House Small Business Committee advances seven bipartisan bills on contracting, workforce and disability entrepreneurship

The House Small Business Committee voted unanimously to advance seven bipartisan bills aimed at easing federal contracting, connecting career and technical education graduates with small businesses, strengthening oversight of SBA programs and expanding support for entrepreneurs with disabilities.

The measures — all of which the committee ordered reported favorably to the House after roll-call votes — include bills to (1) link CTE graduates to Small Business Development Centers and Women’s Business Centers; (2) require agencies to disclose reasons and reissuance plans when they cancel solicitations; (3) require plain language in federal contracting documents; (4) require SBA reporting on entrepreneurs with disabilities; (5) create a formal SBA–National Council on Disability collaboration on disability employment and entrepreneurship; (6) remove self-certification from the government-wide Women‑Owned Small Business (WOSB) contracting goal; and (7) require annual reporting on fraud and defaults involving loan agents in the 7(a) program. Committee members asked for recorded roll-call votes on several measures; when the committee reconvened after a recess the roll calls showed unanimous approval, with 25 ayes and zero noes on each item.

Why it matters: committee members said the bills tackle barriers that keep Main Street firms from federal contracting and from hiring or being founded by skilled workers. Supporters argued the packages reduce unnecessary complexity and improve oversight so small firms can compete more predictably. Ranking member Representative Velasquez said, "Main Street small businesses are the lifeblood of our nation's economy," and urged oversight of actions that create uncertainty for small employers.

Key provisions and sponsor arguments

- HR 1642, Connecting Small Business with Career and Technical Education Graduates Act of 2025 (sponsor: Representative Olizewski): The bill directs Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) and Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) to build relationships with CTE programs so graduates can connect to business-assistance services and employers can find skilled workers. Supporters said the measure will help graduates start businesses or find jobs in trades with shortages. Representative Weed and others spoke in support.

- HR 789, Transparency and Predictability in Small Business Opportunities Act (sponsor: Representative Latimer, cosponsor Representative Alford): The bill would require agencies to provide the SBA a justification when they cancel a solicitation and disclose plans about reissuing similar solicitations; if an agency will not reissue, its small-business director must assist affected firms in finding similar opportunities. "It can be confusing and deeply frustrating for a small business owner if a federal agency decides to cancel a solicitation without transparency into why that decision was made," Representative Latimer said.

- HR 787, Plain Language in Contracting Act (sponsor: Representative Laloda; democratic co-lead Representative Tran): The substitute amendment adopted by the committee would require certain contracting documents to be written clearly so first-time and small-company bidders can understand requirements without hiring attorneys. Representative Laloda argued, "A small business ought not to have to hire a lawyer just to apply for a simple government contract."

- HR 1621, Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act of 2025 (sponsor: Representative McGarvey; statement made by Representative Stauber on behalf of McGarvey): The bill directs the SBA to study and report to Congress on whether current programs effectively serve entrepreneurs with disabilities and to recommend improvements to access capital and supportive services.

- HR 1634, Think Differently About Disability Employment Act (sponsor: Representative Stauber; cosponsors include Representatives Alford and Pappas): The bill would require the SBA to enter a memorandum of understanding with the National Council on Disability to coordinate entrepreneurship and employment resources for people with disabilities. Supporters emphasized the high unemployment rate among people with disabilities and described entrepreneurship as a pathway to economic participation.

- HR 1816, WOSB Accountability Act (sponsor: Representative Velasquez): The measure would remove self-certified firms from counting toward the government-wide Women‑Owned Small Business goal, leaving only SBA‑certified firms to be counted. Supporters argued the change would reduce fraud risk and ensure contracts intended for women-owned firms go to verified women entrepreneurs.

- HR 1804, 7(a) Loan Agent Oversight Act (sponsor: Representative Musser; cosponsor Representative McIver): The bill requires the SBA's Office of Credit Risk Management to report annually on loans involving third‑party loan agents, including fraud and default rates for loans where agents are involved. Sponsors and the ranking member said increased reporting will improve transparency in the SBA's flagship loan program.

Votes at a glance

All seven bills were ordered favorably reported to the House after recorded roll-call votes when the committee reconvened following a recess. The clerk reported the roll-call totals as 25 ayes and 0 noes on each bill (HR 1642, HR 789, HR 787 as amended, HR 1621, HR 1634, HR 1816, HR 1804). Several members requested recorded votes before initial voice votes; those recorded votes were later completed.

Quotes from the markup

- Chair (opening remarks): "In today's markup, we will discuss 7 bills highlighting the work needed to usher Main Street America into the Golden Age." (opening statement)

- Representative Velasquez, Ranking Member: "Main Street small businesses are the lifeblood of our nation's economy, driving innovation and job creation and helping millions of people achieve their American dream." (opening statement)

- Representative Latimer, sponsor HR 789: "It can be confusing and deeply frustrating for a small business owner if a federal agency decides to cancel a solicitation without transparency into why that decision was made." (statement on HR 789)

- Representative Laloda, sponsor HR 787: "A small business ought not to have to hire a lawyer just to apply for a simple government contract." (statement on HR 787)

Process notes and next steps

Committee members invoked committee rule 13 and House rule 11 when recording votes; several members requested recorded votes and the committee postponed further proceedings on specific bills until roll-call votes were held. After the committee reconvened the clerk announced each recorded roll call and the chair directed that committee staff are authorized to make technical and conforming changes. Members were given two business days to file supplemental and minority views. Without objection the committee adjourned.

Context and limitations

The article summarizes discussion and formal actions taken in the committee markup as recorded in the transcript. It does not infer legislative prospects on the House floor or implementation details not specified on the record. Quantitative figures cited by members in the markup (for example, claims about regulatory costs or workforce statistics) are reported here as statements made in the hearing and are not independently verified in this text.