House Passes Reps. Davids (D-KS), Alford (R-MO) Bipartisan Bill to Help Veteran Business Owners Succeed

Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Representatives Sharice Davids (D-KS-03) and Mark Alford’s (R-MO-04) SERV Act with overwhelming bipartisan support. The bill would help veteran small business owners and entrepreneurs succeed by studying the barriers faced when starting a business and boosting the outreach and promotion of existing veteran-focused small business programs to ensure veterans can access all available resources, capital, and credit. Davids, whose mother served in the U.S. Army for 20 years, originally introduced the legislation in 2019, when it first passed the House with broad bipartisan support.

"Veterans possess many of the entrepreneurial skills needed to start and run a successful small business, but we must do a better job of helping them transition from service to business," said Davids. "I'm proud to have worked across party and state lines with Representative Mark Alford, so we can help connect veterans with all the small business resources available to them and better address the barriers veteran entrepreneurs face.”

“I am incredibly proud to have worked on this bipartisan legislation with Rep. Sharice Davids in our neighboring district and see our colleagues in the House pass it,” said Representative Mark Alford (MO-04). “Lieutenant Commander Taylor Burks testified in front of the Committee so we could learn how the Committee and SBA can better serve those who served this nation. The SERV Act is our response to the need for improved outreach and resources for Veteran-owned small businesses.”

Davids and Alford introduced the Successful Entrepreneurship for Reservists and Veterans Act (SERV Act) to study the barriers veterans face when starting a business and improve the accessibility of existing veteran-focused small business programs. The bill previously passed out of the U.S. House Small Business Committee unanimously and now awaits a vote in the Senate. Specifically, it:

• Commissions a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on the ability of veteran and reservist small business owners to access credit.
  • This includes a new analysis on common sources of credit and how deployment and other military responsibilities affect veterans' and reservists' credit.
• Requires the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development to develop an action plan for outreach and promotion of the many programs available to veterans looking to transition into the business world.
• Requires the task force to report annually to Congress on its appointments and outline its plan for outreach on the many programs available to veterans, service-disabled veterans, reservists, and their spouses.

While military experience provides transferable entrepreneurial training and skills, the number of veterans starting their own business has decreased drastically over the last few decades. Today, only 4.5 percent of the more than 3.6 million veterans who have served since September 11, 2001 have launched a company. In contrast, the number of World War II and Korean War veterans who went on to operate a business was 50 and 40 percent, respectively. Reasons for this decline include challenges accessing credit, transitioning to civilian life, and overcoming stigmas around physical disabilities and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Davids has been a dedicated advocate for the support of Kansas veterans after their return from active duty. Most recently, she helped pass the Honoring our PACT Act, which expands Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) health care eligibility to 3.5 million American veterans exposed to burn pits and toxic airborne hazards while deployed. Davids' office also helps military and veteran constituents access VA health care and benefits and acts as a facilitator between federal, state, and local agencies. For more information on how veterans can receive assistance, constituents are encouraged to visit Davids' website or call her office at (913) 621-0832.