The U.S. Small Business Administration ("SBA" or "Agency") proposes to amend its regulations to align the Section 8(a) Business Development Program (8(a) BD program) with constitutional requirements and the law. The proposed rule applies only to the 8(a) BD eligibility of small businesses owned and controlled by individuals. It does not in any way amend or affect the eligibility of entity-owned small businesses (i.e., those owned by tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, Native Hawaiian Organizations, or Community Development Corporations). Specifically, the proposed rule would amend SBA's regulations to remove the rebuttable presumption that individuals belonging to certain designated groups are socially disadvantaged and set forth revised standards for individuals establishing social disadvantage.
Comments close Jul 13, 2026
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposes to revise the Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance to improve government- wide policies and requirements related to the management of grants, cooperative agreements, and other forms of assistance. OMB is proposing revisions that would improve transparency, accountability, and oversight for Federal awards across the Federal Government. This includes ensuring that American tax dollars are not wasted or misused, activities performed under Federal awards are consistent with law and policy, and recipients are held accountable when they fail to meet relevant standards. The revisions also aim to ensure that basic American principles of equality and equal opportunity are upheld throughout all stages of the award making process and that unlawful discrimination is no longer permitted. Proposed changes also include providing further clarification on the regulatory status of the OMB requirements and on the process for future updates to the government- wide requirements. Finally, OMB also proposes changes to reduce recipient burden. The listed Federal grant-making agencies propose conforming changes to their respective adopting regulations, or, in the case of some agencies and other entities, establishing new adopting regulations or policies. The proposed changes reflect the administration's commitment to transparency, accountability, and proper oversight for the Federal grantmaking process. The proposed regulations seek to ensure that American tax dollars are ultimately used to serve the needs of the American public.
Comments close Jul 13, 2026
The United States Small Business Administration (SBA) is amending the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act regulations in 13 CFR part 142 to reflect changes made to the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act of 1986 by the Administrative False Claims Act of 2023. These changes, among other things, revise the name of the administrative action from "Program Fraud Civil Remedies" to "Administrative False Claims" and increase the threshold for a claim from $150,000 to $1,000,000. The Administrative False Claims Act mandates that the Agency issue regulations to update part 142 and this direct final rule conforms the regulations to the Administrative False Claims Act by adopting the new statutory requirements without change.
Comments close Apr 20, 2026
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) is issuing this interim final rule (IFR) to ensure the timely and effective delivery of assistance under the Disaster Loan Program authorized under section 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)) ("Disaster Loan Program") following a Presidentially declared disaster. This rule preempts certain state and local requirements impacting the repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of damaged or destroyed property and associated activities financed by the Disaster Loan Program when such requirements cause delay in the use of SBA Disaster Loan Program proceeds. The rule is necessary to reconcile non- federal requirements that undermine Congress's objective of rapid housing and business recovery, public health and safety restoration, and economic stabilization after disasters.
Comments close Mar 2, 2026
The U.S. Small Business Administration ("SBA" or "Agency") is publishing this direct final rule (DFR) to modify regulations to provide for a clarification in the Annual Charges assessed for Leverage between SBIC licenses and Accrual SBIC licenses.
Comments close Jan 5, 2026
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or the Agency) proposes to increase its monetary based small business size definitions (commonly referred to as "size standards") for 263 industries (259 receipts based and four assets based). SBA proposes to retain receipts based size standards for 237 industries and 12 subindustries ("exceptions") and remove one exception. SBA's proposal relied on its recently revised "Size Standards Methodology" (Revised Methodology). SBA seeks comments on its proposed changes to size standards and data sources it evaluated to develop the proposed size standards. SBA also invites comments on its proposed policy of not lowering any size standards, except for excluding dominant firms from qualifying as small. In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(4), a summary of this rule may be found at www.regulations.gov.
Comments close Oct 21, 2025
The U.S. Small Business Administration ("SBA" or "Agency") is proposing to modify or remove from the Code of Federal Regulations ("CFR") regulations that are obsolete, inefficient, or otherwise unnecessarily impede the licensing of small business investment companies ("SBICs"). Many of the regulations SBA is proposing to remove apply to the repealed Section 301(d) of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, as amended, and certain other types of SBICs that SBA no longer licenses, such as Participating Securities SBICs and Early Stage SBICs. The removal of these regulations will assist the public by simplifying SBA's regulations in the CFR. In addition, SBA is proposing to amend its regulations applicable to subsequent fund applicants in order to streamline the licensing process for such applicants. SBA also seeks to remove certain barriers to investments in critical mineral extraction and processing and designated critical technologies. In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(4), a summary of this rule may be found https://www.regulations.gov.
Comments close Sep 5, 2025
SBA is introducing alternative base rate options for use with variable interest rate loans made under the 7(a) Loan Program. The alternative base rate options are also available for use under any 7(a) pilot loan programs, unless expressly prohibited.
The U.S. Small Business Administration ("SBA" or "Agency") is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on January 2, 2026. The document revised regulations for the Small Business Investment Company ("SBIC") program to modify or remove from the Code of Federal Regulations ("CFR") regulations that are obsolete, inefficient, or otherwise unnecessarily impede the licensing of small business investment companies ("SBICs") and to remove certain barriers to investments in critical mineral extraction and processing and designated critical technologies.
On July 7, 2025, the U.S. Small Business Administration ("SBA" or "Agency") published a notice of proposed rulemaking ("NPRM" or "proposed rule") to revise the regulations for the Small Business Investment Company ("SBIC") program to modify or remove from the Code of Federal Regulations ("CFR") regulations that are obsolete, inefficient, or otherwise unnecessarily impede the licensing of small business investment companies ("SBICs") and to remove certain barriers to investments in critical mineral extraction and processing and designated critical technologies. This final rule implements proposed regulatory changes as modified to address comments SBA received.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announces that it is holding a tribal consultation meeting in Mashantucket, Connecticut requesting comments and input on all issues or concerns relating to any of SBA's programs. Specifically, SBA seeks comments on how SBA best can provide access for tribally owned small businesses to initiatives under its Office of Manufacturing and Trade, with a particular focus on SBA's ongoing onshoring, manufacturing and export initiatives in an effort to encourage small businesses going global. SBA is requesting general comments and input on how these programs are working and is inviting suggestions on potential avenues for improving their efficiency or reducing any unnecessary regulatory burden associated with the programs.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announces that it is holding a tribal consultation meeting in Wayland, Michigan requesting comments and input on all issues or concerns relating to any of SBA's programs. Specifically, SBA seeks comments on how best SBA can provide access for tribally-owned small businesses to SBA's various financial assistance programs under SBA's Office of Capital Access as well as its contracting, business counseling and technical assistance programs. SBA is requesting general comments and input on how these programs are working and is inviting suggestions on potential avenues for making the programs more efficient or reducing any unnecessary regulatory burden associated with the programs.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is correcting a final rule that was published in the Federal Register on December 17, 2024. The rule clarified and improved policies surrounding a comprehensive revision to the HUBZone Program regulations published in 2019, among other changes. This document is making several technical corrections to the final regulations.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is amending its regulations to adjust for inflation the amount of certain civil monetary penalties that are within the jurisdiction of the agency. These adjustments comply with the requirement in the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, to make annual adjustments to the penalties.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announces that it is holding a tribal consultation meeting in Anchorage, Alaska requesting comments and input on a variety of topics relating to the 8(a) program and the mentor-prot[eacute]g[eacute] program. SBA is requesting general comments and input on how the 8(a) program is working and is inviting suggestions on potential avenues for making the program more efficient or reducing the regulatory burden on participants in the program. Additionally, SBA requests comments and input on best practices for how entity-owned firms market their capabilities to procuring agencies. SBA is also requesting comments and input on how to ensure the mentor-prot[eacute]g[eacute] program is operating as intended.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is correcting a final rule that was published in the Federal Register on December 17, 2024. The rule clarified and improved policies surrounding a comprehensive revision to the HUBZone Program regulations published in 2019, among other changes. This document is making several technical corrections to the final regulations.
