(b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that
(1) an Alaska natural gas transportation project would provide significant economic benefits to the United States and Canada; and
(2) to maximize those benefits, the sponsors of the Alaska natural gas transportation project should maximize the participation of small business concerns in contracts and subcontracts awarded in carrying out the project.
(c) Study
(1) In general
The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study to determine the extent to which small business concerns participate in the construction of oil and gas pipelines in the United States.
(2) Report
Not later than 1 year after October 13, 2004, the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report that describes results of the study under paragraph (1).
(3) Updates The Comptroller General shall
(A) update the study at least once every 5 years until construction of an Alaska natural gas transportation project is completed; and
(B) on completion of each update, submit to Congress a report containing the results of the update.
