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H.R. 3496119th CongressPassed one chamberLatest action Jan 26, 2026Decoded by AI · checked against the record
Official title: Northern Mariana Islands Small Business Access Act
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govThe plain-language version leads. The official text is always the reference.
HR 3496 would add the CNMI to the SBA Microloan Program, letting local nonprofits access federal funds for small business loans.
50-second read · 4 questions answered below
HR 3496 would amend the SBA Microloan Program to include the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, which is currently excluded while other U.S. territories such as Guam are eligible. The program distributes federal funds to approved nonprofit lenders, who then issue small loans, up to $50,000, to entrepreneurs and small business owners. The bill does not alter how the program operates in any other part of the country.
Small business owners and entrepreneurs in the Northern Mariana Islands are the primary people affected. Nonprofit lenders based in the CNMI would also be affected, as they would become eligible to apply for participation in the federal program.
Adding the CNMI would extend to its residents access to a lending channel that other U.S. territories already have. Nonprofit lenders there could begin applying for federal funds and issuing small loans to local businesses that may not qualify for traditional bank financing.
AI-drafted summary. Verify it against the official text before you act on it. Read the official bill on Congress.gov
Right now: it passed the House, and the official record shows nothing new since. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the President.
Latest action: — Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.