The Small Business Development Act of 1999 amended the Small Business Act by adding Small Businesses owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans to the categories of small businesses for which the Federal agencies develop prime contract goals.

On December 16, 2003, President Bush signed Public Law No. 108-183, The Veterans Benefits Act of 2003. Section 308, Procurement Program for Small Business Concerns Owned and Controlled by Service-Disabled Veterans, permits contracting officers to restrict competition to small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans if the contracting officer has a reasonable expectation that not less than two service-disabled owned small business concerns will submit offers and that award can be made at a fair market price.

In addition, the law authorizes sole source awards to service-disabled veteran owned small business concerns under certain conditions.

For more information on the service-disabled or veteran-owned small business programs, contact the SBA's Office of Government Contracting at (202) 506-6460, visit SBA's website at http://www.sba.gov/vets or visit the U.S. Department of Veteran Affair's website at http://www.va.gov.