Expanding the Surety Bond Program Act of 2025
Small Business: Expanding Surety Bond Guarantees
This bill has been approved by the Senate committee and is now waiting for a vote by the full Senate. It is currently listed on the Senate calendar and is actively moving through the legislative process.
Legislative Progress
The bill has already passed the Senate and supports small business growth, which usually gets broad support in the House.
Key Points
- This bill increases the maximum size of a contract that the Small Business Administration can guarantee through its surety bond program. The limit would jump from $6.5 million to $18 million, allowing small businesses to bid on much larger construction and service projects.
- Surety bonds are like insurance policies that guarantee a business will finish a job. Many small businesses cannot get these bonds on their own, so the government steps in to back them up. By raising the limit, the bill helps small firms compete with bigger companies for major projects.
- To protect taxpayers, the bill includes a safety trigger. If the program needs extra money from Congress to stay afloat, the $18 million limit will automatically drop by one third until the program's finances are stable again.
- The Small Business Administration will now be allowed to use a small portion of the program's fund to pay for administrative costs. This includes updating computer systems and reaching out to more small business owners to let them know about the program.
- The government will also look for ways to make the program easier to use. A watchdog agency will study how to cut down on paperwork and make the application process faster for busy small business owners.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 135.
The bill is now on the schedule for the full chamber to consider. It's in line for debate and a vote.
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Reported by Senator Ernst with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
The committee approved this bill and is sending it to the full chamber for a vote. This is a significant step — most bills never get this far.
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
The committee approved this bill and is sending it to the full chamber for a vote. This is a significant step — most bills never get this far.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Expanding the Surety Bond Program Act of 2025
Data Sources
Sponsor
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.