This is not an official government website.
© 2026 PLEJ LC. All rights reserved.
Congressional Daily Record
This section captures a floor statement or debate entry. It mentions legislation such as Small Business Cybersecurity Assistance Evaluation Act of 2026, committees such as Committee on Small Business, members such as Roger Williams.
Issued
June 23, 2026
house side of the record
People
3
Linked members mentioned in this section
Legislation
1
Bills and resolutions linked from this section
Committees
2
Committees connected to this section
Senate Holds
0
No hold activity linked here
Source Document
Connected Data
People mentioned
Bills and resolutions
Source Control
Reader mode is for comprehension. The linked government PDF is the official published source.
Download official House Record PDFReturn to issue contextMr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8880) to require the Comptroller General to evaluate Federal cybersecurity assistance to small business concerns, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 8880
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Small Business Cybersecurity
Assistance Evaluation Act of 2026”.
SEC. 2. GAO STUDY ON SMALL BUSINESS CYBERSECURITY ASSISTANCE.
(a) Study.—The Comptroller General of the United States
shall conduct a study of current Federal cybersecurity
initiatives, programs, resources, tools, and services
intended to assist owners of small business concerns (as
defined under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
632)) with—
(1) identifying cyber risks, cyber threats, and
cybersecurity vulnerabilities relating to such concerns;
(2) assessing the preparedness of such concerns for such
risks, threats, and vulnerabilities;
(3) planning for, mitigating, and recovering from
cyberattacks and incidents of social engineering, scams, and
fraud (including developing, adopting, and implementing
cybersecurity measures, training, protocols, tools, and
infrastructure); and
(4) identifying sources of capital, or obtaining capital,
to carry out the activities specified in paragraphs (1), (2),
and (3).
(b) Required Content.—The study required by subsection (a)
shall include—
(1) information on the most common cyberattacks affecting
small business concerns;
(2) an identification and description of the Federal
cybersecurity initiatives, programs, resources, tools, and
services included in the study described in subsection (a);
(3) an assessment of the awareness and use of such Federal
cybersecurity initiatives, programs, resources, tools, and
services by small business concerns and reasons for
differences in levels of such awareness and use;
(4) an assessment of the coordination and integration among
such Federal cybersecurity initiatives, programs, resources,
tools, and services;
(5) an assessment of the effectiveness of such Federal
cybersecurity initiatives, programs, resources, tools, and
services in assisting small business concerns with the
activities listed in paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection
(a);
(6) an identification of any foundational cybersecurity
concepts absent from such Federal cybersecurity initiatives,
programs, resources, tools, and services; and
(7) recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness,
awareness, and coordination of such Federal cybersecurity
initiatives, programs, resources, tools, and services for
small business concerns.
(c) Report.—The Comptroller General shall submit to the
Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of
the Senate a report containing all findings and
determinations made in carrying out the study required under
subsection (a).
SEC. 3. COMPLIANCE WITH CUTGO.
No such funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Olszewski) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
general leave
Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8880, the Small Business Cybersecurity Assistance Evaluation Act of 2026, introduced by the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Simon) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Bresnahan), my friends.
from ransomware attacks, phishing scams, and fraud schemes. Unfortunately, many small businesses lack the financial resources and technological expertise necessary to defend themselves against increasingly sophisticated crimes.
experience a cyber incident than larger companies. At the same time, 51 percent of small businesses reported having no cybersecurity measures in place, leaving them particularly vulnerable to malicious cyber activity.
{time} 1530
actors are increasingly using AI-generated content and impersonation schemes to target small business owners and their employees. These developments raise questions about the extent to which existing cybersecurity resources and Federal support adequately address the risks small businesses face.
cybersecurity programs, tools, resources, and even services to assist small business, it is often unclear whether businessowners are aware of the resources available, whether they are utilizing them, and whether gaps exist in current Federal efforts.
H.R. 8880 takes a practical approach. This bill directs GAO to evaluate how Federal agencies help small businesses identify cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities, assess preparedness for small businesses to have a plan for and recover from cyberattacks, and access resources needed to strengthen their cybersecurity infrastructure.
coordination, accessibility, and effectiveness of existing Federal cybersecurity assistance programs and identify opportunities for improvement. By examining what works and what needs additional attention, Congress can better ensure that resources reach the small businesses it serves.
effective tools, training, and resources to protect their operations, employees, and customers. This legislation will provide Congress with valuable information to strengthen cybersecurity assistance and help ensure Main Street businesses are better prepared for the challenges of the digital age.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 8880, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. OLSZEWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support H.R. 8880, the Small Business Cybersecurity Assistance Evaluation Act of 2026, as amended.
adopted technology. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 99 percent of small businesses use at least one tech platform, with 58 percent using at least four, but only one-quarter use cybersecurity tools.
posture, weaknesses that cybercriminals are all too willing to exploit to steal funds, proprietary information, and other critical assets. While various Federal agencies provide cyber resources, their collective impact needs improvement.
experience and network to help entrepreneurs with these technical matters, leveraging other agencies' expertise.
H.R. 8880 will direct the U.S. Government Accountability Office to report on the state of Federal small business cybersecurity resources and make recommendations to optimize their impact and use by small businesses.
I thank my colleagues Ms. Simon, Mr. Bresnahan, and Ranking Member Velazquez for bringing this bill to the floor today, and I urge Members to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Simon), who is the sponsor of the bill.
Ms. SIMON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding the time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bipartisan legislation, the Small Business Cybersecurity Assistance Evaluation Act.
Accountability Office to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the cybersecurity threats facing our small businesses. It would ensure that Congress has the best data available to protect our small businesses from cyberattacks.
create jobs, and support our communities in every single corner of all 50 States.
as it was said earlier, that approximately 99 percent of small businesses use at least one technology platform. At the same time, cyber threats are becoming more and more sophisticated by the day.
or the resources to protect themselves. A single cybersecurity attack could mean the difference between survival and failure for our mom-and- pop businesses residing on our Main Streets.
introduce this very important legislation. I thank Chairman Williams and Ranking Member Velazquez for their continued leadership on behalf of America's small businesses.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this very important legislation.
Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we must pass H.R. 8880 to help identify gaps, improve coordination, and
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Bresnahan).
Mr. BRESNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Small Business Cybersecurity Assistance Evaluation Act which I was proud to introduce with Representative Simon.
to help small businesses bolster their cybersecurity defenses are working as intended and are identifying where they are falling short.
incidents compared to larger companies, yet many lack the resources and the expertise necessary to defend against these threats.
As cyber incidents become more common, it is very clear: Congress can no longer afford to overlook this growing issue. By finding the gaps in current programs, this bill will help ensure our small businesses have better access to the tools, training, and resources they need to strengthen their defenses against cyberattacks.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important, bipartisan legislation.
Mr. OLSZEWSKI. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 8880 puts us on a path to meaningful reforms in Federal small business cybersecurity assistance. I commend Ms. Simon and Mr. Bresnahan for their dedication to Main Street's cybersecurity.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 8880 to help strengthen cybersecurity, support small businesses, and ensure Federal resources are being used effectively to protect from growing cyber risks, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 8880, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.