Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration ("SBA" or "Agency") proposes to amend its regulations to align the Section 8(a) Business Development Program (8(a) BD program) with constitutional requirements and the law. The proposed rule applies only to the 8(a) BD eligibility of small businesses owned and controlled by individuals. It does not in any way amend or affect the eligibility of entity-owned small businesses (i.e., those owned by tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, Native Hawaiian Organizations, or Community Development Corporations). Specifically, the proposed rule would amend SBA's regulations to remove the rebuttable presumption that individuals belonging to certain designated groups are socially disadvantaged and set forth revised standards for individuals establishing social disadvantage.
Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Small Business Administration 13 CFR Part 124 [SBA-2026-0133] RIN 3245-AI75 ( printed page 35433) AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: The U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA” or “Agency”) proposes to amend its regulations to align the Section 8(a) Business Development Program (8(a) BD program) with constitutional requirements and the law. The proposed rule applies only to the 8(a) BD eligibility of small businesses owned and controlled by individuals. It does not in any way amend or affect the eligibility of entity-owned small businesses ( i.e., those owned by tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, Native Hawaiian Organizations, or Community Development Corporations). Specifically, the proposed rule would amend SBA's regulations to remove the rebuttable presumption that individuals belonging to certain designated groups are socially disadvantaged and set forth revised standards for individuals establishing social disadvantage. DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 13, 2026. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. SBA-2026-0133 or RIN 3245-AI75, by any of the following methods: Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for submitting comments. Mail (for paper submissions): Office of Government Contracting and Business Development, 409 Third Street SW, Washington, DC 20416. Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency nam…
Citation: 91 FR 35433
