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Committee reports S.298, 'Returning SBA to Main Street Act,' included in manager's package to move SBA employees outside DC
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Summary
S.298, the Returning SBA to Main Street Act, which would relocate and redistribute portions of SBA's workforce outside the Washington, D.C., metro area and reduce telework, was reported to the full Senate as part of a manager's package (S.68 and S.298 as amended).
The Senate Small Business Committee included S.298, the Returning SBA to Main Street Act, in its manager's package and voted to favorably report the bill to the full Senate as "S.298 as amended." Committee sponsors said the bill would move and reallocate SBA staff outside the D.C. metro area to improve in-person assistance to rural communities.
Nut graf: Supporters argued relocating SBA personnel would promote in-person assistance and better access to resources in rural and underserved areas; opponents on the Democrat side raised concerns that the bill could override collective bargaining agreements and requires more evidence that forced relocations would improve service.
Debate and committee action: The ranking member said the committee had not held hearings on several bills and objected to advancing a measure that could travel over existing union agreements without evidence it would improve service. Nevertheless, the chair moved S.298 as part of the manager's package and the committee reported S.298 as amended to the full Senate.
Why it matters: The proposal affects staffing, telework policy and geographic distribution of federal employees within the SBA; implementation would follow statutory and administrative processes and could have implications for agency operations and labor agreements.
Ending: The committee reported S.298 to the Senate as part of the package; floor debate will determine the bill's final form and address union and implementation concerns raised during markup.
