Small Business Technological Advancement Act

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Bill ID: 119/hr/915
Last Updated: September 7, 2026

Sponsored by

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

ID: A000379

Follow the money

The bill

Small Business Technological Advancement Act

HR. 915, 119th Congress — read as touching AI & Cloud Infrastructure.

The sponsor

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

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

The money

$72,400 raised

23 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.

July 12, 2026

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 geniuses in Congress. Let's dissect this farce, shall we?

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The Small Business Technological Advancement Act (HR 915) claims to authorize small business loans for "modern business software" and other purposes. How quaint. In reality, it's a Trojan horse for special interests to line their pockets with taxpayer money.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** Section 2 amends the Small Business Act to allow SBA loans for "business software or cloud computing services." Wow, what a revolutionary concept. It's not like small businesses have been using these technologies for decades already. The amendment also includes a cleverly worded "Rule of Construction" that ensures no one can claim this is actually a new development. Because, you know, Congress wouldn't dare try to take credit for something they didn't actually do.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** Small businesses, software vendors, and cloud computing providers will all benefit from this windfall... or so the sponsors would have you believe. In reality, it's just a handout to corporate interests and a way for politicians to pretend they're supporting small business growth.

**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a classic case of " legislative lupus" – a disease where politicians' brains are eaten away by their own self-interest. The real impact will be a further bloating of the national debt, as taxpayers foot the bill for loans that will likely default or be used to prop up inefficient businesses. Meanwhile, the software and cloud computing industries will reap the benefits, all while pretending to care about small business development.

Diagnosis: This bill is suffering from a severe case of "crony-itis," a disease characterized by an excessive love of special interests and a complete disregard for the public good. The symptoms include blatant pandering, vague language, and a healthy dose of hypocrisy. Prognosis: this bill will pass, because who needs actual reform when you can just throw money at the problem and call it a day? Treatment: a healthy dose of skepticism, a strong stomach, and a willingness to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

In short, HR 915 is a joke, a thinly veiled attempt to funnel taxpayer money to corporate friends while pretending to support small businesses. It's a disease, and we're all just along for the ride. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the spectacle of Congress at its finest – or worst, depending on your perspective.

Related Topics

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

💰 Campaign Finance Network

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

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$72,400
18 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$6,400
Committees
$0
Individuals
$66,000

No PAC contributions found

1
OTOE-MISSOURIA TRIBE OF INDIANS
1 transaction
$3,300
2
CM DUBOIS STRATEGIES LLC
1 transaction
$2,000
3
WAYPOINT CONSULTING LLC
1 transaction
$1,100

No committee contributions found

1
CHERRY, DERON
2 transactions
$6,600
2
JONES, CLAYTON A
2 transactions
$6,600
3
MCCARTHY, JOHN
2 transactions
$6,600
4
MCCARTHY, NANCY
2 transactions
$6,600
5
PROCHNOW, JENNI
2 transactions
$6,600
6
REDFORD, STAN
1 transaction
$3,300
7
THOMPSON, CRAIG
1 transaction
$3,300
8
COOPER, SHANNON
1 transaction
$3,300
9
GRAY, CHARLES M
1 transaction
$3,300
10
GUTHRIE, JASON
1 transaction
$3,300
11
HILTY, JOHN
1 transaction
$3,300
12
KUECKER, STANLEY
1 transaction
$3,300
13
LOWE, DAVID
1 transaction
$3,300
14
WETZEL, JACK S
1 transaction
$3,300
15
WORTH, GAIL
1 transaction
$3,300

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

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

Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV-3]

ID: L000590

Top Contributors

30

1
EMILY'S LIST
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
PACWASHINGTON, DC
$250
Feb 13, 2024
2
FEDERATED INDIANS OF GRATON RANCHERIA
OrganizationROHNERT PARK, CA
$3,300
Jun 27, 2023
3
FEDERATED INDIANS OF GRATON RANCHERIA
OrganizationROHNERT PARK, CA
$3,300
Jun 27, 2023
4
TIGUA INDIAN RESERVATION YSLETA DEL SUR PUEBLO
OrganizationEL PASO, TX
$3,000
Dec 31, 2023
5
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
OrganizationPRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,650
Jun 5, 2023
6
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
OrganizationPRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,650
May 9, 2024
7
BARONA BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationLAS VEGAS, NV
$1,500
Jun 30, 2024
8
CHEROKEE NATION
OrganizationTAHLEQUAH, OK
$1,000
Dec 28, 2023
9
RENO SPARKS INDIAN COLONY
OrganizationRENO, NV
$1,000
Jun 21, 2024
10
BRONZE CAFE
OrganizationLAS VEGAS, NV
$550
Mar 30, 2023

Rep. Mrvan, Frank J. [D-IN-1]

ID: M001214

Top Contributors

21

1
SANTA YNEZ BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationSANTA YNEZ, CA
$1,000
Dec 5, 2023
2
BAKER, BRENDA
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualLOS ALTOS, CA
$3,300
Oct 22, 2024
3
MARCUS, MIRIAM
SELF-EMPLOYED • CONSULTANT
IndividualMUNSTER, IN
$3,300
Dec 23, 2023
4
DOVELLOS, ALEXANDRA
KING MUFFLER & BRAKE • ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR
IndividualSCHERERVILLE, IN
$3,300
Nov 30, 2023
5
SOROS, JONATHON A.
JS CAPITAL LLC • CEO
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Oct 11, 2023
6
WOMER, ROD
NOT EMPLOYED • RETIRED
IndividualNEWBURY PARK, CA
$3,300
Dec 6, 2023
7
WOMER, ROD
NOT EMPLOYED • RETIRED
IndividualNEWBURY PARK, CA
$3,300
Dec 6, 2023
8
DOVELLOS, MICHAEL C.
ROYAL BRUSH MFG. INC. • DIRECTOR
IndividualMUNSTER, IN
$3,300
Nov 18, 2023
9
CANNEY, LES
NOT EMPLOYED • RETIRED
IndividualCAMBRIDGE, MA
$3,300
Nov 27, 2023
10
PATRICK, SHARON
PATRICK PARTNERS INC. • CONSULTANT
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Nov 29, 2023

Rep. McGarvey, Morgan [D-KY-3]

ID: M001220

Top Contributors

22

1
EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE INDIANS
OrganizationCHEROKEE, NC
$3,300
Oct 26, 2024
2
LA CASITA CENTER
OrganizationLOUISVILLE, KY
$154
Oct 16, 2023
3
CALOBRACE, BRADLEY
SELF • PHYSICIAN
IndividualLOUISVILLE, KY
$6,600
Oct 18, 2024
4
BROWN, CAMPBELL
BROWN-FORMAN • PRESIDENT OLD FORESTER
IndividualLOUISVILLE, KY
$3,300
Oct 30, 2024
5
MEHROTRA, LOPA
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualGLENVIEW, KY
$3,300
Nov 5, 2024
6
MEHROTRA, RISHABH
AVIONTE • CEO
IndividualGLENVIEW, KY
$3,300
Nov 5, 2024
7
HELM, NELSON
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualLOUISVILLE, KY
$3,300
Dec 29, 2023
8
ROTH, EVAN
BBR PARTNERS • CO-CEO
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Oct 18, 2023
9
CHRISTENSEN, JOSH
NORTON HEALTHCARE • PHYSICIAN
IndividualLOUISVILLE, KY
$3,300
Dec 3, 2023
10
SISCOVICK, TALIA
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualSTAMFORD, CT
$3,300
Oct 31, 2023

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

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

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

Loading...

Showing 28 nodes and 35 connections

Total contributions: $35

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

Showing top 18 donors by contribution amount

3 Orgs15 Individuals

Industry Impact

Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 3 helped.

  • Section 2(a) authorizes SBA loans to finance business software or cloud computing services, including tools that utilize artificial intelligence, directly benefiting AI & Cloud Infrastructure providers.

  • Section 2(a) allows SBA loans for business software facilitating sales and billing functions, which benefits e-commerce and online retail platforms that rely on such software.

  • +Big Tech Platformsconfidence 0.80

    Section 2(a) includes cloud computing services and AI tools, which are core offerings of big tech platforms like AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, etc.

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: 69%
Pages: 776-779AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"HR 915 directly expands the SBA's loan authority to fund technology adoption, which aligns with the Project 2025 SBA mission of supporting small business growth, competitiveness, and facilitating programs that help entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses."

Key themes:small business loansSBA mission supporttechnology adoptionbusiness competitivenesseconomic growth

— 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: 68%
Pages: 780-782AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"HR 915 aligns with Project 2025's goal of strengthening SBA's core functions to support small business growth through targeted financial tools, while avoiding mission creep by focusing on technology access as a legitimate, productivity-enhancing use of existing loan programs."

Key themes:small business supportSBA loan program expansiontechnology adoptioneconomic competitivenesslimited-government financial assistance

— 748 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise loan credit subsidy costs, and miscellaneous program “enhancements” to support small businesses through economic challenges or circumstances. As noted by the Congressional Research Service: Overall, the SBA’s appropriations have ranged from a high of over $761.9 billion in FY2020 to a low of $571.8 million in FY2007. Much of this volatility is due to significant variation in supplemental appropriations for disaster assistance to address economic damages caused by major hurricanes and for SBA lending program enhancements to help small businesses access capital during and immediately following recessions. For example, in FY2020, the SBA received over $760.9 billion in supplemental appropriations to assist small businesses adversely affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID- 19) pandemic.18 The CRS further notes that “[o]verall, since FY2000, appropriations for SBA’s other programs, excluding supplemental appropriations, have increased at a pace that exceeds inflation.”19 In terms of current loan volume, the SBA “reached nearly $43 billion in fund- ing to small businesses, providing more than 62,000 traditional loans through its 7(a), 504, and Microloan lending partners and over 1,200 investments through SBA licensed Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022.”20 The agency’s total budgetary resources for FY 2022 amount to $44.25 billion, which represents 0.4 percent of the FY 2022 U.S. federal budget.21 HISTORY OF MISMANAGEMENT Throughout its history, various SBA programs and practices have generated negative news headlines and scathing Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Inspector General (IG) reports that have centered on mismanagement, lack of competent personnel and/or systems, and waste, fraud and abuse.22 From the 8a program23 to Hurricane Katrina24 to the more current COVID-19 (EIDL) program and PPP lending program,25 the SBA has managed to maintain its lending role even when repeated system failures have affected its distribution of funds. Congress has been somewhat responsive, pressuring the SBA to clean up fraud-related matters within its COVID-19 lending and grant programs.26 Repub- licans in the U.S. House of Representatives have gone farther, specifying that the SBA needs to improve transparency and accountability and deal with mission creep, the expansion of unauthorized programs, and structural and reporting deficiencies that have allowed mismanagement and fraud to reoccur, largely through massive supplemental appropriations.27 The SBA is led by an Administrator (currently a member of the President’s Cabinet) and a Deputy Administrator. Senate-confirmed appointees include — 749 — Small Business Administration the Administrator, Deputy Administrator, Chief Counsel for Advocacy, and Inspector General. Entrepreneurs and small businesses require limited-government policies that do not impede their risk-taking and growth. A future Administration can leverage and strengthen core SBA functions that have been fairly effective at reining in and calling attention to costly regulations and policies that are harmful to small businesses. This core advocacy function is aided both by statutory authority and by a network of small-business organizations and allies that support limited-gov- ernment policies.28 Moreover, an effective SBA Administrator and leadership team can work and advocate across the federal government to ensure that extreme regulatory poli- cies—or anticompetitive rules and actions that may favor big businesses over small businesses or international competitors over American small businesses—are dismantled or do not progress when proposed. MISSION CREEP AND ENLARGEMENT As noted, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have evidenced con- cern about SBA mission creep and the need to make a sprawling, unaccountable agency more focused and operationally sound. Moreover, there is unease that the agency has moved from being open to any eligible small business searching for sup- port to being hyperfocused on “disproportionately impacted,” politically favored, or geographically situated small businesses and entrepreneurs. Today, initiatives aimed at “inclusivity” are in fact creating exclusivity and stringent selectivity in deciding what types of small businesses and entities can use SBA programs. For example, even though the SBA under President Donald Trump proposed a rule to remove all of the unconstitutional religious exclusions from its regulations29 to conform with Supreme Court decisions that have made their unconstitutionality clear, the SBA has not acted on the proposed rule and still uses religious exclusions in determining eligibility for business loans. Several other specific concerns include but are not limited to: l The SBA’s request to become a “designated voter agency” in response to President Biden’s executive order on “Promoting Access to Voting.”30 l The creation of duplicative channels and “pilot programs” for the delivery of business training rather than working through existing counseling partners. The programs are largely duplicative of private, state and local government, and educational system offerings.31 l A push to expand direct government lending.32

Small Business Administration

Moderate
Vector: 71%
Pages: 789-791AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"HR 915 supports small business access to technology financing, which aligns with Project 2025's broader goal of strengthening SBA's role in capital access, though it focuses on software and IT—areas Project 2025 critiques as already over-supported by venture capital and in need of reorientation toward capital-intensive industries like manufacturing."

Key themes:Small Business Administrationcapital accessloan program reformtechnology adoptionsmall business competitiveness

— 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

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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