Congressional Advocacy
119th Congress
House and Senate Hearings of Interest
118th Congress
In April 2023, the Small Business Administration implemented its final rule on the Small Business Lending Company (SBLC) Moratorium Rescission and Removal of the Requirement for a Loan Authorization proposal. The changes, which took effect on May 12, 2023, closely resembled the previously proposed rule from November 2022.
House and Senate Small Business Committees were quick to take action, holding multiple hearings and discussions to carefully evaluate the impact of the proposed rule's rescission on the SBLC Moratorium. Practitioners, including Hilda Kennedy from AmPac and MLWG member, were invited to testify before Congress and provide valuable insights into the potential effects on SBA loan programs, specifically the Community Advantage (CA) Loan Program.
Moreover, Senate Small Business Committee Chairman Ben Cardin introduced the Community Advantage Loan Program Act of 2023. This legislative initiative aims to codify the Community Advantage (CA) Loan Program by making amendments to Section 7(a) of the Small Business Act. It's the result of dedicated negotiations between Chairman Ben Cardin and Ranking member Joni Ernst. This bill has already achieved a significant milestone, receiving unanimous approval during a committee markup on July 18th, 2023.
House and Senate Hearings of Interest
117th Congress
Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Representative Judy Chu (D-CA), introduced bicameral legislation entitled The Community Advantage Loan Program Permanency Act of 2022 (H.R. 9311/S. 5102), The MLWG commends Senator Cardin and Representative Chu for exemplifying true leadership and commitment to small businesses. Read the MLWG's full statement of support here and the bill sponsors' joint press release here.
Provisions included in the Build Back Better Act legislation sought to codify the U.S. SBA's Community Advantage pilot program into a full authorized program as part of the Small Business Act. The Build Back Better Act legislation was passed by the House but not taken up by the Senate. Ultimately continued negotiations amongst Senate leadership resulted in the proposed $739 billion Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
The U.S. Small Business Administration released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) titled, 'Small Business Lending Company (SBLC) Moratorium Rescission and Removal of the Requirement for a Loan Authorization,' to lift the 40-year moratorium on Small Business Lending Company (SBLC) licenses. MLWG member, Robert Villareal with Momentus Capital / CDC Small Business Finance, testified on behalf the MLWG during a Senate Small Business hearing, titled, 'Improving Access to Capital in Underserved Communities: The Community Advantage Program, Microloans, and other SBA Initiatives,' to discuss the potential impact of the SBA's proposed rule on the Community Advantage program.
House and Senate Hearings of Interest
116th Congress
During the 116th Congress, Senator Cardin (D-MD), as well as Representative Chu (D-CA-27) and Representative Spano (R-FL-15) introduced legislation (S.2361, H.R.7903) to authorize the Community Advantage (CA) program. Achieving CA program authorization is an essential step towards ensuring that the most underserved small businesses receive the capital they need to grow and thrive. The House and Senate bills sought to expand the definition of underserved target markets to include businesses owned by women and people of color.
On July 31st 2020, the MLWG submitted an endorsement letter for H.R.7903 to Rep. Chu and Rep. Spano. The MLWG also created a section-by-section summary of H.R.7903.