Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 832
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Commerce
- Status
- Passed House
- Latest Action
- 2025-02-25: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-11T10:28:28Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act of 2025 aims to clarify and strengthen the role of the Office of Advocacy within the Small Business Administration (SBA). This office acts as an independent voice for small businesses in federal policymaking. The legislation updates the office's functions and duties to better address international economic issues and correct minor errors in existing law.
Key Provisions
- Amendments to Primary Functions (Section 202 of Public Law 94-305):
- Expands the office's focus on the U.S. economy to include the international economy.
- Replaces "complete" with "compete" in a provision about small businesses' ability to engage in markets (likely a correction for accuracy).
- Corrects "serviced-disabled" to "service-disabled" in a reference to veteran-owned businesses (fixing a spelling error).
- Amendments to Duties (Section 203(a) of Public Law 94-305):
- Adds a new duty for the office to represent small businesses' views and interests before foreign governments and international organizations.
- This representation supports regulatory and trade initiatives that could impact small businesses.
- Includes minor punctuation updates to existing duties for clarity.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Introduces an explicit international dimension to the office's functions, broadening its scope beyond domestic issues to include global economic influences.
- Adds a specific advocacy role in international forums, which was not previously outlined.
- Makes technical corrections (e.g., word changes and spelling fixes) to ensure the law's language is precise and free of errors, without altering substantive meaning in those areas.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Enhances the SBA's Office of Advocacy by giving it a clearer mandate for international engagement, potentially increasing coordination with agencies like the U.S. Trade Representative or Department of Commerce.
- On Citizens (Small Businesses): Empowers small businesses by providing stronger representation in global trade and regulatory discussions, which could lead to policies more favorable to their competitiveness abroad.
- On International Relations: May improve U.S. advocacy for small businesses in trade negotiations, fostering better outcomes in agreements with foreign governments and organizations like the World Trade Organization, without directly altering diplomatic structures.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Small Businesses: Primary beneficiaries, gaining enhanced advocacy in both domestic and international arenas.
- SBA's Office of Advocacy: Directly impacted through expanded responsibilities and clarified duties.
- Federal Agencies Involved in Trade: Such as the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, which may collaborate more closely with the SBA.
- Foreign Governments and International Entities: Indirectly affected, as they will encounter U.S. representation focused on small business interests in regulatory and trade matters.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: The changes are mostly clarifying and additive, strengthening the office's statutory authority without conflicting with existing laws. The corrections ensure compliance with accurate terminology (e.g., for veteran business programs).
- Constitutional: No significant issues; the legislation aligns with Congress's power to regulate commerce and support economic policy under Article I, Section 8.
- Political: Reinforces bipartisan support for small business protections in a globalized economy, potentially influencing future trade policies without introducing controversy or major shifts in power.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Williams, Roger [R-TX-25]
Cosponsors (3)
Rep. Tran, Derek [D-CA-45], Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2], Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2]
Recent Actions
- 2025-02-25: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
- 2025-02-24: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- 2025-02-24: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 396 - 15 (Roll no. 44). (text: CR H739) (Roll call 44)
- 2025-02-24: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 396 - 15 (Roll no. 44). (text: CR H739) (Roll call 44)
- 2025-02-24: Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H749)
- 2025-02-24: At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- 2025-02-24: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 832.
- 2025-02-24: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H739-740)
- 2025-02-24: Mr. Williams (TX) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- 2025-01-31: Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.
- 2025-01-31: Introduced in House
- 2025-01-31: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act of 2025 — issued 2025-02-24 — PDF (4 pages)
- Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act of 2025 — issued 2025-01-31 — PDF (2 pages)
- Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act of 2025 — issued 2025-02-25 — PDF (3 pages)