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

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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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