As a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business owner, I have personally experienced significant challenges in ensuring compliance with the intent of the Prompt Payment Act.  The consistent issue is that it impedes a company's ability to invoice due to administrative errors when contracts are loaded into Wide Area Workflow. The government, when asked to resolve the issues, does not have guidance or law to prioritize that effort, leaving small, medium, and large businesses to be forced to wait 90-180 days before a first payment because "the clock didn't start," leading to a multi-month payment backlog and crippling cashflow challenges, especially for Small Businesses.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, driving innovation and providing vital services across various sectors. Yet, many close their doors because they cannot sustain the timeframes or the interest (which is an unallowable cost) to keep the lights on. This not only hinders business growth but also diminishes the innovation and industrial base the United States needs.

The Just and Accelerated Administrative Workflow (JAAW) Act seeks to overhaul and streamline administrative processes for federal contracting, ensuring greater accountability, efficiency, and support for small businesses working with the government. By passing the JAAW Act, we aim to:

1. Enhance Protections: Establish clear timelines for resolution of government-caused impediments to submission of invoice from no timeframe to 5 business days, with a requirement to make payment in accordance with the Prompt Payment Act from the date the impediment is brought to the government's attention 

2. Increase Accountability: Create a tie between the level of warrant able to be attained or maintained and a direct impact to compensation and bonuses as a government employee, ensuring accountability to have all systems and data correct when a contract is awarded.

3. Foster Growth: Enable small businesses to focus on growth and innovation, rather than being bogged down by bureaucratic hurdles.

4. Boost Competition: Ensure fair and equal opportunities for all businesses, enhancing the quality of contracted products and services.

We urge the introduction and passage of the JAAW Act to address this specific element of the contracting process and administration that small businesses face in federal contracting. It’s time for a change. It is time to give clear expectations and accountability for both government and contractors.

Please sign this petition to support the introduction and passage of the JAAW Act, advocating for a fair, responsive, and accountable federal contracting system that empowers small businesses across Utah and the entire United States. Your support is essential in driving this critical reform. Join us in this effort to make government contracting an engine of opportunity and growth for small businesses.