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CIVIC HERALD
HR 2966 · 119th Congress · HouseIn committee

American Entrepreneurs First Act of 2025

In plain language: This bill restricts federal Small Business Administration (SBA) loans exclusively to businesses that are 100 percent owned by U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or lawful permanent residents. Applicants and business owners would have to provide their birth dates and proof of legal residency, such as alien registration numbers for green card holders. Any business with even partial ownership by temporary visa holders, refugees, asylees, DACA recipients, or undocumented immigrants would be disqualified from receiving SBA funding.

Provisional: our plain-language summary, pending review.

Provisionalunreviewed: impact, provisions, stakeholders, summary
People affected—Not determinable from the text provided; the bill affects applicants and business owners seeking SBA 7(a) and 504 loans, but does not provide counts or demographic estimates of applicants or excluded categories.
Fiscal magnitude—Not determinable from the text provided; the bill establishes eligibility restrictions and application requirements for SBA loan programs but does not specify appropriations, fees, or direct budgetary amounts.
Reach42provisional · pending reviewrigor: heuristic llm
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Issues

What this bill touches.

Regulation (cross-sector)+15Refugee & asylum policy−30Enforcement & security−25

The sign shows the bill's direction on each issue (+ toward, − away); the number is its magnitude. Color never encodes good or bad, and never party.

Who it affects

Who it helps · who it burdens.

Who it burdens

  • Asylees, refugees, visa holders, DACA recipients, and undocumented business ownersBarred from receiving SBA 7(a) and 504 small business loans if applying individually, and any business concern with direct or indirect ownership by these individuals is also disqualified from receiving such loans (Sec. 2(b)(2)–(3), Sec. 2(c)).provisional
  • SBA 7(a) and 504 loan applicantsMust provide birth dates for all applicants and owners, documentation of alien registration numbers for lawful permanent resident owners, and certifications verifying citizenship or permanent residency status, facing disqualification if the information is omitted (Sec. 2(a), Sec. 2(b)(1)).provisional
  • Small Business AdministrationMandated to ensure that all loan applications under section 7(a) of the Small Business Act and title V of the Small Business Investment Act collect the required birth dates, alien registration numbers, and citizenship certifications (Sec. 2(a)).provisional

Dollar-level funding (FEC sector totals) is coming in a later phase.

What it does

The provisions, in plain language.

  1. Requires applicants for Small Business Administration (SBA) 7(a) and 504 small business loans to provide birth dates for all applicants and owners, alien registration numbers for any lawful permanent residents, and certifications that all owners and guarantors are U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or lawful permanent residents.

    Sec. 2(a)provisional

  2. Disqualifies individuals and business concerns from receiving SBA 7(a) or 504 loans if the applicant or any direct or indirect owner is an asylee, refugee, visa holder, nonimmigrant alien, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, or undocumented immigrant.

    Sec. 2(b)(2)–(3)provisional

  3. Disqualifies any loan applicant who submits an application after enactment that omits the required birth dates, alien registration records, or citizenship and ownership certifications.

    Sec. 2(b)(1)provisional

How your members of Congress line up

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Timeline

How it moved.

  1. Jun 9, 2025Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
  2. Jun 6, 2025Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  3. Jun 6, 2025On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 217 - 190 (Roll no. 156). (text: CR H2510-2511)
  4. Jun 6, 2025Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 217 - 190 (Roll no. 156).
  5. Jun 3, 2025Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 458 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2483, H.R. 2931, H.R. 2966 and H.R. 2987. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 2483 under a structured rule and for consideration of H.R. 2931, H.R. 2966, and H.R. 2987 under a closed rule. The resolution provides for one hour of debate and one motion to recommit on each bill.
  6. May 21, 2025Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Small Business. H. Rept. 119-112.
  7. May 21, 2025Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Small Business. H. Rept. 119-112.
  8. Apr 30, 2025Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 15 - 11.
  9. Apr 17, 2025Introduced in House
  10. Apr 17, 2025Introduced in House

The original text

Read it for yourself.

Read the original text →

Sources & provenance

Congress.govrefreshed 9 days ago

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