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Read. Follow. Verify.Investing in the American Dream Act (H.R. 8563)
Last action · April 28, 2026: Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.Sponsors: Nydia Velázquez and 25 others
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What This Bill Would Do
This bill clarifies which individuals are eligible to own small businesses that qualify for federal Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. It explicitly includes various categories of non-citizens, such as refugees, asylees, and permanent residents, as eligible owners for the purpose of loan applications.
The bill establishes federal eligibility standards for small business loans, determining which non-citizen business owners can access SBA-guaranteed financing and surety bonds.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Small business owners who are non-citizens
The bill clarifies their eligibility to qualify their businesses for SBA-backed loans.
Small Business Administration
The agency must apply these specific eligibility definitions when processing loan applications.
Key Facts
- The bill defines 'covered loans' to include 7(a) loans, microloans, title V loans, and surety bond guarantees.
- Eligible individuals for business ownership include asylees, refugees, nonimmigrants with valid status, permanent residents, and individuals granted deferred action (DACA).
- Eligible individuals also include those whose principal residence is outside the United States.
- To qualify for a covered loan, a small business must be at least 51% owned and controlled by U.S. citizens, nationals, or 'eligible individuals'.
Show all 8 facts
- Eligible individuals must be lawfully present and authorized to work in the U.S. at the time of loan application.
- The bill prohibits denying a loan solely because the business is owned by eligible individuals, provided they meet the ownership and work authorization requirements.
- The bill explicitly prevents the Small Business Administration from increasing the 51% ownership requirement.
- The bill applies to small business concerns as defined by the Small Business Act.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this bill allow non-citizens to get small business loans?
Can the SBA change the ownership requirements after this bill passes?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Apr 28, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to the House Committee on Small Business.
- Apr 28, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
AARP
2026
“P.L. 119-21, One Big Beautiful Bill Act H.R. 8867, Planning for Long-term Aging Needs (PLAN) Act H.R. 5861, Legacy Act of 2025 H.R. 9393, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. H.R. 9396, the Prior Authorization Accountability Act. S. 4916, the Aging with Artificial Intelligence Act. H.R. 8100, Safe Staffing Saves Lives Act. S. 3886, Nurses Belong in Nursing Homes Act. H.R. 6766/S. 3492, the Essential Caregivers Act of 2025. H.R. 7966/S. 4118, Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act. S. 2120, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 H.R. 5575, the Firefighters Assisting Seniors to Emergency Response (FASTER) Act of 2025. H.R. 3954/S. 4641, Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act. H.R.5554/S.2831, Stand Strong for Medicare Act. S. 3439/H.R. 6735, Connecting Caregivers to Medicare Act and efforts related to the bill S. 1227/H.R. 2491, Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act S. 668/H.R. 3183, Supporting Access to Falls Education and Prevention and Strengthening Training Efforts and Promoting Safety Initiatives (SAFE STEPS) for Veterans Act of 2025 CMS-1851-P, Hospice Proposed rule. CMS-1843-P, Skilled Nursing Facility Proposed rule. CMS-1844-P, Home Health Proposed rule. No bill number. Health care transparency. No bill number. Discussed use of artificial intelligence and health data technology. No bill number. Discussed health-related policies and activities around the fall respiratory virus season. No bill number. Discussed health insurance affordability proposals. No bill number. Discussed Nursing Home staffing standards, safety, and quality. No bill number. Discussed Nursing home transparency and ownership requirements. No bill number. Discussed home health, hospice, and long-term care. No bill number. Discussed falls prevention. No bill number. Discussed social isolation. No bill number. Discussed HUD Assisted Living Requirements No bill number. Discussed family caregiving. No bill number. Discussed AARP paper on Medicare Caregiver Training Services. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid community engagement interim final rule, including the family caregiver exemption. No bill number. Discussed the paid direct care workforce in long-term care. No bill number. Discussed the unaffordability of long-term care. No bill number. Discussed Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program and Medicaid HCBS spousal impoverishment protections. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid fraud and family caregivers, Medicaid self-direction programs. No bill number. Discussed sandwich generation family caregiver hearing and submitted a statement for the record discussing family caregivers and sandwich generation caregivers, programs that support them, AARP caregiving resources, and federal policies to support sandwich generation caregivers and caregivers more broadly. No bill number. Discussed long-term care. No bill number. CMS-2453-NC; Medicaid Program; 2028 Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Quality Measure Set Submitted comments No bill number. Discussed expanding access to home care. No bill number. Discussed the increasing cost of home care No bill number. Discussed HSA use for telehealth chronic care management services/subscriptions. No bill number. Discussed artificial intelligence and technology”
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 21 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Codification of Eligibility
The bill moves to codify specific immigration statuses as eligible for SBA loans, potentially reducing administrative ambiguity for lenders.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.congress.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy50Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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