Small Business Payment for Performance Act of 2026

This bill would let a small business holding a federal construction contract ask the contracting officer for an equitable adjustment when the officer changes the terms of the work without the business's agreement. The request must be made on time under the contract and state the estimated added cost. The agency would then have to pay the business at least 50 percent of that estimated amount as an interim partial payment, which would not count as a final settlement of the request. The business would have to pass the share of the payment tied to a subcontractor's added costs down to that subcontractor, and subcontractors would pass shares to lower-tier subcontractors. The Small Business Administration would have to put the rules in place by October 1, 2027, or the start of the first full fiscal year after enactment, whichever comes first.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Pete Stauber Republican sponsor
• 15 cosponsors