H.R. 7396: Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act
Sponsor
Sharice Davids
Democrat · KS-3
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Feb 17, 2026
Placed on House floor schedule, Calendar No. 424.
Native entrepreneurs need a real SBA front door
Why it matters
This bill gives Native entrepreneurs a dedicated office inside the Small Business Administration for 7 years, with authority to offer grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and hands-on help. Instead of making Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations navigate SBA's maze alone, it creates one office responsible for capital access, contracting, training, and annual public reporting on results.
H.R. 7396 would create an Office of Native American Affairs inside the Small Business Administration. Its job would be to help Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations use SBA programs tied to entrepreneurship, contracting, and capital access.
In practice, that means the office could help establish or expand businesses owned or controlled by members of those communities, while also connecting them to relevant programs at other federal agencies. The bill says the office should promote economic development in Indian country and serve as a coordinating hub rather than just an information desk.
The office would be led by an Assistant Administrator who must have knowledge of Native American cultures and experience providing culturally tailored small-business assistance. That leader could also provide grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other financial assistance to Tribes, Native Hawaiian Organizations, and certain Native-governed nonprofits for training, counseling, workshops, outreach, supplier events, and help accessing SBA programs.
This is not a permanent office under the bill as written. Its authority would end 7 years after enactment, and the Assistant Administrator would have to send Congress annual reports showing how many clients were served in Tribal communities, how many consultations were conducted, and how many trainings were held in Tribal country.
What does H.R. 7396 do?
A dedicated SBA office for Native communities
The bill creates an Office of Native American Affairs inside SBA to work directly with Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations on business development, contracting, and access to capital.
One leader focused on culturally tailored support
The office would be headed by an Assistant Administrator who must have knowledge of Native American cultures and experience delivering culturally tailored small-business help.
Grants and other financial assistance become available
The office could provide grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other financial assistance to Tribes, Native Hawaiian Organizations, and eligible Native-governed nonprofits.
Training, counseling, and outreach get explicit backing
The bill says support can be used for training, counseling, workshops, educational outreach, supplier events, and help accessing SBA entrepreneurial, capital, and contracting programs.
Tribal consultation becomes part of the office's job
The Assistant Administrator would help conduct Tribal consultation when SBA is considering changes to programs or procedures, giving Native communities a more direct role in shaping how those programs work.
Congress gets yearly scorecards for 7 years
Each year until the office expires, SBA would have to report to Congress on clients served in Tribal communities, consultations conducted, and trainings held in Tribal country.
Who benefits from H.R. 7396?
Indian Tribes seeking business support
Tribes would get a dedicated office inside SBA that is specifically tasked with helping them reach capital, contracting opportunities, training, and other federal small-business resources.
Native Hawaiian Organizations
Native Hawaiian Organizations would have a direct SBA office focused on entrepreneurship and capital access, plus eligibility for grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other assistance.
Native-owned small businesses
Businesses owned or controlled by members of Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian Organizations could get more targeted help navigating SBA programs and expanding into new contracts or financing.
Native-governed nonprofits doing business outreach
Eligible nonprofits governed by Native members could receive support to run workshops, counseling, outreach, and supplier events in the communities they already serve.
Who is affected by H.R. 7396?
Small Business Administration
SBA would need to stand up the new office, appoint a qualified leader, coordinate across its existing programs, and produce annual results reports for Congress.
SBA leadership
The Administrator would be responsible for choosing the Assistant Administrator and deciding how much institutional support the office gets in practice.
Congress
Lawmakers would get annual data on whether the office is reaching Tribal communities, and they would eventually decide whether a 7-year test should be extended or replaced.
Other federal agencies with relevant programs
Because the office would also educate Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations about other agencies' programs, more interagency coordination could follow if the bill becomes law.
What Congress Is Saying
H.R. 7396 hasn't been debated on the floor yet.
This section updates when a legislator speaks about it on the floor or in committee.
HR7396 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Feb 17, 2026
Reported by the Committee on Small Business. H. Rept. 119-498.
House: Vote: 24-0
Feb 11, 2026
Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 24 - 0.
House: Committee Action
Feb 5, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.
About the Sponsor
Sharice Davids
Democrat, Kansas's 3rd congressional district · 7 years in Congress
Committees: Agriculture, Transportation and Infrastructure
View full profile →
Cosponsors (4)
This bill has 4 cosponsors: 2 Democrats, 2 Republicans, reflecting bipartisan support. Cosponsors represent 4 states: Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, and 1 more.
Committee Sponsors
Small Business Committee
3 of 24 committee members cosponsored
9 Democrats across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 7396 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Small Business
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Native Americans
- Introduced
- Feb 5, 2026
Placed on House floor schedule, Calendar No. 424.
Feb 17, 2026
Official Sources
Official bill page with text, actions, sponsors, and status for the Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act.
Most directly relevant SBA office page because the bill would establish or formalize an Office of Native American Affairs within SBA.
The bill relies on Small Business Act section 8(a) definitions for Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations and ties the new office to contracting support.
This SBA page covers counseling, training, and related entrepreneurial development assistance that the proposed office would help Native communities access.
The bill repeatedly references capital access, and this SBA loans hub is the main official entry point for financing programs the office would help navigate.
Official regulations for SBA's 8(a) program provide background on Native entity eligibility and federal contracting frameworks referenced by the bill.
Official U.S. Code page for the Small Business Act, which H.R. 7396 would amend by adding a new section on the Office of Native American Affairs.
H.R. 7396 Common Questions
What would H.R. 7396 actually do?
It would create an Office of Native American Affairs inside SBA to help Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian Organizations, and Native-owned businesses with entrepreneurship, contracting, and capital access.
Who could get help from the new SBA office?
Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian Organizations, and small businesses owned or controlled by members of those communities could receive assistance. Some Native-governed nonprofits could also qualify for support.
Would H.R. 7396 create new grants?
Potentially, yes. The bill says the office could provide grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other financial assistance, but it does not name a specific dollar amount.
What kind of support could the office pay for?
The bill lists training, counseling, workshops, educational outreach, supplier events, and help accessing SBA programs tied to capital, entrepreneurship, and contracting.
How long would the new office last?
H.R. 7396 sets a 7-year sunset. Unless Congress acts again, the office's authority would end 7 years after the bill becomes law.
Would the office have to report results?
Yes. Every year, SBA would have to report to Congress on how effective the office is, including clients served in Tribal communities, consultations, and trainings held in Tribal country.
Does the bill require someone with Native community experience to lead the office?
Yes. The Assistant Administrator would need knowledge of Native American cultures and experience providing culturally tailored small-business development assistance.
Would this office only handle SBA programs?
No. The bill also says the office should, when reasonable, educate Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations about relevant business programs at other federal agencies.
Based on H.R. 7396 bill text
H.R. 7396 Bill Text
“To establish an Office of Native American Affairs within the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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