Small businesses owned by disabled veterans must now be certified by the government

The US government has finalized a rule that requires businesses claiming to be owned by service-disabled veterans to be certified by the Small Business Administration. Before this, businesses could self-certify their status when bidding on federal contracts.

This change closes a loophole that allowed companies to claim veteran ownership without independent verification. It means that only genuinely veteran-owned businesses will now qualify for federal contracts set aside for them. This shifts who benefits from these contracts.