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This bill would make a 2021 Small Business Administration rule permanently count as law. The rule says faith-based organizations should be treated the same as other groups when they apply for certain SBA loan and disaster assistance programs. In simple terms, the bill is meant to make sure religious organizations are not left out of these programs just because they are faith-based.
- It applies to SBA loan and disaster assistance programs.
- It turns a proposed SBA rule from January 19, 2021, into law.
- The goal is to require equal treatment for faith-based organizations in these programs.
Official Summaries
Fair Assistance and Impartial Treatment of Help In Small Business Act
This bill implements a proposed rule by the Small Business Administration (SBA) that allows certain faith-based organizations to access business loan and disaster assistance programs.
The programs include the Intermediary Lending Program (ILP), Business Loan programs (7(a), microloan, and 504 programs), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan (MREIDL) program, and Immediate Disaster Assistance Program (IDAP).
Current SBA regulations generally prohibit access to these programs if an organization is principally engaged in teaching, instructing, counseling, or indoctrinating religion or religious beliefs.
Recent Supreme Court opinions have found it unconstitutional to deny an otherwise qualified recipient access to a public benefit based solely on the organization's religious character (e.g., Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer, 582 U.S. 449 (2017)).
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 522 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 522
To ensure equal treatment for certain faith-based organizations in
certain Small Business Administration programs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 16, 2025
Mr. Mann (for himself, Mr. Schmidt, and Mr. Babin) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Small Business
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To ensure equal treatment for certain faith-based organizations in
certain Small Business Administration programs.
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 ``Fair Assistance and Impartial
Treatment of Help In Small Business Act'' or the ``FAITH in Small
Business Act''.
SEC. 2. ENSURING EQUAL TREATMENT FOR CERTAIN FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS
IN CERTAIN SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION PROGRAMS.
The proposed rule of the Small Business Administration titled
``Ensuring Equal Treatment for Faith-Based Organizations in SBA's Loan
and Disaster Assistance Programs'' issued January 19, 2021, shall have
the force and effect of law.
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