The Bill
Small businesses that struggle to afford the technology needed to run their day-to-day operations may now be able to secure federal loans to help, thanks to Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV-2). Moore voted June 24 to pass the Small Business Technological Advancement Act, which would allow small businesses to use federally-backed loans to pay for software and cloud computing services — including tools powered by artificial intelligence.
H.R. 915, which passed with broad bipartisan support, expands the Small Business Administration's (SBA) 7(a) loan program. This is the agency's primary small business lending tool. Under the bill, it would cover costs like business software, payroll systems, accounting platforms, and cloud services. Currently, those expenses aren't eligible for the program.
The bill was introduced in February 2025 by Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO-4) and cleared the House Small Business Committee unanimously before reaching the floor.
***
The Vote Breakdown
The final tally was lopsided: 205 Republicans voted yes, with just four voting no. Democrats backed it 208 to 0. Moore voted with his party's majority.
Small businesses across West Virginia's second District, which spans much of the state's eastern and central counties, could now gain access to SBA-backed financing for the kind of digital tools that many larger competitors already use every day.
Moore has sponsored 17 bills and missed 12 votes since taking office in 2025.
The bill now moves forward in the legislative process.
---
Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article