.

  • To require plain language and the inclusion of key words in covered notices that are clear, concise, and accessible to small business concerns, and for other purposes. — Official Titles from EH (Engrossed in House) bill text
  • Plain Language in Contracting Act — Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text
  • Plain Language in Contracting Act — Short Title(s) as Passed House
  • Plain Language in Contracting Act — Short Title(s) as Reported to House
  • Plain Language in Contracting Act — Display Title
  • Plain Language in Contracting Act — Short Title(s) as Introduced
  • To require plain language and the inclusion of key words in covered notices that are clear, concise, and accessible to small business concerns, and for other purposes. — Official Title as Introduced

Cost estimate

The Congressional Budget Office has filed 1 estimate for H.R. 787, the latest on Apr 7, 2025.

Lobbying

3 clients hired 3 firms and 102 registered lobbyists who named H.R. 787 in 8 quarterly filings, 2025 to 2026. Reported under the Lobbying Disclosure Act; a filing’s income covers everything its registrant worked that quarter, so the amounts below are the filings’, not this bill’s.

Filed under Environment/Superfund, Government Issues, Health Issues, Immigration, Labor Issues/Antitrust/Workplace, Small Business, Taxation/Internal Revenue Code, Transportation.

Clients

Who paid to be heard, by how many filings named the bill.

ClientBusinessStateFirmsFilingsReported
ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICA—Virginia14—
ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS INC—District of Columbia13—
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE U.S.A.—District of Columbia11—

Firms

Registrants who filed on the bill, by filings.

RegistrantClientsFilingsReported
ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICA14—
ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS, INC.13—
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE U.S.A.11—

Lobbyists

Named on the filings that cite the bill. The 20 named most often, of 102.

LobbyistFirmsClientsFilings
ALEXANDER ETCHEN114
DENIZ MUSTAFA114
JAMES YOUNG114
JEFFREY SHOAF114
JOHN CHAMBERS114
JONATHON PORTER114
CHRISTOPHER VAUGHAN113
JOSHUA LEONARD113
KAREN LIVINGSTON113
KRISTEN YORK113
MICHAEL ALTMAN113
MICHAEL BELLAMAN113
VANCE WALTER113
JORDAN HOWARD112
ABELARDO TORRES111
ALEXA BRANSON111
ANDREA PORWOLL111
ASHLEY GUM111
BRADLEY WATTS111
BRINCE MANNING111

Filings

The documents themselves, on the Senate’s Lobbying Disclosure site, largest reported first.

ClientRegistrantPeriodReportedDocument
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE U.S.A.CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE U.S.A.2025 second_quarter$19.3M2nd Quarter - Report
ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS INCASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS, INC.2025 fourth_quarter$700K4th Quarter - Report
ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS INCASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS, INC.2025 third_quarter$700K3rd Quarter - Report
ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS INCASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS, INC.2025 second_quarter$700K2nd Quarter - Report
ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICAASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICA2026 second_quarter$216.4K2nd Quarter - Report
ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICAASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICA2025 fourth_quarter$202.2K4th Quarter - Report
ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICAASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICA2026 first_quarter$195.9K1st Quarter - Report
ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICAASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICA2025 third_quarter$76.9K3rd Quarter - Report

Classification

The Congressional Research Service files H.R. 787 under Commerce, one of its 31 policy areas, and gives it 2 legislative subjects.

CRS Subjects

CRS assigns every bill one policy area from its 31; H.R. 787’s is Commerce.

hr787/policy-areas.txt
CommerceAgriculture and FoodAnimalsArmed Forces and National SecurityArts, Culture, ReligionCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCongressCrime and Law EnforcementEconomics and Public FinanceEducationEmergency ManagementEnergyEnvironmental ProtectionFamiliesFinance and Financial SectorForeign Trade and International FinanceGovernment Operations and PoliticsHealthHousing and Community DevelopmentImmigrationInternational AffairsLabor and EmploymentLawNative AmericansPublic Lands and Natural ResourcesScience, Technology, CommunicationsSocial WelfareSports and RecreationTaxationTransportation and Public WorksWater Resources Development

Legislative Subjects

H.R. 787 carries 2 of CRS’s legislative subjects, from Public contracts and procurement to Small business.

hr787/subjects.txt
Public contracts and procurementSmall business

Constitutional authority

The clause the sponsor cites as Congress’s power to enact H.R. 787, as entered in the Congressional Record.

[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 28, 2025)][House]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]By Mr. LaLOTA:H.R. 787.Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following:Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution[Page H407]

Source: congress.gov · legiscan.com