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.
One SBA front door for Native-owned business
Why it matters
Right now, a Native-owned business chasing federal startup help has to bounce between SBA programs, offices, and other agencies on its own. H.R. 7396 puts one office inside the Small Business Administration in charge of capital access, contracting, and training for Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations, and makes it report to Congress every year on who it actually reached. The bill cleared the House Small Business Committee on a 24-0 vote. The catch: the office is built to last only 7 years.
H.R. 7396 would write into law an Office of Native American Affairs inside the Small Business Administration. Its assignment: point SBA's entrepreneurship, contracting, and capital programs squarely at Native communities instead of leaving them to find the help piecemeal.
In practice, the office would help start or grow businesses owned and controlled by members of Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations, and promote economic development in Indian country. When it makes sense, it would also flag relevant programs run by other federal agencies, acting as a coordinating hub rather than just an information desk.
A single Assistant Administrator would run it, and the bill requires that person to know Native American cultures and have real experience delivering culturally tailored small-business help. That leader could hand out grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other financial assistance to Tribes, Native Hawaiian Organizations, and certain Native-governed nonprofits, money meant for training, counseling, workshops, outreach, and supplier events.
The office is not permanent as written. Its authority ends 7 years after the bill becomes law, and every year until then the Assistant Administrator has to tell Congress how many clients were served in Tribal communities, how many consultations happened, and how many trainings were held in Tribal country.
H.R. 7396 Bill Summary
What H.R. 7396 actually does.
A standing SBA office for Native communities
The bill writes an Office of Native American Affairs into the Small Business Act, with a mandate to work directly with Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations on business development, contracting, and capital access.
A leader who must know the communities
The office would be run by an Assistant Administrator the bill requires to have knowledge of Native American cultures and experience delivering culturally tailored small-business help.
Grants and financial assistance on the table
The office could provide grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other financial assistance to Tribes, Native Hawaiian Organizations, and eligible Native-governed nonprofits.
Money earmarked for training and outreach
The bill says that assistance can fund training, counseling, workshops, educational outreach, and supplier events, plus help accessing SBA's entrepreneurial, capital, and contracting programs.
Tribal consultation built into the role
The Assistant Administrator would help conduct Tribal consultation when SBA weighs changes to its programs or procedures, giving Native communities a direct line into how those programs are shaped.
Annual reports to Congress for 7 years
Each year until the office sunsets, SBA would 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 one office inside SBA whose specific job is helping them reach capital, contracting opportunities, training, and other federal small-business resources, plus a seat at the table when SBA changes its rules.
Native Hawaiian Organizations
Native Hawaiian Organizations would have a direct SBA office focused on entrepreneurship and capital access, and would be eligible for grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other assistance.
Native-owned small businesses
Businesses owned and 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 outreach
Eligible nonprofits governed by Native members could receive funding 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 have 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 choose the Assistant Administrator and decide how much institutional support and budget the office actually gets.
Congress
Lawmakers would receive annual data on whether the office is reaching Tribal communities, and would eventually decide whether the 7-year run gets extended or allowed to lapse.
Other federal agencies with relevant programs
Because the office would also point Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations toward other agencies' programs, more interagency coordination could follow if the bill becomes law.
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 in statute 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.
Covers the counseling, training, and entrepreneurial development assistance (SBDCs, SCORE, WBCs) 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 the financing programs the office would help businesses navigate.
Official U.S. Code text of the Small Business Act, which H.R. 7396 would amend by inserting a new section establishing 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 the 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 and controlled by members of those communities. Some Native-governed nonprofits could qualify for support too.
Would H.R. 7396 create new grants?
It could. The bill lets the office provide grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other financial assistance. But it names no dollar amount, so any real funding would have to come through Congress's appropriations process.
What kind of support could the office pay for?
Training, counseling, workshops, educational outreach, and supplier events, plus hands-on help getting into SBA's capital, entrepreneurship, and contracting programs.
How long would the new office last?
Not forever. H.R. 7396 sets a 7-year sunset, so the office's authority would end 7 years after the bill becomes law unless Congress steps in to extend it.
Would the office have to prove it's working?
Yes. Every year until it sunsets, SBA would report to Congress on clients served in Tribal communities, consultations conducted, and trainings held in Tribal country.
Who would lead the new office?
An Assistant Administrator appointed by the SBA Administrator. The bill requires that person to know Native American cultures and have experience delivering culturally tailored small-business help.
Does H.R. 7396 have bipartisan support?
So far, yes. It's sponsored by Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) with Republican and Democratic cosponsors, and it cleared the House Small Business Committee on a 24-0 vote before landing on the Union Calendar.
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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