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CIVIC HERALD
HR 856 · 119th Congress · HouseIn committee

Safe and Smart Federal Purchasing Act

In plain language: This bill directs federal officials to evaluate whether policies that favor the lowest-priced bids for government contracts create national security vulnerabilities. The Office of Management and Budget must examine buying practices across both civilian and defense agencies, looking specifically at rules that award work to whoever meets minimum requirements for the least money. Within 180 days, the agency must report its findings to congressional oversight committees to help lawmakers decide if purchasing rules need tightening.

Provisional: our plain-language summary, pending review.

Provisionalunreviewed: impact, provisions, stakeholders, summary
People affectedThe operative text mandates an administrative review between executive agencies and Congress, naming no directly affected public population.
Fiscal magnitudeThe bill does not authorize or appropriate specific funding for the required review and report.
Reach12provisional · pending reviewrigor: heuristic llm
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Issues

What this bill touches.

Ethics & oversight+12

The sign shows the bill's direction on each issue (+ toward, − away); the number is its magnitude. Color never encodes good or bad, and never party.

Who it affects

Who it helps · who it burdens.

Who it helps

  • Congressional oversight committeesReceive a required report from OMB detailing any national security risks stemming from lowest-price contracting practices across federal agencies (Sec. 2(b)).provisional

Who it burdens

  • Office of Management and BudgetMust review defense and civilian agency procurement practices regarding lowest-price regulations and report findings to congressional committees within 180 days (Sec. 2(a), 2(b)).provisional

Dollar-level funding (FEC sector totals) is coming in a later phase.

What it does

The provisions, in plain language.

  1. Directs the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to review federal defense and civilian purchasing practices to determine whether lowest-price contracting rules pose any national security risks.

    Sec. 2(a)provisional
  2. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to report the findings of the procurement review to congressional oversight committees within 180 days of enactment.

    Sec. 2(b)provisional

How your members of Congress line up

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Timeline

How it moved.

  1. Mar 4, 2025Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  2. Mar 3, 2025Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  3. Mar 3, 2025On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 417 - 0 (Roll no. 54). (text: CR H932)
  4. Mar 3, 2025Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 417 - 0 (Roll no. 54). (text: CR H932)
  5. Jan 31, 2025Introduced in House
  6. Jan 31, 2025Introduced in House

The original text

Read it for yourself.

Sources & provenance

Congress.govrefreshed 9 days ago

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