Improving SBA Engagement on Employee Ownership Act

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Bill ID: 119/hr/5778
Last Updated: June 10, 2026

Sponsored by

Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10]

ID: M001229

Follow the money

The bill

Improving SBA Engagement on Employee Ownership Act

HR. 5778, 119th Congress — read as touching Private Equity & Hedge Funds.

The sponsor

Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$67,150 raised

23 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

The alignment

70% match to Project 2025

This bill's text tracks the "Small Business Administration" section, p. 789-791 of the Mandate for Leadership.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 358.

December 16, 2025

Introduced

📍 Current Status

Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.

🏛️

Committee Review

🗳️

Floor Action

✅

Passed House

🏛️

Senate Review

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of our esteemed Congress. Let's dissect this farce and uncover the real disease beneath.

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The "Improving SBA Engagement on Employee Ownership Act" (HR 5778) claims to promote employee ownership and cooperatives by improving outreach and education. How quaint. In reality, it's a thinly veiled attempt to justify more bureaucratic busywork and pork-barrel spending.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill amends existing laws to require the Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator to attend working groups and meetings on cooperatives and employee ownership. Oh, the thrill of mandatory attendance at tedious government gatherings! It also tweaks the Small Business Investment Company Program outreach to include investors and limited partners. Wow, what a bold move.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The SBA, small businesses, employees, and investors are all supposedly impacted by this bill. But let's be real – the only stakeholders who truly matter are the politicians and bureaucrats who get to justify their existence with more pointless meetings and programs.

**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill will have a negligible impact on employee ownership or cooperatives. It's a classic case of "legislative placebo" – a feel-good measure that does nothing to address the underlying issues. The real implications are:

* More bureaucratic red tape for small businesses * Increased opportunities for politicians to grandstand and claim credit for doing something, anything * A further waste of taxpayer dollars on ineffective programs and meetings

Diagnosis: This bill suffers from "Bureaucratic Enlargement Syndrome" – a condition where government agencies and politicians inflate their importance by creating more unnecessary programs and regulations. The symptoms are clear: pointless amendments, redundant language, and a complete lack of meaningful action.

Treatment: None required, as this bill is already doomed to fail. However, I'd prescribe a healthy dose of skepticism and critical thinking for the voters who elect these charlatans. Maybe then they'll realize that their politicians are more interested in self-preservation than actual governance.

Related Topics

Small Business & Entrepreneurship
Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$67,150
23 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$1,250
Committees
$0
Individuals
$65,650

No PAC contributions found

1
ELECTION FUND OF CRAIG J. COUGHLIN
1 transaction
$1,000
2
ELECTION FUND OF PATRICK COUNCIL
1 transaction
$250

No committee contributions found

1
JACOBS, IRWIN
1 transaction
$3,300
2
HANINI, SAMER
1 transaction
$3,300
3
JACOBS, JOSEPH
1 transaction
$3,300
4
PANEPINTO, JOSEPH
1 transaction
$3,300
5
GOMES, JOE
1 transaction
$3,300
6
ISSA, MARK
1 transaction
$3,300
7
JORGE, LEE
1 transaction
$3,300
8
PAGLIERI, WAYNE
1 transaction
$3,300
9
SALERMO, RALPH
1 transaction
$3,300
10
BAPTISTE, LEON
1 transaction
$3,300
11
BOHLIN, TIFFANY
1 transaction
$3,300
12
ERMEUS, BREITNER
1 transaction
$3,300
13
FERRARA, JOAQUIN
1 transaction
$3,300
14
GENOVA, ANGELO
1 transaction
$3,300
15
GUPTA, URMILA
1 transaction
$3,300
16
GUPTA, VIJAY
1 transaction
$3,300
17
MEROLA, MICHAEL
1 transaction
$3,300
18
KUKREJA, MAHESH
1 transaction
$3,300
19
GUPTA, NEERU
1 transaction
$3,250
20
PARRA, MARK
1 transaction
$3,000

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 5 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8]

ID: B001327

Top Contributors

10

1
TAMBUR, ROBERT L.
TFP LIMITED • OWNER
IndividualSHAVERTOWN, PA
$13,200
Dec 31, 2023
2
BATMASIAN, JAMES
INVESTMENTS LIMITED • OWNER
IndividualBOCA RATON, FL
$7,906
Jun 30, 2024
3
BATMASIAN, JAMES
IndividualBOCA RATON, FL
$7,906
Jun 30, 2024
4
BRESNAHAN, DODIE
WYOMING ELECTRIC SIGNAL INC • VP
IndividualPITTSTON, PA
$6,600
Dec 27, 2023
5
CONFORTI, ANGELO
KUHARCHIK CONSTRUCTION LLC • MANAGER
IndividualDUPONT, PA
$6,600
Dec 31, 2023
6
KUHARCHIK, RHODA
NONE • RETIRED
IndividualWEST PITTSTON, PA
$6,600
Dec 30, 2023
7
CAMERON, RONALD
MOUNTAIRE CORP • CHAIRMAN
IndividualLITTLE ROCK, AR
$6,600
Feb 9, 2024
8
EMMET, RICHARD
NONE • RETIRED
IndividualLARCHMONT, NY
$6,600
Feb 22, 2024
9
GILLIAM, RICHARD
CUMBERLAND DEVELOPMENT • MANAGER
IndividualCHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
$6,600
Feb 8, 2024
10
GRIFFIN, KENNETH
CITADEL • CEO
IndividualMIAMI, FL
$6,600
Apr 1, 2024

Rep. Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7]

ID: V000081

Top Contributors

0

No contribution data available

Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]

ID: F000466

Top Contributors

10

1
SANTA YNEZ BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationSANTA YNEZ, CA
$1,500
Dec 31, 2024
2
STATA FAMILY OFFICE
Organization
$500
Apr 26, 2024
3
ASHER, ROBERT B.
IndividualGWYNEDD VALLEY, PA
$10,000
Oct 9, 2024
4
ASHER, ROBERT B.
ASHER CHOCOLATES • CHAIRMAN
IndividualGWYNEDD VALLEY, PA
$10,000
Sep 30, 2024
5
LEVY, EDWARD JR
EDW C LEVY CO • CHAIRMAN
IndividualBIRMINGHAM, MI
$6,600
Feb 26, 2024
6
CROTTY, THOMAS
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualSCOTTSDALE, AZ
$6,600
Feb 27, 2024
7
EVANS, ROGER
GREYLOCK PARTNERS • PARTNER EMERITUS
IndividualSAN FRANCISCO, CA
$6,600
Feb 27, 2024
8
LEACH, RONALD
NPX ONE • CHAIRMAN & CEO
IndividualGENEVA, IL
$6,600
Feb 28, 2024
9
MCCLAIN, MARK
SAILPOINT • CEO
IndividualAUSTIN, TX
$6,600
Mar 2, 2024
10
CROTTY, THOMAS
IndividualSCOTTSDALE, AZ
$6,600
Mar 8, 2024

Rep. Cisneros, Gilbert Ray [D-CA-31]

ID: C001123

Top Contributors

10

1
ACTBLUE
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
PACSOMERVILLE, MA
$3,300
Nov 5, 2023
2
ACTBLUE
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
PACSOMERVILLE, MA
$3,300
Nov 12, 2023
3
ACTBLUE
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
PACSOMERVILLE, MA
$3,300
Oct 8, 2023
4
ACTBLUE
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
PACSOMERVILLE, MA
$3,300
Nov 12, 2023
5
ACTBLUE
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
PACSOMERVILLE, MA
$3,300
Dec 24, 2023
6
ACTBLUE
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
PACSOMERVILLE, MA
$3,300
Oct 8, 2023
7
ACTBLUE
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
PACSOMERVILLE, MA
$2,500
Oct 8, 2023
8
ACTBLUE
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
PACSOMERVILLE, MA
$2,500
Nov 26, 2023
9
ACTBLUE
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
PACSOMERVILLE, MA
$2,300
Dec 10, 2023
10
ACTBLUE
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
PACSOMERVILLE, MA
$2,000
Nov 12, 2023

Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2]

ID: G000604

Top Contributors

10

1
MCLAUGHLIN, JANE
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualLYME, NH
$4,500
Aug 24, 2024
2
FLORY, ROBERT H. JR
FLORY INVESTMENTS, INC. • PRESIDENT
IndividualDAMARISCOTTA, ME
$4,100
Sep 30, 2024
3
FLORY, ROBERT H. JR
FLORY INVESTMENTS, INC. • PRESIDENT
IndividualDAMARISCOTTA, ME
$4,100
Sep 30, 2024
4
KRAUSZ, STEVEN
US VENTURE PARTNERS • VENTURE CAPITAL
IndividualPORTOLA VALLEY, CA
$3,300
Oct 23, 2024
5
HIRSHBERG, GARY
STONYFIELD FARM INC. • SENIOR ADVISOR
IndividualCONCORD, NH
$3,300
Oct 22, 2024
6
DRAKE, LAWRENCE C JR
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualPORTSMOUTH, NH
$3,300
Oct 19, 2024
7
CUTLER, DOULGAS
CUTLER MANAGEMENT CORP • MANAGEMENT
IndividualDANIA, FL
$3,300
Oct 17, 2024
8
JAMES, AMABEL
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Oct 24, 2024
9
NUNNELLY, MARK
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualDOVER, MA
$3,300
Oct 21, 2024
10
ROBY, DAVID M.
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualLYME, NH
$3,300
Oct 28, 2024

Donor Network - Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

Loading...

Showing 49 nodes and 35 connections (36 secondary connections hidden)

Total contributions: $130,762

Top Donors - Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10]

Showing top 23 donors by contribution amount

2 Orgs1 Committee20 Individuals

Industry Impact

Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 1 harmed.

  • Section 3 amends the Small Business Investment Company Program outreach to include investors and limited partners, which may impose additional requirements on private equity and hedge funds.

Project 2025 Policy Matches

This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document.AI-enhanced analysis provides detailed alignment ratings.

Small Business Administration

Moderate
Vector: 68%
Pages: 789-791AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"HR 5778 focuses on expanding SBA outreach and education on employee ownership and cooperatives, which aligns with Project 2025's broader goal of reforming SBA programs to better support capital access for underserved small businesses, including manufacturers and capital-intensive enterprises. While the bill does not directly address SBIC program reforms or size standard modernization, it supports SBA's role in promoting alternative business models that enhance economic resilience and access to c"

Key themes:SBA reformcapital accesssmall business supportemployee ownershipprogram outreach

— 757 — Small Business Administration largely duplicates private-sector venture capital to the extent that the sector receiving much of its support is software and information technology, which already receive the lion’s share of venture capital investment.65 In addition, Congress should reform the SBIC program to make its financing more favorable to capital-intense investments and small manufacturers. The Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection, and Schools (HEALS) Act, introduced in 2020,66 and American Innovation and Manufacturing Act, introduced in 2021,67 would allow SBIC to offer longer-term financing to manufacturers and make the program more fiscally sustainable. Small-Business Size Standard Modernization. Many small-business pro- grams both inside and outside the SBA use the SBA’s definition of “small business.” Under the Small Business Act, the SBA is tasked with defining what counts as a small business and ensuring that the definition varies from industry to industry to reflect differences in regular size by industry. However, the SBA’s small-business size standards reflect a one-size-fits-all approach under which all businesses within its size standard are considered small businesses for all eligible purposes, from gov- ernment contracting preferences to eligibility for SBA loans through private banks. At the same time, the SBA is an outlier among competing economies in not considering medium-sized enterprises along with small businesses, often referred to collectively as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Medium-sized and regional businesses are increasingly critical to maintaining competition. The next Administration should: l Encourage Congress to create a “medium-sized business” classification with its eligibility for programs confined to access to capital programs from projects for which credit elsewhere does not exist. SBA POLICY PRIORITIES FOR 2025 AND BEYOND Legislation. The new Administration can support SBA reform legislation pro- posed in Congress that aligns with key measures outlined in this chapter. It also can support legislative initiatives that would help SBA to focus on its core statutory activities such as capital access, federal contracting opportunities, and regulatory advocacy. For example: l The IMPROVE the SBA Act68 would strengthen accountability, transparency, and oversight of the SBA and aligns with many of the reforms outlined in this chapter. — 758 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise l The Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act69 would require federal agencies to perform more thorough RFA economic analysis and provide a rationale for proposed regulations. It also would waive fines for certain first-time paperwork violations. l The Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act70 (SBREFA) panel process allows small businesses to provide input on agency rulemakings, gives participating small businesses greater procedural rights, and allows for judicial review of agency violations of the SBREFA panel process. SBREFA panel requirements should be extended to all federal agencies. l The Fair and Open Competition Act71 would disallow the use of project labor agreements (PLAs) in federal contracting as required in President Biden’s Executive Order 14063,72 which puts small businesses at a competitive disadvantage and works against the SBA’s governmentwide contracting goal for small businesses. l The JOBS Act 4.073 would advance regulatory improvements and modernization of various Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules to enhance capital formation and access. ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES AND BUDGET Administrator and Key Staff. The position of Administrator should not be considered a symbolic or messaging-related position as some past Administrations have viewed it. Rather, the Administrator should have the requisite experience, skills, and knowledge to ensure that the SBA fulfills its statutory authorities. Because much of the SBA’s statutory authority relates to financing and reg- ulatory policy, and in order to make the SBA a more effective agency within the Administration, the Administrator and his or her key staff should have experience in small-business finance and investment and/or administrative law. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the SBA was often forced to outsource key deci- sions and administrative follow-through to the Department of the Treasury. The SBA Administrator and leadership team must share the President’s mission and vision and execute the Administration’s policies effectively. Budget The next Administration should undertake a comprehensive review of the effectiveness of its various loan and grant programs and provide a report to Congress within six months. The report should rank programs by cost-effective- ness. In the interim, the roughly $1 billion overall agency budget should be held constant until the report is considered, after which Congress should terminate

Small Business Administration

Moderate
Vector: 67%
Pages: 795-797AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"HR 5778 focuses on expanding SBA outreach for employee ownership and cooperatives, which aligns with Project 2025's broader emphasis on SBA reform and engagement, though it does not directly address the specific faith-based organization or regulatory reform priorities cited in the provided Project 2025 excerpts."

Key themes:Small Business Administrationoutreach and educationfederal agency coordinationsmall business supportemployee ownership promotion

— 762 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise 29. U.S. Small Business Administration, “Ensuring Equal Treatment for Faith-Based Organizations in SBA’s Loan and Disaster Assistance Programs,” Proposed Rule, Federal Register, Vol. 86, No. 11 (January 19, 2021), pp. 5036–5040, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/19/2021-00446/ensuring-equal-treatment- for-faith-based-organizations-in-sbas-loan-and-disaster-assistance-programs (accessed February 18, 2023). 30. President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Executive Order 14019, “Promoting Access to Voting,” March 7, 2021, in Federal Register, Vol. 86, No. 45 (March 10, 2021), pp. 13623–13627, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/ FR-2021-03-10/pdf/2021-05087.pdf (accessed February 19, 2023). See also press release, “Small Business Committee Republicans: The SBA Should Stay Out of Elections and Focus on Our Small Businesses,” Small Business Committee Republicans, Committee on Small Business, U.S. House of Representatives, April 4, 2022, https://republicans-smallbusiness.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404061 (accessed February 18, 2023). 31. Press release, “SBA Administrator Guzman, Biden–Harris Administration Announce Community Navigator Pilot Program Grantees,” U.S. Small Business Administration, October 28, 2021, https://www.sba.gov/ article/2021/oct/28/sba-administrator-guzman-biden-harris-administration-announce-community-navigator- pilot-program (accessed February 18, 2023). 32. John Reosti, “SBA Hasn’t Given Up on Direct Lending,” American Banker, May 2, 2022, https://www. americanbanker.com/creditunions/news/sba-hasnt-given-up-on-direct-lending (accessed February 18, 2023). 33. Goldman Sachs, 10,000 Small Businesses Voices, “22 Years Is Too Long: Support Small Businesses. Reauthorize the SBA,” Open Letter to Congress, November 16, 2022, https://www.goldmansachs.com/ citizenship/10000-small-businesses/US/voices/reauthorize-the-sba-letter/index.html (accessed February 18, 2023). According to Goldman Sachs, the letter “was published in Politico on Wednesday, November 16 to kick of a broader campaign to prioritize small businesses and modernize the SBA in the next Congress” and “was signed by over 3,000 small business owners from all 50 states.” Ibid. 34. See, for example, “Challenge 3: SBA Faces Significant Challenges in IT Investment, System Development, and Security Controls,” in U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, Top Management and Performance Challenges Facing the Small Business Administration in Fiscal Year 2023, Report 23-01, October 14, 2022, pp. 16–19, https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/SBA%20OIG%20Report%2023-01_0.pdf (accessed February 18, 2023). 35. Ibid., p. iv. 36. Appendix M, “Office of Advocacy’s Legislative Priorities,” and Appendix Q, “Memorandum of Understanding Between the Small Business Administration and the Office of Advocacy,” in U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, Background Paper, Office of Advocacy, 2017–2020, January 2021, pp. 192 and 197, https://cdn.advocacy.sba.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/09101916/Background-Paper-Office-of- Advocacy-2017-2020-web.pdf (accessed February 18, 2023). 37. President Donald J. Trump, Executive Order 13771, “Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs,” January 30, 2017, in Federal Register, Vol. 82, No. 22 (February 3, 2017), pp. 9339–9341, https://www.govinfo. gov/content/pkg/FR-2017-02-03/pdf/2017-02451.pdf (accessed February 19, 2023), and President Donald J. Trump, Executive Order 13777, “Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda,” February 24, 2017, in Federal Register, Vol. 82, No. 39 (March 1, 2017), pp. 12285–12287, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2017-03- 01/pdf/2017-04107.pdf (accessed February 19, 2023). 38. U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, What Small Businesses Are Saying and What Advocacy Is Doing About It: Progress Report on the Office of Advocacy’s Regional Regulatory Reform Roundtables, June 2017–September 2018, December 2018, https://cdn.advocacy.sba.gov/wp-content/ uploads/2018/12/20091536/What-Small-Businesses-Are-Saying-What-Advocacy-Is-Doing.pdf April 2020, https://advocacy.sba.gov/regulatory-reform/ (accessed February 18, 2023December 10, 2022). See also U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, Reforming Regulations and Listening to Small Business: Second Progress Report on the Office of Advocacy’s Regional Regulatory Roundtables, June 2017–December 2019, https://cdn.advocacy.sba.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/20141200/2nd-Progress-Report-on-Reg- Reform-Roundtables.pdf (accessed February 18, 2023). 39. U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, What Small Businesses Are Saying and What Advocacy Is Doing About It: Progress Report on the Office of Advocacy’s Regional Regulatory Reform Roundtables, June 2017–September 2018, pp. 32 and 43.

Small Business Administration

Moderate
Vector: 67%
Pages: 783-785AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"HR 5778 seeks to enhance SBA outreach and education on employee ownership, which aligns with Project 2025's goal of modernizing and strengthening the SBA's ability to serve small businesses through improved programs and interagency coordination, though it does not directly address technology upgrades, accountability metrics, or Office of Advocacy reforms emphasized in the policy."

Key themes:SBA outreach enhancementsmall business engagementprogram effectivenessinteragency collaborationemployee ownership promotion

— 751 — Small Business Administration implement relevant initiatives to reach small businesses. Programs would be nonduplicative and implemented on a first-come, first-served basis. l A modern, revamped, and streamlined SBA that better utilizes current technology and platforms for operations, for reporting, and in its programs to reach, service, and engage small businesses. l An Office of Advocacy that is strengthened by a renewed mandate and additional resources to protect against overregulation along with a research agenda that includes measuring the total cost that federal regulation imposes on small businesses. Accountability and Managerial Practice. The SBA lacks accountability and managerial practices to measure the effectiveness, success, and integrity of its various programs. As a future Administration evaluates agency structure and the particulars of how the SBA is spending appropriated funds, it should immediately require actions and procedures to compel a culture of accountability and perfor- mance. Specifically: l Require performance metrics and internal procedures to safeguard taxpayer dollars and program integrity. As noted in an October 2022 IG report, failure to adopt procedures that would reliably capture data and information for various programs, coupled with significant challenges and weaknesses regarding IT investments, systems development, and security controls, presents significant risks to program integrity and increased risk of waste, fraud, and abuse.34 Addressing these shortcomings and risks should be a priority challenge and action item for the next Administration. As underscored by the Inspector General in his introduction to the report, “Pandemic response has, in many instances, magnified the challenging systemic issues in SBA’s mission-related work.”35 l Review all internal government watchdog recommendations and require that SBA management implement or address outstanding and ongoing OIG and GAO recommendations within a specified time frame (ideally within 90 days of a recommendation) and on an ongoing basis. Strengthening the Office of Advocacy. The SBA Office of Advocacy (Advo- cacy) is “an independent office” within the SBA.36 It accounts for about one one-thousandth of SBA spending and 0.75 percent of SBA personnel. Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act, both under its current authority and with suggested — 752 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise reforms, the Office of Advocacy could be a powerful weapon against the adminis- trative state’s regulatory extremism. l Amend the RFA so that all agencies are required to provide a copy of any proposed rule (other than bona fide emergency rules) along with initial regulatory flexibility analysis to the Office of Advocacy at least 60 days before a notice of proposed rulemaking is submitted for publication in the Federal Register. The Office of Advocacy would submit comments to agencies within 30 days, and each agency would have to consider these comments, make changes in the proposed rule based on those comments, or explain in a revised regulatory flexibility analysis why it chose not to change the proposed rule. The Office of Advocacy’s pre-proposing comments would be published on the agencies’ and its own websites. RFA economic analysis should be expanded to include indirect costs along with direct costs. In addition, the next Administration should require other agencies to seek Advocacy’s input. Currently, other agencies deny Advocacy the ability to enforce their duty to consider the effect of regulations on small entities by construing their regulations as not having significant economic impact, which would otherwise serve as a trigger for Advocacy’s input. Congress should presumptively exempt small businesses from new agency rules to force agencies to seek Advocacy’s input and permit new rules to apply to small businesses only with Advocacy signoff under specified criteria. l Increase the Office of Advocacy’s budget by at least 50 percent ($4.6 million). This would allow Advocacy to hire approximately 25 attorneys, economists, and scientists and enhance its role in the regulatory process. l Explicitly direct federal agencies to comply with the RFA. This would be similar to the approach adopted by President Trump in his January and February 2017 executive orders directing agencies to relieve the cost and burden of regulation on business.37 Advocacy should organize regional roundtables, onsite small-business visits, and an online platform to hear directly from small businesses and entities as it did from June 2017 through September 2018.38 This activity produced 26 letters to federal agencies and highlighted specific regulations that need reform and how Congress had addressed the most burdensome rules through the Congressional Review Act.39

Showing 3 of 5 policy matches

About These Correlations

Policy matches are calculated using a hybrid approach: initial candidates are found using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text, then an AI model (Llama 3.1 70B) provides detailed alignment ratings and analysis. Ratings range from 1 (minimal alignment) to 5 (very strong alignment). This analysis does not imply direct causation or intent.

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