White House Conference on Small Business Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Finstad, Brad [R-MN-1]
Introduced
Summary
Modernizing the White House Conference on Small Business would reset the conference schedule and update how participants, funding, and follow-up work. It would move the conference window to December 31, 2025–December 1, 2026, condition the President's involvement on funds collected under the act, broaden the conference's policy focus to evaluate small business assistance across federal agencies, and require an electronic communications system for at least four years after the conference to refine recommendations and monitor actions.
Show full summary
- Small business delegates would have to be owners, officers, or employees and selection would come from State conferences, regional meetings, governors, Members of Congress, and presidential appointees. A specified participant amount in the law would increase from $10 to $200.
- The law would explicitly include the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories in its definition of State, widening geographic representation for delegates and State conferences.
- The Small Business Administration's internal rules would change: certain pay grades would be lowered from GS-18 to GS-15 and the chair role would be renamed Chief Counsel for Advocacy. Appropriations must be provided in advance and funded by amounts collected under the act, gifts and partnerships with nonprofits would be allowed with Inspector General conflict safeguards, and unobligated funds at termination must be deposited to the Treasury.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Conference must review federal small business programs
This bill would require the National Conference to evaluate the Small Business Administration's and other federal agencies' small business assistance programs. The Conference would assess program design and recommend potential improvements to better serve small businesses.
DC and territories treated as States
This bill would expand the Act's definition of "State" to include the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories or possessions. If enacted, small businesses in those places would be explicitly eligible to take part in State Conferences and the National Conference. This broadens who can participate under the law.
New conference dates for small businesses
This bill would reset when the National Conference must be held. It would require the Conference be scheduled not earlier than Dec 31, 2025 and not later than Dec 1, 2026. It would replace a March 1, 1994 date with Oct 1, 2025 and update the Act's baseline year from 1986 to 1995. These timing edits mainly help State organizers and delegates plan.
SBA can sponsor or cosponsor events
This bill would let the SBA Administrator, after consulting the SBA General Counsel, sponsor or cosponsor activities with eligible entities, including recognition events for small businesses. Eligible entities include for‑profit and nonprofit groups and State or local governments. Any recognition of cosponsors would not be treated as an SBA endorsement of the cosponsor's products or services.
Who may be delegates for small businesses
This bill would set who can be delegates at the National Conference. Delegates would have to be an owner, officer, or employee of a small business and be selected by a State conference and a regional meeting. Delegates would include one appointee by each Governor, one by each Senator and House Member, 100 appointed by the President, and those elected at State Conferences. Each delegate would have an alternate, and an electronic collaboration system would be required before, during, and for at least four years after the Conference. The Chief Counsel for Advocacy would replace the term "Chairperson" in certain provisions.
Lower federal pay grade referenced in Act
This bill would change each reference to the federal pay grade "GS-18" in the Act to "GS-15". If enacted, that could lower the authorized grade level for positions tied to the Act and affect pay, rank, or seniority for those federal workers.
Higher conference fee and funding rules
This bill would raise the per‑participant fee from $10 to $200. It would require that Conference activities be funded only by amounts collected under section 10 and by appropriations provided in advance, and it would make the President's power to convene the Conference depend on those collected amounts. The SBA, the Commission, and GSA would be able to accept gifts and enter agreements with 501(c)(3) organizations to solicit donations if the SBA Inspector General finds no conflict of interest. If the Conference ends, leftover collected money would be deposited in the Treasury general fund.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Finstad, Brad [R-MN-1]
MN • R
Cosponsors
Davis (NC)
NC • D
Sponsored 12/18/2025
Wied
WI • R
Sponsored 2/9/2026
Del. King-Hinds, Kimberlyn [R-MP-At Large]
MP • R
Sponsored 2/10/2026
Rep. Fischbach, Michelle [R-MN-7]
MN • R
Sponsored 5/11/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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