Sponsors (2)
The bill establishes a dedicated SBA Office to improve support, outreach, and transparency for small businesses in U.S. territories, but it raises administrative costs and risks disappointing territorial businesses if the Office is underfunded.
Small business owners in U.S. territories will get targeted SBA support for entrepreneurship, federal contracting, disaster assistance, and improved access to capital.
Territorial small businesses will receive more coordinated outreach and hands-on assistance through a dedicated Assistant Administrator position and regular webinars/outreach events.
Congress, oversight committees, and the public will get regular data and reports on SBA activity in the territories, improving transparency and accountability of federal support.
If the new Office and staff are not properly resourced, territorial small businesses may see identified needs but little new funding or program changes, raising expectations without delivering benefits.
Creating and staffing the new Office and adding reporting requirements will increase SBA administrative costs, which may be funded by taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Establishes an SBA Office of Territorial Affairs led by an Assistant Administrator to coordinate SBA programs for U.S. territories and require periodic reporting to Congress.
Creates an Office of Territorial Affairs within the Small Business Administration (SBA) to focus SBA programs—entrepreneurial development, contracting, disaster assistance, and access to capital—on small businesses in Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The office will be led by a competitively hired Assistant Administrator who must carry out policy, outreach, liaison, and program review duties and deliver an initial report within 180 days and annual reports thereafter to congressional small business committees.
Official title: To amend the Small Business Act to establish an Office of Territorial Affairs, and for other purposes.
Introduced April 27, 2026 by Nydia M. Velázquez · Last progress April 27, 2026