H.R. 825

119 HR 825 EH: Assisting Small Businesses Not Fraudsters Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
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 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 I
 119th CONGRESS  1st Session
 H. R. 825
 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 AN ACT
To prohibit individuals convicted of defrauding the Government from receiving any assistance from the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Assisting Small Businesses Not Fraudsters Act  .
2.
Assistance prohibited after fraud conviction
(a)
In general
Section 16 of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 645 ) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
(h)
Financial assistance prohibition
(1)
In general
An associate of a small business concern who is finally convicted of any crime involving or relating to financial misconduct or a false statement with respect to a covered loan or grant shall be ineligible to receive any financial assistance from the Administrator, other than financial assistance under section 7(b).
(2)
Business concerns
A small business concern that has as an associate an individual subject to paragraph (1) shall be ineligible to receive any financial assistance from the Administrator, other than financial assistance under section 7(b).
(3)
Definitions
In this subsection:
(A)
Associate
The term  associate  means, with respect to a small business concern—
(i)
an officer, director, or owner of more than 20 percent of the equity of, or a key employee of, such small business concern;
(ii)
any entity not less than 20 percent owned or controlled by one or more individuals referred to in clause (i); and
(iii)
any other individual or entity in control of or controlled by such small business concern, except for a licensed small business investment company (as defined in section 103(3) of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 ( 15 U.S.C. 662(3) )).
(B)
Covered loan or grant
The term  covered loan or grant  means—
(i)
a loan made under—
(I)
paragraph (36) or (37) of subsection (a) of section 7; or
(II)
subsection (b) of such section in response to the COVID–19 pandemic; or
(ii)
a grant made under—
(I)
section 5003 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ( 15 U.S.C. 9009c ); or
(II)
section 324 of the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act ( 15 U.S.C. 9009a ).
(C)
Finally convicted
The term  finally convicted  means, with respect to a person, that such person has been convicted of an offense and such conviction—
(i)
has not been appealed and is no longer appealable because the time for taking an appeal has expired; or
(ii)
has been appealed and the appeals process for such conviction is completed.
 .
(b)
Applicability
Subsection (h) of section 16 of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 645 ), as added by subsection (a) of this Act, shall not apply to any contract or other agreement entered into by the Government prior to the date of the enactment of this Act.
     Passed the House of Representatives February 24, 2025.  Kevin F. McCumber,  Clerk.