Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

The Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship has jurisdiction over all legislation related to the Small Business Administration (SBA), the federal agency that provides loans, mentorship, and support to small businesses. The committee also studies and investigates problems facing American small business enterprises and reports findings to the full Senate. By tradition, it reviews matters affecting small business that fall outside other committees' jurisdictions.

When bills are referred to the committee, members hold hearings on policy issues and specific proposals, develop legislation through a markup process where amendments are considered, and then report bills with recommendations to the full Senate for a floor vote. The committee also reviews nominations for key SBA positions, including the Administrator and Inspector General.

Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) leads the committee, with Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Massachusetts) representing the minority. The 19-member committee has been active on multiple fronts in 2025-2026. Recent legislative priorities include reforms to the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR-STTR) programs, fraud prevention in SBA lending, modernization of SBA technology systems, and expanding opportunities for underserved entrepreneurs including veterans, women-owned businesses, and rural small businesses. The committee has processed hundreds of bills addressing topics from disaster relief coordination to artificial intelligence applications for small business growth.