# 119-hr-421: Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act

119-hr-421, Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Cline, Ben [R-VA-6] (R-VA); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-421
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-421
- Congress: 119
- Title: Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2025-01-15
- Sponsor: Rep. Cline, Ben [R-VA-6] (R-VA)
- Cosponsors: 6
- Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**Stronger economic-impact protections for small businesses.** This bill would force agencies to measure and disclose both direct and reasonably foreseeable indirect costs of rules and to analyze alternatives that reduce harm or increase benefits for small entities. - Small businesses and small organizations would get clearer, quantified analyses of rule costs and plain-language compliance guides. First-time paperwork violations by small businesses would generally avoid civil fines, with limited exceptions and a 24-hour correction window for health or safety hazards. - Federal agencies would have to include land management plan revisions in flexibility analyses, quantify impacts or justify non-quantification, publish a periodic review plan within 180 days, and review covered rules every 10 years. - The SBA Office of Advocacy and its Chief Counsel would gain formal pre-rule roles. The Chief Counsel must identify affected small entities within 15 days and deliver a panel report within 60 days, and the Office could participate in judicial and appellate challenges over size standards and final rules.

## Cosponsors (6)

- Rep. Hageman, Harriet M. [R-WY-At Large] (R-WY), 2025-01-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ellzey, Jake [R-TX-6] (R-TX), 2025-01-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Brecheen, Josh [R-OK-2] (R-OK), 2025-01-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fitzgerald, Scott [R-WI-5] (R-WI), 2025-01-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Webster, Daniel [R-FL-11] (R-FL), 2025-02-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2] (R-NJ), 2025-02-21T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Early review and cost analysis for rules: benefit, medium. If enacted, agencies would give the SBA Office of Advocacy drafts and impact materials before publishing big proposed rules. Rules likely to affect the economy by $100,000,000 a year or that hurt many small firms would trigger a 15-day window for the SBA to form a review panel and a 60-day panel re…
- First-time paperwork fine waiver for small firms: benefit, medium. If enacted, small businesses would not face a civil fine for a first-time information‑collection or paperwork violation by the same agency in the prior 5 years. Agencies could still fine firms in certain cases, such as where the violation risks serious public harm, hides criminal activity, involves…
- Regular rule reviews and Advocacy power: benefit, medium. If enacted, each agency would publish a plan within 180 days to review rules that significantly affect many small businesses. Agencies must review existing such rules within 10 years and post annual lists and reports to Congress and the SBA Chief Counsel. Agencies should amend or rescind rules that…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-21: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
- 119-hr-925: Dismantle DEI Act of 2025
- 119-hr-38: Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1628: 761st Tank Battalion Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 119-hr-418: Ensuring Accountability in Agency Rulemaking Act
- 119-hr-4275: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-421 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/421)

## Related
- [119-hr-21: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-21)
- [119-hr-925: Dismantle DEI Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-925)
- [119-hr-38: Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-38)
- [119-hr-1628: 761st Tank Battalion Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1628)
- [119-hr-418: Ensuring Accountability in Agency Rulemaking Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-418)
- [119-hr-4275: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4275)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-421 (as of 2026-09-21).