Making the CFPB Accountable to Small Businesses Act of 2025

This bill makes the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and certain other agencies pay closer attention to how their new rules affect small businesses. It requires them to consider the impact on small businesses when writing rules, and if they choose not to adjust a rule to ease the burden, they must give a detailed, fact-based reason why. It also makes agencies explain what steps they took to reduce any extra borrowing costs for small businesses.

Key points:

• Who is affected: The CFPB and other “covered” agencies; small businesses and similar small entities.
• What changes: Agencies must analyze rule impacts on small businesses, justify not using small-business-friendly alternatives, and describe actions taken to limit higher credit costs for small firms.
• Where it applies: CFPB rulemaking under the Dodd-Frank Act and agency regulatory flexibility analyses under federal law.