WATCH: Davids’ Bill to Support Native American Entrepreneurs Advances Out of Committee

Today, Representative Sharice Davids' bipartisan bill, known as the Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act, passed out of committee with unanimous bipartisan support. Davids, an enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and member of the U.S. House Small Business Committee, introduced this legislation alongside Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ-02) to enhance the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Office of Native American Affairs (ONAA).

"Small businesses are the heartbeat of our communities and economy, and Tribal businesses are often important employers on reservations and their surrounding areas," said Davids. "We must break down barriers and increase access to resources so that every entrepreneur and business owner can grow their operation and succeed, and it all begins with having a seat at the table. I appreciate the broad bipartisan support for this bill, which aims to provide Native entrepreneurs with direct access to SBA leadership."

“Economic development in our tribal communities is crucial—not just for those communities, but for everyone in our districts and states,” said Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ-02). “This bill will help draw more attention to the resources available to tribal business owners through the SBA and encourage the ONAA to continue developing new methods for outreach to ensure that tribal businesses are not overlooked—all without unnecessarily expanding government.”

Currently, the ONAA has a valuable but limited mission: to support Native American entrepreneurs, conduct outreach with tribal communities, and connect Native business owners with SBA resources. However, because the current SBA budget does not include explicit funding for the ONAA, the office can only support a small staff and can be unilaterally disbanded.

The Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act would codify the ONAA into federal law, establishing an Assistant Administrator role to oversee its operations and report directly to SBA leadership. It would also create a better government-to-government working relationship with Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations. ONAA would also be able to expand its grant-making ability, establish field offices, conduct tribal consultation, utilize SBA's entrepreneurial and contracting programs, and provide training, counseling, and technical assistance.

"As a consistent champion of sourcing high-skilled opportunities for Native American workers, Navancio stands in strong support of the re-introduction of the Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act,” said Navancio executive leadership. “The expansion of the SBA’s Office of Native American Affairs will provide substantial resources to support Native American-owned businesses, such as ourselves, who continue to work with the federal government to create new avenues for economic development in tribal reservations. By ramping up the SBA’s entrepreneurial and contracting programs, this bill will ensure that companies such as ours are better equipped to recruit Native American talent into the procurement space. We stand with Representative Davids and urge Congress to swiftly pass this vital legislation.”

“The National Center applauds the leadership of Rep. Davids in introducing the House version of the Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act,” said Chris James, President and CEO, The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development. “As a former Associate Administrator at SBA, I understand the need for Indian Country to have an advocate within the agency who has a direct line to the Administrator. The unique economic and entrepreneurial needs of our community – and government-to-government consultation – must always be a priority at SBA. I look forward to working with Rep. Davids, House co-sponsors, and Senate champions to ensure this vital bipartisan legislation becomes law in 2024 so that, in years to come, Indian Country will have a seat at the head table in an agency that plays a critical role in boosting tribal economies.”

"The Office of Native American Affairs provides important opportunities, support, and education to numerous Native owned businesses across the country,” said Quinton Carroll, Executive Director, Native American Contractors Association. “The Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act will advance and move the office forward with stability to bolster economic development in Native communities.”

“Ho-Chunk Inc. applauds Representative Davids’ commitment to advancing this important bipartisan legislation to provide statutory authority for the establishment of the Office of Native American Affairs within the Small Business Administration,” said Annette Hamilton, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Ho-Chunk Inc. “The SBA Office of Native American Affairs is a critical partner to Tribally-owned entities and ensures that decisions made within the Administration are conducted with consultation and culturally-tailored solutions. Tribally-owned entities are essential economic drivers for communities that have long been disadvantaged, so having a permanent position at SBA will serve to enhance continuity in the programs that have been so effective for Winnebago tribal members.”

The Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act, which Davids originally introduced in 2021, has also passed out of committee in the Senate this year. Davids’ additional work to support small business owners includes pushing for oversight of relief programs and urging the SBA to address fraud and protect small business owners in need. As a member of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access, she has also focused on shoring up supply chains for small- and medium-sized manufacturers here at home and reducing operating costs.