Summary

Creates an Office of Rural Affairs inside the Small Business Administration to lead and coordinate SBA outreach, partnerships, and policy work focused on rural communities and small businesses. The Assistant Administrator in charge must hold outreach events, work with the Department of Agriculture and other partners, and publish an annual public report describing activities and outcomes. The office must coordinate with other agencies through memoranda of understanding and notify Congress quickly of any changes to those agreements. The law sets specific duties for the office to improve interagency cooperation and to provide transparency about SBA efforts in rural areas.

Key Points

• Establishes an Office of Rural Affairs inside the Small Business Administration.
• Designates an Assistant Administrator to run the office and lead rural outreach.
• Requires the office to hold outreach events and coordinate with USDA and other partners.
• Mandates interagency memoranda of understanding and quick Congressional notification if they change.
• Requires a public annual report documenting activities, coordination, and outcomes.
• Focuses SBA efforts on rural communities and small businesses to improve access and coordination.
• Creates new administrative and reporting duties for SBA staff but does not specify funding in the summary.
• Is primarily an authorization to create and define an office and its responsibilities.

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