The Bill
Small businesses that can't afford the technology needed to run their day-to-day operation and can't get reliable credit elsewhere may now have another option: federally-backed loans to cover the expenses. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-5) voted yes on June 24 on the Small Business Technological Advancement Act, a bipartisan bill that passed the House with broad support from both parties.
The vote was not close.
The bill would allow the Small Business Administration (SBA) to expand its existing 7(a) loan program. The 7(a) program is the SBA's primary loan guarantee program, designed for small businesses that can't get reasonable credit elsewhere. If the bill passes in the Senate, the program would be able to help small businesses pay for software and cloud computing services — so things like payroll systems, accounting tools, HR platforms, and inventory tracking. It would also cover business tools that use artificial intelligence.
The bill was introduced on February 4, 2025 by Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO-4). It cleared the House Small Business Committee 23–0 before reaching the floor.
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The Vote Breakdown
Republicans voted 205–4 in favor. Democrats voted 208–0. Biggs voted with his party's majority.
Biggs has served in Congress since 2017 and has missed 26 votes during the 119th Congress. Since April, he has missed 18. But this was not one of them.
The bill now moves to the Senate, where an identical bill, S.305, has already been introduced.
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