All Roll Calls
Yes: 217 • No: 190
HR2966119th CongressWALLET
American Entrepreneurs First Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Van Duyne
Passed House
Summary
Would tie SBA loan access to applicants' and owners' immigration status. This bill would require extra identity and citizenship documentation for SBA 7(a) and Small Business Investment Act title V loan applications and block loans when owners fall into specific noncitizen categories.
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- Small business owners and applicants: Owners or individual applicants who are asylees, refugees, holders of a visa to remain, nonimmigrant aliens, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, or people present without lawful status would be treated as “ineligible persons” and make a loan ineligible.
- Business ownership and guarantors: An applicant concern or guarantor must be 100 percent beneficially owned by U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or lawful permanent residents to qualify.
- Application requirements for the SBA: Loan forms would need each applicant's date of birth, a certification of citizenship or lawful permanent resident status, and the alien registration number for any lawful permanent resident; missing the required information makes the application ineligible.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
New citizenship checks for SBA loans
If enacted, the Small Business Administration would add strict citizenship checks for 7(a) and Title V loans. Each application would need every owner’s date of birth. You would have to certify that each individual applicant is a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident, or that the business (or a guarantor) is 100% owned by such people. You would also have to certify that no direct or indirect owner is an “ineligible person.” Any lawful permanent resident owner must list their alien registration number. Applications filed after enactment that miss any required item would be denied. A business would be denied if any owner is an ineligible person. An individual applicant who is ineligible would also be denied. The bill defines “ineligible person” to include asylees, refugees, people on visas or other nonimmigrant status, DACA recipients (June 15, 2012 policy), and people without lawful status.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Van Duyne
TX • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Cloud, Michael [R-TX-27]
TX • R
Sponsored 4/17/2025
Roll Call Votes
house vote • 6/6/2025
On Passage
Yes: 217 • No: 190