The proposal would create an Office of Native American Affairs inside the Small Business Administration (SBA). The Office would be led by an Associate Administrator appointed by the Administrator. It would focus on helping Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations access entrepreneurial development, contracting, and capital programs (such as section 8(a)) and on connecting those groups to related federal programs. The Office may set up alternative work sites in regional offices near economically disadvantaged parts of Indian Country, but those sites would not be SBA field offices. The Office could provide grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or other financial assistance to tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, or nonprofit organizations governed by members of those communities to deliver training, counseling, workshops, and supplier events. The Associate Administrator must have knowledge of Native American cultures and experience providing culturally tailored small business development assistance, and would help conduct Tribal consultation and recommend the Office’s annual budget.
If you are a member of an Indian Tribe, a Native Hawaiian Organization, or a small business owned and controlled by members of those communities, the Office would aim to increase outreach and tailor SBA programs to your needs. It may offer workshops, counseling, supplier events, and help with contracting and capital access. The Office would work to connect you with similar programs at other federal agencies and could locate regional sites near disadvantaged tribal areas to make services easier to reach.
The text authorizes appropriations of "such sums as may be necessary" for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out the Office. No specific dollar amounts are provided in the bill text.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.