Returning SBA to Main Street Act (S. 5501)

Where This Stands

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Signed

Currently IN_COMMITTEE. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

The bill would shift the physical presence of federal agency staff from the nation's capital to regional offices across the country, potentially changing local staffing levels and in-person service availability for small businesses nationwide.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

SBA headquarters employees

Employees face potential mandatory relocation to regional offices, changes in pay locality, and the loss of full-time telework eligibility.

Small business owners

The bill aims to increase in-person customer service availability in regional offices outside the Washington area.

What changed

Current stage: IN_COMMITTEE.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Summary

This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to move 30% of its headquarters staff to offices outside the Washington, D.C. area and reduce its headquarters office space by 30%. It also mandates that relocated employees must work in-person and have their pay adjusted to local market rates.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will all SBA headquarters employees be forced to move?

No, the bill requires the relocation of at least 30% of headquarters employees. Employees with approved full-time telework accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act are exempt.

Can employees sue if they are selected for relocation?

No, the bill explicitly states that nothing in the Act shall be construed to establish a to challenge any decision or action taken under the law.

What happens to the pay of employees who are moved?

Their pay will be recalculated based on the of their new, non-Washington .

Why It Matters

The bill would shift the physical presence of federal agency staff from the nation's capital to regional offices across the country, potentially changing local staffing levels and in-person service availability for small businesses nationwide.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Aggressive Decentralization

The bill mandates a specific 30% reduction in both staff concentration and physical office footprint, signaling a legislative push to move federal operations out of the capital.

Small Business Administration

Connected Entities

locationWashington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA“The pay locality used for calculating employee rates.”Map →

organizationSmall Business Administration“The agency being targeted for relocation.”Map →

organizationBureau of the Census“Source of data used to define ‘rural’.”Map →

personAdministrator of the Small Business Administration“The individual responsible for implementing the relocation.”Map →

organizationSenate“The legislative body where the bill was introduced.”Map →

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance75
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy65
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment20
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz30
Current news / social attention level