H.R. 4549 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House Dec 1, 2025. Received Dec 2, 2025; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryStrengthens SBA's focus on rural small business
This bill asks the Small Business Administration to hire an experienced leader for its Office of Rural Affairs through a fair competitive process. That person needs to know rural issues and have a track record helping small businesses in rural areas. The office would also hold webinars and regional events to reach rural small business owners, and the SBA would report yearly on what the office accomplishes.
How it affects you
If you run a small business in a rural area, this could mean better access to resources and support tailored to your region. The webinars and regional events would make it easier to learn about SBA programs without traveling far. For most other people, this is an internal management change at a federal agency that wouldn't directly affect daily life.
Read the official summary (Reported to House, Aug 15, 2025)
Office of Rural Affairs Enhancement Act
This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to use a competitive hiring process to select an assistant administrator for the Office of Rural Affairs. The assistant administrator must have experience (1) with rural affairs and issues relating to small businesses, and (2) providing development assistance to rural small businesses.
Additionally, the bill requires the office to host webinars and regional outreach events for rural small businesses.
The SBA must report annually about the office's activities.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 4549
AN ACT
Office of Rural Affairs Enhancement Act
Sponsor: Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH-2) · Introduced Jul 21, 2025 · Commerce · 4 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Dec 2, 2025: “Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 282.”
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 4 official versions.