Sponsors (5)
The bill would expand SBA outreach, tailored grants, and interagency coordination to boost entrepreneurship in Indian Country and among Native Hawaiian Organizations, at the cost of creating a new federal office that increases taxpayer spending and risks duplication or resource diversion without clear safeguards.
Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations (and small businesses in tribal areas) gain targeted SBA outreach, services, and prioritized access to entrepreneurship, contracting, and capital programs—focused on economically disadvantaged parts of Indian Country to increase local access to SBA support.
Tribes, Native Hawaiian Organizations, and qualified nonprofits can receive grants or contracts to deliver culturally tailored training and programs, improving relevance and uptake of SBA services.
Federal coordination is strengthened by connecting Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations to other agencies' entrepreneurial, contracting, and capital-access programs, potentially improving navigation of federal resources.
The bill creates a new federal office and authorizes open-ended appropriations for FY2026–2030, increasing federal spending paid by taxpayers.
Establishing alternative work sites and a new bureaucracy risks duplicating existing SBA field office functions and adding administrative overhead without clear performance metrics or accountability.
If the new office is not separately and sustainably funded, it could shift SBA resources or priorities away from other programs that serve small businesses more broadly.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates an SBA Office of Native American Affairs led by an Associate Administrator to coordinate programs, provide grants/contracts, and support Tribal/NHO outreach, authorizing funding for FY2026–FY2030.
Introduced September 17, 2025 by John Wright Hickenlooper · Last progress September 17, 2025
Creates a new Office of Native American Affairs inside the Small Business Administration (SBA) led by an Associate Administrator. The Office will coordinate SBA outreach and programs for Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations, make grants and contracts to Tribes/NHOs and eligible nonprofits, assist with Tribal consultation, manage alternative work sites, and recommend an annual budget. The bill authorizes unspecified funding for fiscal years 2026–2030 to carry out the Office’s work.