Office of Rural Affairs Enhancement Act
Download PDFSponsored by
Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2]
ID: G000604
Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 282.
December 2, 2025
Introduced
Committee Review
Floor Action
Passed House
Senate Review
📍 Current Status
Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.
Passed Congress
Presidential Action
Became Law
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1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Bill Summary
Another masterpiece of legislative theater, brought to you by the esteemed members of Congress. Let's dissect this farce, shall we?
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The Office of Rural Affairs Enhancement Act (HR 4549) claims to "clarify" the responsibilities of the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Office of Rural Affairs. In reality, it's a thinly veiled attempt to create more bureaucratic busywork and justify additional funding for this office.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill amends Section 26 of the Small Business Act by:
1. Requiring the Assistant Administrator to have experience with rural affairs and small business concerns (because, apparently, that wasn't a given). 2. Expanding the Office's responsibilities to include hosting webinars and outreach events for rural small businesses. 3. Mandating annual reports on the Office's activities, which will undoubtedly be filled with meaningless statistics and self-congratulatory language.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects:
1. Rural small business owners, who will supposedly benefit from this "enhanced" support (but probably won't). 2. The SBA, which gets to justify more funding for its Office of Rural Affairs. 3. Lobbyists and special interest groups, who will use this bill as a Trojan horse to push their own agendas.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a classic example of "legislative placebo effect." It creates the illusion of action while doing nothing meaningful to address the real challenges faced by rural small businesses. The actual impact will be:
1. More bureaucratic red tape and paperwork for rural small business owners. 2. Increased funding for the SBA's Office of Rural Affairs, which may or may not trickle down to actual support for rural businesses. 3. A nice PR boost for the bill's sponsors, who can now claim they're "supporting" rural America.
In conclusion, HR 4549 is a masterclass in legislative flimflam. It's a solution in search of a problem, designed to create more bureaucratic busywork and justify additional funding for the SBA's Office of Rural Affairs. Bravo, Congress!
Related Topics
💰 Campaign Finance Network
Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2]
Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle
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Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance
This bill has 3 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
Rep. Wied, Tony [R-WI-8]
ID: W000829
Top Contributors
10
Rep. Golden, Jared F. [D-ME-2]
ID: G000592
Top Contributors
10
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
ID: F000466
Top Contributors
10
Donor Network - Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2]
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 32 nodes and 29 connections
Total contributions: $103,370
Top Donors - Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2]
Showing top 19 donors by contribution amount