Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act of 2025

The bill would amend the primary functions and duties of the SBA's Office of Advocacy in two substantive ways. First, it would broaden the office's existing function of examining the role of small businesses in the economy to explicitly include the international economy. Second, it would add a new duty requiring the office to represent the views and interests of small businesses before foreign governments and international entities, specifically to contribute to regulatory and trade initiatives that may affect small businesses.

The bill would not create a new agency or program, nor would it fund any activity. It would also correct two typographical errors in existing law — changing "complete" to "compete" and "serviced-disabled" to "service-disabled."

Small businesses across the United States that engage in or are affected by international trade and foreign regulatory activity. The SBA's Office of Advocacy, which would be assigned the new international representation duty, is also directly affected.

If enacted, the Office of Advocacy would have a formal legal basis to engage with foreign governments and international bodies on behalf of small businesses — a role it currently lacks explicit authority to perform. Small businesses facing foreign regulatory barriers or trade rules could gain an institutional voice in international forums where they otherwise have little representation.

The Office of Advocacy within the SBA would carry out the new international representation duty under its existing structure, with no new rulemaking or grant cycle required. The office would engage with foreign governments and international entities as part of its ongoing advocacy work, reporting to the SBA Administrator. No specific reporting requirements, timelines, or enforcement mechanisms are established by the bill.