119-s2832

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2832 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 2832

 To establish an Office of Native American Affairs within the Small 
 Business Administration, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 September 17 (legislative day, September 16), 2025

 Mr. Hickenlooper (for himself, Mr. Sullivan, Ms. Hirono, and Mr. 
 Mullin) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
 referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To establish an Office of Native American Affairs within the Small 
 Business Administration, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Native American Entrepreneurial and 
Opportunity Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. OFFICE OF NATIVE AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

 The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended--

    (1) by redesignating 

section 49 (15 U.S.C. 631 note) as 
 

section 50; and

    (2) by inserting after 

section 48 (15 U.S.C. 657u) the 
 following:

``

SEC. 49. OFFICE OF NATIVE AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

 ``

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:
 ``

    (1) Associate administrator.--The term `Associate 
 Administrator' means the Associate Administrator for Native 
 American Affairs appointed under subsection
            (c) .
 ``

    (2) Indian tribe.--The term `Indian Tribe' has the 
 meaning given the term `Indian tribe' in 

section 8

    (a)

    (13) .
 ``

    (3) Native hawaiian organization.--The term `Native 
 Hawaiian Organization' has the meaning given the term in 
 

section 8

    (a)

    (15) .
 ``

    (4) Office.--The term `Office' means the Office of Native 
 American Affairs described in this section.
 ``

    (b) Establishment.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--There is established within the 
 Administration the Office of Native American Affairs, which 
 shall be responsible for establishing a working relationship 
 with Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations by 
 targeting programs of the Administration relating to 
 entrepreneurial development, contracting, and capital access, 
 such as the program under 

section 8

    (a) , to revitalize Native 
 businesses and economic development in Indian country.
 ``

    (2) Connection with other programs.--To the extent 
 reasonable, the Office shall connect Indian Tribes and Native 
 Hawaiian Organizations to programs administered by other 
 Federal agencies related to the interests described in 
 paragraph

    (1) .
 ``

    (3) Alternative work sites.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--The Office may establish 
 alternative work sites within such regional offices of 
 the Administration as may be necessary, with initial 
 focus on those parts of Indian Country most 
 economically disadvantaged, to perform efficiently the 
 functions and responsibilities of the Office.
 ``
        (B) Prohibition.--The alternative work sites 
 established under subparagraph
        (A) shall not be field 
 offices of the Administration.
 ``
            (c) Associate Administrator.--The Office shall be headed by an 
Associate Administrator for Native American Affairs, who shall--
 ``

    (1) be appointed by and report to the Administrator;
 ``

    (2) have knowledge of Native American cultures and 
 experience providing culturally tailored small business 
 development assistance to Native Americans;
 ``

    (3) carry out the program to provide assistance to Indian 
 Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations and small business 
 concerns owned and controlled by individuals who are members of 
 those groups;
 ``

    (4) administer and manage Native American outreach 
 expansion;
 ``

    (5) enhance assistance to Native Americans by formulating 
 and promoting policies, programs, and assistance that better 
 address their entrepreneurial, capital access, business 
 development, and contracting needs, and collaborate with other 
 Associate Administrators and intergovernmental leaders with 
 similar missions across Federal agencies on the development of 
 policies and plans to implement new programs of the 
 Administration, while supplementing existing Federal programs 
 to holistically serve those needs;
 ``

    (6) provide grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or 
 other financial assistance to Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian 
 Organizations, or to private nonprofit organizations governed 
 by members of those entities, that have the experience and 
 capability to--
 ``
        (A) deploy training, counseling, workshops, 
 educational outreach, and supplier events; and
 ``
        (B) access the entrepreneurial, capital, and 
 contracting programs of the Administration;
 ``

    (7) assist the Administrator in conducting, or conduct, 
 Tribal consultation to solicit input and facilitate discussion 
 of potential modifications to programs and procedures of the 
 Administration; and
 ``

    (8) recommend annual budgets for the Office.
 ``
            (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Office such sums as may be necessary for each of 
fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out this section.''.
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