# 119-s-3173: Stop 8(a) Contracting Fraud Act

119-s-3173, Stop 8(a) Contracting Fraud Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA] (R-IA); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3173
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-3173
- Congress: 119
- Title: Stop 8(a) Contracting Fraud Act
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2025-11-10
- Sponsor: Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA] (R-IA)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Commerce
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Establishes a moratorium on sole‑source 8(a)(16) contracts.** The pause lasts until the Small Business Administration (SBA) completes an audit of its business development program and submits the audit findings to the House and Senate Small Business committees. - Small businesses in the 8(a) program face a halt to new sole‑source awards under section 8(a)(16) while the moratorium is in effect, except when a narrow waiver applies. - Federal contracting officers may request a national‑security waiver. Waivers must be written, first approved by the agency head acquisition officer, then submitted to the SBA Administrator or Deputy Administrator, and must show the work is imperative for national security and not performable by another small business. - The SBA must finish the specified audit and report its findings to the congressional small business committees. The moratorium ends once that report is submitted.

## Provisions PRIA read

- National-security waiver for 8(a) awards: benefit, low. If enacted, contracting officers could seek a waiver to the moratorium when a sole-source 8(a) award is imperative for national security. The contracting officer must submit a written request to the agency’s head acquisition officer for approval, and then that officer must send the request to the S…
- Pause on SBA 8(a) sole-source contracts: cost, medium. If enacted, the SBA would be barred from awarding sole-source contracts under 8(a)(16) starting on the date of enactment. The pause would remain until the SBA completes the audit of its business development program ordered on June 27, 2025 and sends a report with the audit findings to the Senate Co…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act
- 119-s-4378: Protecting American Taxpayers Act
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-3971: Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act
- 119-s-2355: Patients Deserve Price Tags Act
- 119-s-1922: FIREARM Act

## Sources
- [119-s-3173 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3173)

## Related
- [119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4952)
- [119-s-4378: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4378)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-3971: Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3971)
- [119-s-2355: Patients Deserve Price Tags Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2355)
- [119-s-1922: FIREARM Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1922)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3173 (as of 2026-09-10).