# 119-hr-9818: Women’s Business Centers Improvement Act of 2026

119-hr-9818, Women’s Business Centers Improvement Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3] (D-MI); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9818
- As of: 2026-09-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-9818
- Congress: 119
- Title: Women’s Business Centers Improvement Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-07-21
- Sponsor: Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3] (D-MI)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Policy area: Commerce
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-18

## Summary

**Strengthens and funds Women’s Business Centers to expand support for women entrepreneurs.** It creates a grant-based Women’s Business Center program at the Small Business Administration with accreditation, oversight, matching rules, and a designated Office of Women’s Business Ownership to run it. - Women entrepreneurs and households: More tailored counseling and training on starting and growing businesses, accessing credit, managing cash flow, and marketing. Grants emphasize services for socially and economically disadvantaged women. - Grantees and local partners: Eligible organizations can receive initial and continuation grants up to $300,000 per year for 5-year terms and may get up to 25% of funds in advance. Matching rules require $1 non-Federal for every $2 Federal in the first two years and $1 for $1 thereafter. - SBA operations and program integrity: The law requires pre-award site visits, annual program and financial exams, an accreditation program, and detailed annual reporting to Congress. Administrative costs are capped around 2.5% and at least $500,000 a year is set aside for accreditation and a conference. *Authorizes $31.5 million each year for FY2026 through FY2029 for grants, increasing federal spending over that period.*

## Cosponsors (2)

- Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3] (D-KS), 2026-07-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cisneros, Gilbert Ray [D-CA-31] (D-CA), 2026-09-01T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Up to $300,000 yearly grants: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would let the SBA award grants of up to $300,000 per year to eligible organizations to run women's business centers. Grants would run in 5-year terms and continuation grants could start the day after a prior term ends. The Administrator could adjust the annual amount each year…
- New SBA Women's Business Center program: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would create a Women's Business Center Program inside the SBA's Office of Women's Business Ownership. An Assistant Administrator would oversee budgets, accreditation, a national clearinghouse, and interagency coordination. The bill would define resource partners like Small Busi…
- Required services at women's centers: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would require funded women's business centers to offer counseling and training tailored to women, with special emphasis on socially and economically disadvantaged women. Centers would need to provide business formation help, financial training on loans and investment, preparing…
- Who can run women's centers: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would define which organizations can get grants to run women's business centers. Eligible entities would include 501(c) nonprofits, state or local economic development organizations that certify they will not commingle grant funds, institutions of higher education (unless they…
- New grant application requirements: mixed, low. If enacted, the bill would require applicants to submit a 5-year plan for each center showing services to be offered, market needs, and how required matching funds would be obtained. Applicants would need to show experience serving disadvantaged women, plans to work with resource partners, and cert…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
- 119-hr-6900: American Affordability Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-9818 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9818)

## Related
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7481)
- [119-hr-6900: American Affordability Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6900)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9818 (as of 2026-09-18).