Rep. Cisneros Introduces Legislation to Protect Minority Owned Small Businesses

WASHINGTON - Congressman Gil Cisneros (CA-31) and Small Business Ranking Member Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) introduced the 8(a) Small Business Integrity and Stability Act of 2026, legislation that protects current participants in the 8(a) program from disruptive regulatory changes, compliance burdens, and abrupt terminations of small business contracting opportunities.

The 8(a) Business Development Program is a 9-year federal contracting assistance program run by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) designed to help small, disadvantaged businesses compete in the federal marketplace. Over the past year, The SBA has made sweeping changes to the program, removed nearly a quarter of all program participants, and created a barrier that disenfranchises minority-owned businesses. If enacted, the 8(a) Small Business Integrity and Stability Act of 2026 would protect current participants in the program by grandfathering them into the previous rules, preventing them from being reevaluated under the new system, and giving them one additional year in the program as well as reinstating businesses removed from the program due to administrative reasons. This bill is endorsed by the Small Business Majority.

"The SBA's core mission is to help our small businesses succeed, but recent decisions by the Administrator have left business owners-especially minority business owners-to fend for themselves," said Rep. Cisneros. "The current 8(a) program, which was designed to help small, minority owned businesses, is now being stripped to its core. I introduced the 8(a) Small Business Integrity and Stability Act of 2026 to protect current participants in the 8(a) program from potential discrimination by shielding them from reevaluation and giving them an additional year in the program. This legislation will help us course correct the changes made to the 8(a) program and help put our minority business owners back on track."

"The Trump SBA has shirked its duty to help small businesses enter and compete in the federal marketplace, with predictable results. As billions of dollars in federal contracts have shifted from small businesses to large corporations, the SBA has instead devoted its limited resources to an unnecessary and burdensome fishing expedition designed to push small firms out of federal contracting," said Ranking Member Velázquez. "The 8(a) Small Business Integrity and Stability Act is an important step toward curtailing the most egregious aspects of the SBA's witch hunt and restoring fairness and predictability for the small businesses that have been hurt by the agency's misguided policies."

"The 8(a) Business Development program has historically represented a critical access point to achieving economic success through the federal government procurement process," said Alexis D'Amato Falvey, Senior Director of Federal Government Affairs for the Small Business Majority. "Unfortunately, 8(a) program participants have endured multiple setbacks, including actions taken by the SBA to terminate hundreds of small businesses from the program. We are pleased to support the 8(a) Small Business Integrity and Stability Act which takes meaningful steps to reinstate firms that were wrongfully terminated that continue to seek out opportunities to grow as a federal contractor. We urge Congress to continue to strengthen and protect access to this historical program that has supported tens of thousands of businesses in navigating doing business with the federal government by providing mentorship, technical assistance, and set-aside opportunities for small and disadvantaged businesses."

Full text of the bill can be found here.

Rep. Cisneros is a member of the House Committee on Small Business, the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure, and on the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations. He is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and serves on its leadership team as the Freshman Representative.

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