House Small Business hearing: witnesses urge federal support for ‘creator’ small businesses

The U.S. House Committee on Small Business heard testimony that content creators have become a distinct class of small-business owners and said federal support and clearer rules are needed to help them scale and protect their businesses.

Kayla Moran, founder and managing attorney of Kayla Moran Law, told the committee that creators are “small business owners and entrepreneurs” who need the same infrastructure — lawyers, accountants and wealth managers — that other small businesses use. “Creators can turn side hustles into careers,” Moran said, adding that many creators need legal guidance about intellectual property and contract terms.

Moran and other witnesses described a patchwork of state laws governing the right of publicity — the ability to commercialize a name, image and likeness — and urged Congress to consider federal statutory guidance to reduce cross‑state uncertainty for creators who operate across jurisdictions. Moran suggested a federal licensing pathway for creator‑economy attorneys to avoid questions about unauthorized practice of law when lawyers advise clients across state lines.

Christina Brennan, president of Celeb Experts, described the creator economy as “a marketplace, a workplace, and in many cases, a lifeline for small and large businesses alike.” Brennan urged more education and transparency for creators, saying many lack the knowledge to navigate contracts, tax obligations and payment terms.

Nicholas Luciano, founder and CEO of Tractor House, and Jesse Appel, founder of Jesse’s Tea House, described turning digital audiences into product lines, jobs and local economic activity. Luciano said creator operations now involve payroll, merchandising and partnerships with printers, fulfillment companies and other small businesses. Appel said he has sent more than 80,000 orders to customers nationwide and described the creator model as both a media company and an e-commerce business.

Committee members pressed witnesses on concrete steps Congress could take, including expanding resources from the Small Business Administration, creating model guidance for tax and business classification, and improved access to affordable legal and accounting services. Witnesses and members also raised problems with inconsistent state sales‑tax rules and the administrative burden on sellers that ship products nationally.

The testimony emphasized education as a near‑term, actionable measure. Moran, Brennan and others recommended SBA‑led toolkits or referral lists of lawyers, accountants and technical experts who understand creator business models. Brennan suggested targeted SBA resources for creators, and Moran recommended federal statutory clarity on rights of publicity and protections for child performers.

The hearing included repeated references to the scale of the creator economy: witnesses cited industry estimates, including that more than 1,500,000 Americans earn a full‑time living as creators and that platforms such as YouTube have sizable economic footprints.

Committee members asked witnesses to submit follow‑up material; the chair announced members would have five legislative days to submit additional questions and materials for the record.