The record

LegislationLegislation· Dec 2025
HR 4549 Passed House — in Senate

Sponsored by Maggie Goodlander (D)

Office of Rural Affairs Enhancement Act

Requires competitive hiring for SBA's rural affairs assistant and mandates outreach to rural small businesses.

Tradeoff

Strengthens the SBA's rural small business office with a qualified leader and regular outreach events. No offsetting cuts or revenue provisions mentioned in the bill.

What's in it

See official bill text

Costs less than $500,000 over the implementation period, with no impact on direct spending or revenues.

The $500,000 figure represents only the minor federal administrative cost to implement the competitive hiring process and expanded outreach; the bill's primary effect is a procedural change to how the SBA selects its rural affairs leadership and expands outreach to rural businesses.

H.R. 4549, Office of Rural Affairs Enhancement Act · Aug 2025

Passed the House by on December 1, 2025 — sitting in the Senate.

  1. House

    Introduced

    (Jul 21, 2025)

  2. House

    Committee on Small Business(Jul 21, 2025)

  3. House

    The Committee on Small Business voted to send it to the floor

    Reported 23 - 0(Jul 22, 2025)

    Committee report H. Rept. 119-225.

  4. House

    Passage of the bill

    Passed by (Dec 1, 2025)

    No individual votes were recorded.

  5. Senate

    Received from the House

    Received(Dec 2, 2025)