Sba Artificial Intelligence Utilization Act of 2026

Floor Speech

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Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8881) to amend the Small Business Act to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to report on the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning by the Administration, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 8881

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 ``SBA Artificial Intelligence Utilization Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. REPORTS REGARDING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING USE BY THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION.

Section 10(c) of the Small Business Act is amended to read as follows:

``(c) Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Use Reports.--

``(1) Reports required.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection, and annually thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate a report on--

``(A) the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning by the Administration;

``(B) the benefits and risks posed by the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the work of the Administration, including in impeding the operations of the Administration; and

``(C) measures that the Administrator can take to effectively identify, evaluate, and manage such benefits and risks, including explanations of how the Administrator can--

``(i) retain human involvement in important decisions informed by recommendations made by artificial intelligence or machine learning;

``(ii) identify tasks and functions that artificial intelligence or machine learning can and cannot reliably and effectively perform, including whether artificial intelligence and machine learning can improve operations, productivity, or customer service;

``(iii) determine which specific artificial intelligence or machine learning tools are appropriate for a particular task or function, if such task or function is determined to have the potential to be reliably and effectively performed by artificial intelligence or machine learning; and

``(iv) determine whether an artificial intelligence or machine learning tool adequately fills a need of the Administration and is worth adopting to fulfill such need.

``(2) Briefing required.--Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Administrator submits each report required under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall provide to the committees described in such paragraph a briefing on such report.

``(3) Definitions.--In this subsection, the terms `artificial intelligence' and `machine learning' have the meanings given, respectively, in section 5002 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (15 U.S.C. 9401).''.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8881, the SBA Artificial Intelligence Utilization Act of 2026, introduced by Representative Finstad from the great State of Minnesota and Representative Latimer from the great State of New York.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how businesses operate. Across this great country, companies are using AI and machine learning technologies to improve customer service, detect fraud, streamline operations, and process information more effectively. As these technologies continue to develop, Federal agencies should evaluate how to responsibly leverage them to better serve the American people.

The Small Business Administration plays a critical role in supporting entrepreneurs and job creators across this Nation. As the agency works to improve service delivery, strengthen program integrity, and modernize its operations, Congress should have visibility into how emerging technologies are being used.

H.R. 8881 requires the SBA to submit annual reports to Congress regarding the agency's use of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. The bill requires the SBA to evaluate both the benefits and risks associated with these technologies, identify appropriate uses for AI tools, and explain how the agency maintains human involvement and oversight in its decisions assisted by AI.

As the Federal Government works to prevent fraud and protect taxpayer dollars, AI tools can help the SBA better identify suspicious activity, detect improper payments, improve customer service, and strengthen oversight of agency programs. At the same time, Congress must ensure that these technologies are deployed responsibly and transparently.

By providing regular information to the SBA's use of artificial intelligence, this legislation will help promote a more efficient and accountable government while ensuring that innovation is paired with appropriate oversight and human judgment.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 8881, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 8881 to help modernize the SBA and ensure the agency can better serve America's small business.

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