Sponsors (3)
The bill increases predictable federal support, outreach, and reporting capacity for small‑business assistance programs—expanding services and oversight—while creating eligibility limits, new administrative and data burdens, and funding/implementation uncertainties that may reduce local access and program flexibility.
Small-business owners will get more predictable SBDC grant funding because the bill authorizes a fixed $75,000,000 per year for FY2026–FY2029 and limits the Administration's administrative draw, increasing funds available for direct counseling and technical assistance.
Small-business owners (including those in rural areas) can reach and learn about SBDC services more easily because the bill allows marketing (up to 10% of grants), requires SBA marketing to other federal programs, and permits fee/partnership revenue sources, which should expand referrals and service capacity.
Small-business owners and government contractors will get faster determinations because certain SBA contract/eligibility requests are automatically approved if the SBA does not act within 10 days, reducing delay and uncertainty for applicants.
Many local non-college SBDC operators, nonprofit centers, and women's business centers risk losing access to Section 21 awards because the bill limits new eligibility to institutions of higher education and prior awardees, potentially reducing local small-business assistance and service coverage.
Changes to reserve/cap language and several unspecified/redacted insertions create uncertainty and could reduce the minimum or flexible funding available to SBDCs (and limit SBA's budget flexibility), risking smaller grants or less adaptive program support.
New and expanded reporting, data-system requirements, and associated standards impose administrative costs and time burdens on SBA, SBDC grantees, and contractors and raise privacy/security risks for client data if systems or practices are not adequately secured.
Based on analysis of 14 sections of legislative text.
Revises SBDC funding rules, reporting, eligibility, data systems, marketing and fee authority; sets $75M annual authorization and caps administrative uses.
Official title: To amend the Small Business Act to make improvements to the Small Business Development Center Program, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 21, 2026 by LaMonica McIver · Last progress July 21, 2026
Changes how the Small Business Administration funds, manages, and oversees Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs). It sets a $75 million annual authorization (FY2026–FY2029), limits certain administrative spending, creates new reporting and data requirements, authorizes limited marketing and fee collection, and tightens which entities may receive SBDC awards. The bill also imposes procedural limits on the creation of new entrepreneurial programs, adds timelines and default approvals for certain SBA determinations, requires an annual SBDC program report with detailed metrics, creates a Data Collection Working Group, and directs marketing duties for the SBDC office.