On Tuesday, June 23, the U.S. House unanimously passed the bipartisan Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act, legislation to strengthen the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Native American Affairs (ONAA) and expand support for Native entrepreneurs. This is legislation long-sought and supported by The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development.
“The Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act is critical for boosting economic development in tribal communities,” said Chris James, President and CEO of The National Center. “As a former Associate Administrator at SBA, I understand the need for Indian Country to have an advocate within the agency who has a direct line to the Administrator. Codifying the Office of Native American Affairs and establishing an Assistant Administrator position at SBA is essential so that Indian Country always has a seat at the head table in an agency that plays a critical role in supporting and growing tribal economies. The unique economic and entrepreneurial needs of our community – and government-to-government consultation – must always be a priority at SBA. The National Center thanks Reps. Davids, Crane, Ellzey, and Morrison for their continued leadership and looks forward to working with them to ensure this bipartisan legislation becomes law in the 119th Congress.”
Currently, the ONAA has a valuable but limited mission: to support Native American entrepreneurs, conduct outreach with tribal communities, and connect Native business owners with SBA resources. However, because the current SBA budget does not include explicit funding for the ONAA, the office can only support a small staff and can be unilaterally disbanded.
The Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act would codify the ONAA into federal law, establishing an Assistant Administrator role to oversee its operations and report directly to SBA leadership. It would also create a better government-to-government working relationship with tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations. ONAA would also be able to expand its grant-making ability, conduct tribal consultation, utilize SBA’s entrepreneurial and contracting programs, and provide training, counseling, and technical assistance.
For more information, please read Rep. Davids' press release: https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/passed-davids-bipartisan-bill-boost-native-american-entrepreneurs-passes-us
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