Small Business Territories Support Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 8534 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8534 To amend the Small Business Act to establish an Office of Territorial Affairs, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 27, 2026 Ms. Velazquez (for herself and Ms. King-Hinds) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Small Business _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Small Business Act to establish an Office of Territorial Affairs, 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 ``Small Business Territories Support Act''. SEC. 2. OFFICE OF TERRITORIAL AFFAIRS OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended by-- (1) redesignating section 49 as section 50; and (2) inserting after section 48 the following new section: ``SEC. 49. OFFICE OF TERRITORIAL AFFAIRS. ``(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Administration an Office of Territorial Affairs (hereafter in this section referred to as the `Office'), which shall establish a working relationship with small business concerns in the United States territories by targeting programs of the Administration relating to entrepreneurial development, contracting, disaster assistance, and capital access. ``(b) Assistant Administrator.-- ``(1) In general.--The Office shall be administered by an Assistant Administrator who shall be an employee in the competitive service. ``(2) Qualifications.--The Assistant Administrator shall have-- ``(A) knowledge of the governmental affairs, socioeconomic conditions, and political relationships of the territories; and ``(B) experience providing tailored small business