SERV Act

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Bill ID: 119/hr/828
Last Updated: September 7, 2026

Sponsored by

Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3]

ID: D000629

Follow the money

The bill

SERV Act

HR. 828, 119th Congress.

The sponsor

Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3]

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

The money

$99,000 raised

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

The alignment

95% match to Project 2025

This bill's text tracks the "Federal Reserve" section, p. 776-779 of the Mandate for Leadership.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

February 24, 2025

Introduced

Committee Review

Floor Action

Passed House

Senate Review

📍 Current Status

Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.

🎉

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 the 119th Congress. Let's dissect this farce, shall we?

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The SERV Act (Successful Entrepreneurship for Reservists and Veterans Act) claims to support veterans and reservists in accessing credit and entrepreneurship opportunities. How noble. In reality, it's a thinly veiled attempt to pander to the veteran vote while doing nothing substantial.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to submit a report on the veterans interagency task force and its activities. Oh, wow. A report. How exciting. It also mandates the Comptroller General of the United States to analyze access to credit for small business concerns owned by covered individuals (veterans, reservists, etc.). Because, clearly, what's needed is more bureaucracy and paperwork.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** Veterans, reservists, and their spouses are the supposed beneficiaries. In reality, they'll be lucky if this bill doesn't make things worse for them. The SBA, Comptroller General, and various congressional committees will get to indulge in some self-congratulatory back-patting.

**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a placebo, designed to make politicians look good without actually doing anything meaningful. It won't address the real issues facing veterans and reservists, such as inadequate healthcare, lack of job opportunities, or the crippling bureaucracy that hinders their access to resources. Instead, it will create more red tape, waste taxpayer money on unnecessary reports, and provide a false sense of security for those who think this bill will actually help.

Diagnosis: This bill is suffering from a severe case of "Legislative Lip Service Syndrome" (LLSS), characterized by empty promises, meaningless reporting requirements, and a complete lack of substance. The prognosis is grim: more of the same ineffective, feel-good legislation that does nothing to address the real problems facing our nation.

Treatment? None needed. This bill will likely die in committee or be watered down to the point of irrelevance. But hey, at least it'll look good on a politician's résumé.

Related Topics

Military & Veterans AffairsSmall Business & EntrepreneurshipFederal Budget & Appropriations
Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$99,000
25 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$99,000
Committees
$0
Individuals
$0

No PAC contributions found

1
MATCH-E-BE-NASH-SHE-WISH BAND OF POTTAWATOMI INDIANS
2 transactions
$6,600
2
CHEROKEE NATION
2 transactions
$6,600
3
PECHANGA BAND OF LUISENO INDIANS
2 transactions
$6,600
4
MUCKLESHOOT INDIAN TRIBE
2 transactions
$6,600
5
SANTA ROSA RANCHERIA
2 transactions
$6,600
6
HO-CHUNK NATION
1 transaction
$3,300
7
LEECH LAKE BAND OF OJIBWE
1 transaction
$3,300
8
PASCUA YAQUI TRIBE
1 transaction
$3,300
9
PRAIRIE ISLAND TRIBAL COUNCIL
1 transaction
$3,300
10
REDDING RANCHERIA
1 transaction
$3,300
11
THE UTE INDIAN TRIBE
1 transaction
$3,300
12
HO CHUNK NATION
1 transaction
$3,300
13
KALISPEL TRIBAL ECONOMIC AUTHORITY
1 transaction
$3,300
14
SAN MANUEL BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
1 transaction
$3,300
15
SHINGLE SPRINGS BAND MIWOK INDIANS
1 transaction
$3,300
16
SNOQUALMIE TRIBE
1 transaction
$3,300
17
NOTTAWASEPPI HURON BAND OF THE POTAWATOMI
1 transaction
$3,300
18
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
1 transaction
$3,300
19
NISQUALLY INDIAN TRIBE
1 transaction
$3,300
20
SUQUAMISH INDIAN TRIBE
1 transaction
$3,300
21
SYCUAN BAND OF THE NUMEYAAY NATION
1 transaction
$3,300
22
THE TULALIP TRIBES OF WASHINGTON
1 transaction
$3,300
23
ONEIDA NATION
1 transaction
$3,300
24
PUYALLUP TRIBE OF INDIANS
1 transaction
$3,300
25
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
1 transaction
$3,300

No committee contributions found

No individual contributions found

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 3 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Rep. Alford, Mark [R-MO-4]

ID: A000379

Top Contributors

23

1
OTOE-MISSOURIA TRIBE OF INDIANS
OrganizationRED ROCK, OK
$3,300
Jun 21, 2023
2
CM DUBOIS STRATEGIES LLC
OrganizationWEBSTER GROVES, MO
$2,000
Mar 18, 2024
3
WAYPOINT CONSULTING LLC
OrganizationWASHINGTON, DC
$1,100
Dec 13, 2023
4
CHERRY, DERON
UNITED BEVERAGE COMPANY • PRESIDENT
IndividualKANSAS CITY, MO
$3,300
Sep 30, 2024
5
CHERRY, DERON
UNITED BEVERAGE COMPANY • PRESIDENT
IndividualKANSAS CITY, MO
$3,300
Sep 30, 2024
6
REDFORD, STAN
REDFORD CONSTRUCTION • OWNER
IndividualRAYMORE, MO
$3,300
Jul 26, 2024
7
THOMPSON, CRAIG
GOLDEN VALLEY HEALTH • CEO
IndividualCLINTON, MO
$3,300
Sep 7, 2024
8
COOPER, SHANNON
Individual
$3,300
Dec 29, 2023
9
GRAY, CHARLES M
REMAX • BROKER
IndividualCLINTON, MO
$3,300
Dec 29, 2023
10
GUTHRIE, JASON
J&S FARMS • OWNER
Individual
$3,300
Dec 29, 2023

Rep. Conaway, Herbert [D-NJ-3]

ID: C001136

Top Contributors

22

1
THE PLATT LAW GROUP P.C.
OrganizationSTRATFORD, NJ
$1,000
May 8, 2024
2
FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP DEMOCRATIC CLUB
OrganizationFREEHOLD, NJ
$250
Jul 24, 2024
3
GALLETTI, SCOTT
NOT EMPLOYED • RETIRED
IndividualHO HO KUS, NJ
$3,300
Sep 26, 2024
4
LEITNER, ROBYN
ADVANCED UROLOGIC ASSOCIATES ENTERPRIS • PHYSICIAN
IndividualPOINT PLEASANT BORO, NJ
$3,300
Jul 17, 2024
5
ESTIN, DAVID
NOT EMPLOYED • RETIRED
IndividualMONMOUTH BEACH, NJ
$3,300
Sep 26, 2024
6
SHEIKH, WASIF
ION MONITORING • NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
IndividualPISCATAWAY, NJ
$3,300
Sep 18, 2024
7
COBB, WILLIAM S
NOT EMPLOYED • RETIRED
IndividualALLENDALE, NJ
$3,300
Sep 26, 2024
8
CHAUDHRY, FARRUKH
ION MONITORING MANAGEMENT • NEUROPHYSIOLOGIST
IndividualMONMOUTH JUNCTION, NJ
$3,300
Sep 18, 2024
9
OLSON, TY J
NEUROSURGEONS OF NEW JERSEY • PHYSICIAN
IndividualRUMSON, NJ
$3,300
Sep 26, 2024
10
FALCONE, CARMEL A
NOT EMPLOYED • RETIRED
IndividualALLENDALE, NJ
$3,300
Sep 26, 2024

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

ID: G000604

Top Contributors

20

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. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

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

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Showing 77 nodes and 88 connections

Total contributions: $88

Top Donors - Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3]

Showing top 25 donors by contribution amount

25 Orgs

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.

Federal Reserve

Very Strong
Vector: 67%
Pages: 776-779AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The SERV Act directly advances the SBA's mission to support entrepreneurship and small business growth by improving credit access, enhancing program effectiveness, and increasing accountability for veteran-owned businesses—core objectives highlighted in the Project 2025 SBA policy section."

Key themes:SBA entrepreneurship supportaccess to credit for small businessesveteran-owned business assistanceprogram effectiveness and accountabilitypolicy advocacy for small business

— 745 — 25 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Karen Kerrigan MISSION STATEMENT The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) supports U.S. entrepreneurship and small business growth by strengthening free enterprise through policy advo- cacy and facilitating programs that help entrepreneurs to launch and grow their businesses and compete effectively in the global marketplace. OVERVIEW Created almost 70 years ago, the SBA was launched under the Small Business Act with a mission to “aid, counsel, assist and protect, insofar as is possible, the interests of small business concerns.”1 According to its current mission statement: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) helps Americans start, grow, and build resilient businesses. SBA was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns; preserve free competitive enterprise; and maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation.2 The SBA’s founding mission has evolved over time as programs have been expanded or implemented, subject to the philosophical grounding of each Admin- istration as well as assorted economic challenges and the occurrence of natural disasters. Because of its distinct role in the federal government, the SBA became — 746 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise the default agency for providing disaster loans to small businesses, homeowners, renters, and organizations. As a result, hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars have been funneled through the agency to businesses and individuals over the years. Some SBA programs are effective; others are not. The largest program in SBA’s history, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), has been credited with saving millions of jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.3 A conservative Administration would rightly focus on saving small businesses during such a crisis. At the same time, however, various SBA programs have generated waste, fraud, and misman- agement of taxpayer dollars. For example, and more recently, more than $1 trillion in COVID-19 relief was distributed through the SBA.4 The SBA’s EIDL (Economic Injury Disaster Loan) Advance program in particular shows the dangers that can come with direct government lending. EIDL Advance provided direct cash grants and loans to small businesses. The SBA Office of Inspector General “identified $78.1 billion in potentially fraudulent EIDL loans and grants paid to ineligible entities,”5 which represented more than half of all funds spent through the program. Although PPP worked through private lenders and as a result experienced relatively less fraud than EIDL experienced, it is estimated “that at least 70,000 [PPP] loans were potentially fraudulent.”6 ORIGIN, HISTORY, AND CORE FUNCTIONS In 1954, the agency began to execute such core functions as “making and guaranteeing loans for small businesses,” “ensuring that small businesses earn a ‘fair proportion’ of government contracts and sales of surplus property,” and “provid[ing] business owners with management and business training.”7 In 1970, President Richard Nixon’s Executive Order 11518 enhanced the agen- cy’s advocacy role by providing for the “increased representation of the interests of small business concerns before departments and agencies of the United States Government.”8 This advocacy role was strengthened with the adoption of the Small Business Amendments of 1974,9 which established the Chief Counsel for Advocacy, and was then reinforced and expanded in 1976 with the creation of the Office of Advocacy, providing additional resources to ensure that small businesses had a voice in the regulatory process. In 1980, the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)10 further strengthened the Office of Advocacy’s role, providing accountability across federal agencies to ensure that they considered the impact of their rulemakings on small businesses. The RFA requires federal agencies “to consider the effects of their regulations on small businesses and other small entities,”11 and the Office of Advocacy is charged with ensuring that federal agencies abide by the law and is required to provide an annual report to the President and the Senate and House Committees on Small Business.12 In addition, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act (TFTEA) of 201613

Small Business Administration

Strong
Vector: 66%
Pages: 792-794AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The SERV Act’s focus on improving veterans’ access to credit, enhancing SBA reporting, and evaluating program effectiveness aligns with Project 2025’s goals of reforming the SBA to increase accountability, reduce waste, and better support small‑business owners, particularly veteran entrepreneurs."

Key themes:veterans entrepreneurshipSBA oversight and accountabilitycredit access for small businessesprogram effectiveness evaluationtransparency in federal lending

— 760 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise ENDNOTES 1. H.R. 7953, Small Business Act, Public Law 85-536, 85th Congress, July 18, 1958, § 2, https://uscode.ecfr.io/ statutes/pl/85/536.pdf (accessed February 17, 2023), amended by H.R. 4877, One Stop Shop for Small Business Compliance Act of 2021, Public Law 117-188, 117th Congress, October 20, 2022, https://www.congress. gov/117/plaws/publ188/PLAW-117publ188.pdf (accessed February 17, 2023). 2. U.S. Small Business Administration, “About SBA: Organization: Mission,” https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/ organization (accessed February 19, 2023). 3. Michael Faulkender, Robert Jackman, and Stephen I. Miran, “The Job-Preservation Effects of Paycheck Protection Program Loans,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Economic Policy, Working Paper No. 2020-01, December 2020, p. 9, https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/226/Job-Preservation-Effects- Paycheck-Protection-Program-Loans.pdf (accessed February 16, 2023). 4. Kate Rogers, Scott Zamost, Karina Hernandez, and Jennifer Schlesinger, “As Pandemic Aid Was Rushed to Main Street, Criminals Seized on Covid Relief Programs,” CNBC, April 15, 2021, https://www.cnbc. com/2021/04/15/as-pandemic-aid-was-rushed-to-main-street-criminals-seized-on-ppp-eidl-.html (accessed February 16, 2023). 5. Kevin Brewer, “Bills Extend Statute of Limitation for Prosecuting PPP, EIDL Fraud,” Journal of Accountancy, August 10, 2022, https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/news/2022/aug/bills-extend-statute-limitation- prosecuting-ppp-eidl-fraud.html (accessed February 16, 2023). 6. Sacha Pfeiffer, “Virtually All PPP Loans Have Been Forgiven with Limited Scrutiny,” NPR, October 12, 2022, https://www.npr.org/2022/10/12/1128207464/ppp-loans-loan-forgiveness-small-business#:~:text=As%20 COVID-19%20shutdowns%20threatened,early%20days%20of%20the%20pandemic (accessed February 16, 2023). 7. U.S. Small Business Administration, “About SBA: Organization: SBA History,” https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/ organization (accessed February 19, 2023). 8. President Richard Nixon, Executive Order 11518, “Providing for the Increased Representation of the Interests of Small Business Concerns Before Departments and Agencies of the United States Government,” March 20, 1970, in Federal Register, Vol. 35, No. 56 (March 21, 1970), pp. 4939–4940, https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/ service/ll/fedreg/fr035/fr035056/fr035056.pdf (accessed February 18, 2023). 9. S. 3331, Small Business Amendments of 1974, Public Law 93-386, 93rd Congress, August 23, 1974, https://www. congress.gov/93/statute/STATUTE-88/STATUTE-88-Pg742.pdf (accessed February 19, 2023). 10. S. 299, Regulatory Flexibility Act, Public Law No. 96-354, 96th Congress, September 19, 1980, https://www. congress.gov/96/statute/STATUTE-94/STATUTE-94-Pg1164.pdf (accessed February 19, 2023). 11. Maeve P. Carey, “The Regulatory Flex Act: An Overview,” Congressional Research Service In Focus No. IF11900, August 16, 2021, https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11900 (accessed February 18, 2023). 12. U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, “The Regulatory Flexibility Act,” https://advocacy.sba. gov/resources/the-regulatory-flexibility-act/ (accessed February 18, 2023). 13. H.R. 644, Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, Public Law No. 114-125, 114th Congress, February 24, 2026, https://www.congress.gov/114/statute/STATUTE-130/STATUTE-130-Pg122.pdf (accessed March 21, 2023). 14. U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, “Advocacy Releases Trade Report,” December 21, 2018, https://advocacy.sba.gov/2018/12/21/advocacy-releases-trade-report/ (accessed March 21, 2023). 15. Associated Press, “Reagan Offers $994-Billion ‘Hard-Choices’ 1987 Budget,” Los Angeles Times, February 5, 1986, http://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-02-05-mn-4369-story.html (accessed February 18, 2023). 16. Testimony of Hon. Hector V. Barreto, Administrator, Small Business Administration, in hearing, The President’s FY 2006 Budget Request for the Small Business Administration, Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, U.S. Senate, 109th Congress, 1st Session, February 17, 2005, p. 8, https://books.google.com/ books?id=UwD-2ICa8k8C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false (accessed February 18, 2023). See also Report No. 109-49, Summary of Legislative and Oversight Activities During the 108th Congress, Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, U.S. Senate, 109th Congress, 1st Session, March 30, 2005, p. 21, https://www.congress.gov/109/crpt/srpt49/CRPT-109srpt49.pdf (accessed February 18, 2023). — 761 — Small Business Administration 17. Editorial, “The Small Business Administration Needs Reforming,” The Washington Post, December 18, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-sba-needs-reforming/2016/12/18/b639fc4c-c159-11e6-8422- eac61c0ef74d_story.html (accessed February 18, 2023). 18. Robert Jay Dilger, Anthony A. Cilluffo, and R. Corinne Blackford, “Small Business Administration Funding: Overview and Recent Trends,” Congressional Research Service Report for Members and Committees of Congress No. R43486, updated July 14, 2022, Summary, https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R43846.pdf (accessed November 18, 2022). 19. Ibid., p. 2. Emphasis added. 20. Press release, “SBA Announces End-of-Year Capital Benchmarks Showing Historic Support for Small Businesses Under Administrator Guzman,” U.S. Small Business Administration, December 13, 2022, https:// www.sba.gov/article/2022/dec/13/sba-announces-end-year-capital-benchmarks-showing-historic-support- small-businesses-under?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery (accessed February 18, 2023). 21. USASpending,gov, “Agency Profile: Small Business Administration (SBA),” data through September 29, 2022, https://www.usaspending.gov/agency/small-business-administration?fy=2022 (accessed February 18, 2023). 22. Testimony and prepared statement of Tad DeHaven, Budget Analyst, Cato Institute, in hearing, An Examination of SBA Programs: Eliminating Inefficiencies, Duplications, Fraud, and Abuse, Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, U.S. Senate, 112th Congress, 1st Session, June 16, 2011, pp. 80–90, https://www. govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-112shrg88373/pdf/CHRG-112shrg88373.pdf (accessed February 18, 2023). 23. Sarah Westwood, “Feds Gave $400 Million in Contracts to Ineligible Firms,” Washington Examiner, September 28, 2014, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feds-gave-400-million-in-contracts-to-ineligible-firms (accessed February 18, 2023). 24. Keith Girard, “Inside the SBA’s Monumental Katrina Loan Scandal,” AllBusiness.com, https://www.allbusiness. com/inside-the-sbas-monumental-katrina-loan-scandal-11793824-1.html (accessed February 18, 2023). 25. Arnold & Porter, “CARES Act Fraud Tracker,” last updated January 2, 2023, https://www.arnoldporter.com/en/ general/cares-act-fraud-tracker (accessed February 18, 2023). 26. Jay Edwards, “Bipartisan Call to Crack Down on COVID-19 PPP/EIDL Fraud, Prosecute Fraudsters to the Fullest Extent of the Law,” WRNJ Radio (Hackettstown, New Jersey), October 21, 2022, https://wrnjradio.com/ bipartisan-call-to-crack-down-on-covid-19-ppp-eidl-fraud-prosecute-fraudsters-to-the-fullest-extent-of-the- law/ (accessed March 21, 2023). 27. See, for example, H.R. 7628, IMPROVE the SBA Act, 117th Congress, introduced April 28, 2022, https://www. congress.gov/117/bills/hr7628/BILLS-117hr7628ih.pdf (accessed February 18, 2023). 28. In varying degrees, almost every small-business advocacy organization and trade association engages with the SBA. During periods of hyper-regulatory activity fueled by an activist Administration, the small- business community engages more frequently with the Office of Advocacy through its roundtables and other mechanisms in the hope of warding off costly and intrusive rulemakings. A future conservative Administration can look to the following groups, among others, for support in advancing both SBA and broader policy reform: American Hotel and Lodging Association; Asian American Hotel Owners Association; Association of Builders and Contractors; Associated Equipment Distributors; Ceramic Tile Distributors Association; Consumer Technology Association; Family Business Coalition; Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association; Heating, Air-conditioning, and Refrigeration Distributors International; Independent Bakers Association; Independent Community Bankers Association; Independent Electrical Contractors’ International Association of Plastics Distributors; International Franchise Association; Metals Service Center Institute; National Association of Electrical Distributors; National Association of Manufacturers; National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors; National Fastener Distributors Association; National Marine Distributors Association; National Federation of Independent Business; National Ready Mix Concrete Association; National Small Business Association; Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council; and U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, the small-business community is diverse and broad, and several key groups strongly support SBA lending but vigorously oppose tax, regulatory, and spending policies that are intrusiveness or costly to business. Conservative think tanks and taxpayer organizations like The Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, the National Taxpayers Union, Citizens Against Government Waste, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, and Americans for Tax Reform (among others) also have a stake in an improved and cost-effective SBA.

Small Business Administration

Moderate
Vector: 68%
Pages: 783-785AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The SERV Act shares the Project 2025 focus on SBA accountability and improving service to small businesses through reporting requirements and GAO studies, but it does not directly address technology modernization, Office of Advocacy strengthening, or regulatory reform emphasized in the Project 2025 policy."

Key themes:SBA accountabilityveteran entrepreneurshipGAO study/recommendationsaccess to creditperformance reporting

— 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

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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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