The Risk Manager, Fall 2008

Kentucky has two major military installations within its borders and thousands of veterans among its citizens. Unfortunately a number of these veterans were disabled while in service. These service-disabled veterans often go on with their lives by establishing small businesses near federal military and civilian facilities and other locations in the state. Lawyers providing business advice to these veterans must be familiar with the federal laws* that assist them in entering the federal marketplace and giving them a competitive advantage in federal contracting.

Lieutenant Commander Theron R. Korsak’s article “The Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business in the Federal Marketplace” offers a comprehensive treatment of this important benefit (July 2008 • The Army Lawyer • DA Pam 27-50-422). The article:

  • includes a summary of the laws intended to assist service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses;
  • focuses on socio-economic programs and eligibility requirements;
  • reviews common procedural issues affecting service-disabled veteran-owned businesses;
  • discusses policy conflicts that may impact contract awards to a service-disabled veteran-owned small business;
  • summarizes the role that federal agencies, quasi-government organizations, and industries play to meet the goal for federal agencies to annually award at least 3% of all procurement dollars to small business concerns owned and operated by service-disabled veterans;
  • concludes with recommendations to increase contract awards to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.

This article is recommended for all Kentucky lawyers advising service-disabled veterans. It is readily available by Googling The Army Lawyer and going to the July 2008 issue.

*Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act of 1999, Pub. L. No. 106-50, 113 Stat. 233; Veterans Benefit Act of 2003, Pub. L. No. 108-183, 117 Stat. 2662 (codified at 15 U.S.C. § 657f); Veterans Benefit, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006, Pub. L. No. 109-461 120 Stat. 3403.