U.S. House advances seven small business bills on fraud, capital and technology

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House advances small business bills

Highlights

U.S. House advances seven bipartisan small business bills aimed at strengthening fraud prevention, widening capital access, and supporting technology adoption.
H.R. 7396, H.R. 826, and H.R. 4238 mandate enhanced reporting on Native outreach, COVID-19 disaster loan fraud, and disaster loan fund reserves, improving SBA transparency and oversight.
Bills H.R. 8879, H.R. 8880, H.R. 8881, and H.R. 8882 expand SBA reporting to Congress on certification programs, cybersecurity risks, artificial intelligence use, and antitrust impacts on small business competition.

House package targets oversight and access

As reported by the House Committee on Small Business, the legislation passes the chamber under suspension and is backed by members from both parties. Committee Chairman Roger Williams says the votes strengthen fraud prevention, widen access to capital and help entrepreneurs use new technologies while supporting taxpayers that fund the programs.

One measure, H.R. 7396, the Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act, would formally establish the Office of Native American Affairs within the SBA and require annual reporting to Congress on its effectiveness. The proposal is designed to expand outreach, training and access to capital for Native entrepreneurs.

H.R. 826, the COVID Fraud Transparency Act of 2026, would require the SBA Office of Inspector General to issue quarterly reports on fraud cases tied to certain COVID-19 disaster loans. H.R. 4238, the Disaster Loan Accountability and Reform Act, would add monthly fund status reporting, use a 10-year average for budget planning and trigger funding safeguards when disaster loan reserves fall too low.

Technology and competition measures broaden scope

Other bills in the package focus on certification transparency, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and market competition affecting small businesses. Together, they extend the committee's agenda beyond lending oversight into operational risks and federal program accountability.

H.R. 8879, the Oversight and Transparency for Small Business Certifications Act of 2026, would require the SBA to report each year on participation in certification-based contracting programs, including application volumes, approval rates and processing times. H.R. 8880, the Small Business Cybersecurity Assistance Evaluation Act of 2026, would direct the GAO to study cybersecurity risks facing small businesses and review the federal resources currently available to them.

H.R. 8881, the SBA Artificial Intelligence Utilization Act of 2026, would require annual SBA reporting to Congress on the agency's use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, including benefits, risks and management safeguards. H.R. 8882, the Main Street Competes Act, would require the Office of Advocacy to submit recommendations to Congress on how federal antitrust enforcement actions affect small business competitiveness, using data from the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission.

Our earlier article on the federal lawsuit over restrictions on access to Anthropic’s advanced AI models explained how a Commerce Department directive prompted the suspension of top-tier tools for foreign nationals, disrupting a legal tech firm’s cross-border development work. We noted that the case highlights the operational and compliance risks businesses face when AI availability is shaped by federal controls and reporting requirements.

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