{"format":1,"id":"119-hr-825","congress":119,"number":"H.R. 825","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Assisting Small Businesses Not Fraudsters Act","title_source":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","official_title":"To prohibit individuals convicted of defrauding the Government from receiving any assistance from the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To prohibit individuals convicted of defrauding the Government from receiving any assistance from the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Official Title from EH (Engrossed in House) bill text","title":"To prohibit individuals convicted of defrauding the Government from receiving any assistance from the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Assisting Small Businesses Not Fraudsters Act"},{"type":"Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text","title":"Assisting Small Businesses Not Fraudsters Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"Assisting Small Businesses Not Fraudsters Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Assisting Small Businesses Not Fraudsters Act"}],"outcome":"passed_house","law_number":null,"introduced":"2025-01-28","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2025-02-24","vote":{"id":"119-2025-h43","question":"On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass","title":"Assisting Small Businesses Not Fraudsters Act","result":"Passed","yea":405,"nay":0,"present":0,"not_voting":27,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2025/roll043.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"pending","date":null,"vote":null}},"president":{"status":"not_yet","date":null},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.","date":"2025-02-25"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[],"crs_summary":{"date":"2025-01-28","stage":"Introduced in House","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Assisting Small Businesses Not Fraudsters Act"},{"k":"p","t":"This bill prohibits individuals convicted of certain financial crimes from receiving assistance from the Small Business Administration (SBA)."},{"k":"p","t":"Specifically, the bill prohibits individuals who have been convicted of a crime involving financial misconduct or a false statement with respect to certain COVID-19 loans (e.g., Paycheck Protection Program loans, Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants, and Shuttered Venue Operators grants) from receiving any financial assistance from the SBA (other than a disaster loan)."},{"k":"p","t":"The prohibition includes SBA assistance to small businesses that have an owner, officer, director, or key employee who has been convicted of such a crime."}],"words":101},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Amends the Small Business Act to make people finally convicted of financial misconduct or a false statement involving certain COVID-19 loans and grants, and small businesses connected to them, ineligible for Small Business Administration financial assistance.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/825/text/eh#HF959BF11155A49FC8033F569AF2470F6"}]},"core_areas":["Small Business Administration eligibility after convictions involving COVID-19 loans and grants"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Adds subsection (h) to section 16 of the Small Business Act, making an associate of a small business concern who is finally convicted of a crime involving financial misconduct or a false statement with respect to a covered loan or grant ineligible for financial assistance from the Administrator, other than assistance under section 7(b).","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/825/text/eh#HF959BF11155A49FC8033F569AF2470F6"}},{"text":"Makes a small business concern that has an associate subject to the prohibition ineligible for financial assistance from the Administrator, other than assistance under section 7(b).","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/825/text/eh#HF959BF11155A49FC8033F569AF2470F6"}},{"text":"Defines an associate as an officer, director, owner of more than 20 percent of the equity, or key employee of a small business concern, along with certain entities that are owned or controlled by such individuals or that control or are controlled by the concern.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/825/text/eh#HF959BF11155A49FC8033F569AF2470F6"}},{"text":"Defines covered loans and grants as loans under section 7(a)(36) or (37) of the Small Business Act, loans under section 7(b) made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and grants under section 5003 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 or section 324 of the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/825/text/eh#HF959BF11155A49FC8033F569AF2470F6"}},{"text":"Defines finally convicted as a conviction that is no longer appealable because the time to appeal has expired, or that has been appealed and the appeals process is completed.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/825/text/eh#HF959BF11155A49FC8033F569AF2470F6"}},{"text":"Provides that the new subsection does not apply to any contract or other agreement entered into by the Government before the date of enactment.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/825/text/eh#HF959BF11155A49FC8033F569AF2470F6"}}],"unexpected":[{"category":"selective_carve_out","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/825/text/eh#HF959BF11155A49FC8033F569AF2470F6"},"heading":"Assistance prohibited after fraud conviction","effect":"Makes an associate finally convicted of a crime involving a covered COVID-19 loan or grant, and the small business concern with that associate, ineligible for SBA financial assistance, except assistance under section 7(b). It also excludes licensed small business investment companies from 'associate' and does not apply to Government contracts or agreements entered into before enactment.","amount":null,"quote":"shall be ineligible to receive any financial assistance from the Administrator, other than financial assistance under section 7(b)."}]}],"version":{"type":"Engrossed in House","date":"2025-02-24","rule":"passed","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/825/text/eh"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-09-29","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/825","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/825/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/119-hr-825.png","v":"fa305bf224d7","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 825, 119th Congress: Assisting Small Businesses Not Fraudsters Act. House: 405 Yea, 0 Nay. Senate: not yet considered. Outcome: Passed House, 24 Feb 2025."}}