To amend the Small Business Act to help owners and employees of small business concerns understand their rights and responsibilities with respect to immigration enforcement, and for other purposes.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9943 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9943

 To amend the Small Business Act to help owners and employees of small
  business concerns understand their rights and responsibilities with
      respect to immigration enforcement, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 23, 2026

Ms. Velazquez (for herself, Mr. Cisneros, Ms. Mejia, Mr. Espaillat, Ms.
Meng, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Simon, Ms. Barragan, Ms.
 Norton, Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, and
   Ms. Pou) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
                      Committee on Small Business

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To amend the Small Business Act to help owners and employees of small
  business concerns understand their rights and responsibilities with
      respect to immigration enforcement, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Businessowner Immigration Rights and
Responsibilities Information Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT IMMIGRATION RIGHTS AND
              RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS.

    (a) In General.--The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is
amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 49 as section 50; and
            (2) by inserting after section 48 the following new
        section:

``SEC. 49. EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT IMMIGRATION RIGHTS AND
              RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Administrator shall--
            ``(1) establish and maintain educational resources and
        modules for small business concerns that contain the
        information on the rights and responsibilities of individuals
        during or after an attempted or anticipated immigration
        enforcement action described in subsection (b)(1);
            ``(2) create and disseminate a card (in electronic and
        printed form) with the information described in subsection
        (b)(2) for owners and employees of small business concerns; and
            ``(3) establish and maintain compliance and planning
        materials (in electronic and printed form) for owners and
        employees of small business concerns to prepare for a potential
        immigration enforcement action.
    ``(b) Required Contents.--
            ``(1) Educational resources and modules.--The educational
        resources and modules described in subsection (a)(1) shall
        include the following:
                    ``(A) Information on how to respond to an attempted
                or anticipated immigration enforcement action on the
                premises of a small business concern, including--
                            ``(i) directions to remain calm;
                            ``(ii) information on the constitutional
                        right of owners and employees of the concern to
                        remain silent, refuse to answer questions, and
                        refuse to sign documents;
                            ``(iii) information on the constitutional
                        right of such owners and employees to see a
                        signed judicial search warrant for searches of
                        any private areas of the premises; and
                            ``(iv) how to respond to unconstitutional
                        or unlawful searches and seizures of persons,
                        or of property of such owners or employees, by
                        any Federal law enforcement agent engaged in
                        the enforcement of the immigration laws (as
                        such term is defined in section 101(a) of the
                        Immigration and Nationality Act), during and
                        after such actions.
                    ``(B) Information on how to respond to the arrest
                or detention of an owner or employee of a small
                business concern, including--
                            ``(i) information on the constitutional
                        right of such owners and employees to speak to
                        a lawyer immediately;
                            ``(ii) information on the constitutional
                        right of such owners and employees to remain
                        silent, refuse to answer questions, and refuse
                        to sign documents; and
                            ``(iii) information on the ability of such
                        owners and employees to contact the offices of
                        the Members of Congress that represent such
                        owners and employees to seek casework
                        assistance and help with connections to legal
                        representation.
                    ``(C) Best practices for owners of small business
                concerns in planning for responses to encounters with
                such enforcement agents on the premises of a small
                business concern, including--
                            ``(i) ensuring at least one trusted
                        individual off the premises has a copy of such
                        response plans;
                            ``(ii) practicing response plans with
                        employees; and
                            ``(iii) clearly marking private areas, such
                        as back rooms, break rooms, storerooms,
                        offices, and kitchens, with appropriate
                        signage.
                    ``(D) The responsibilities of owners of small
                business concerns to comply with applicable immigration
                and work authorization regulations when vetting
                candidates for employment, including best practices for
                owners of small business concerns in remaining updated
                on, and complying with, such regulations.
                    ``(E) Information on how to prepare for, and
                respond to, I-9 audits, notices of immigration
                enforcement inspection, and immigration enforcement
                employer sanctions, including information on the
                constitutional right of owners of small business
                concerns to acquire a lawyer when accused of employing
                individuals without work authorization.
            ``(2) Card.--The card described in subsection (a)(2) shall
        include the information described in subparagraphs (A) and (B)
        of paragraph (1).
            ``(3) Compliance and planning materials.--The compliance
        and planning materials described in subsection (a)(3) shall
        include the information described in subparagraphs (C), (D),
        and (E) of paragraph (1).
            ``(4) Disclaimer.--The educational resources and modules,
        card, and compliance and planning materials described in
        subsection (a) shall each include a disclaimer stating such
        item is for general informational purposes only, and not legal
        advice, and directing individuals in need of legal advice to
        contact an attorney.
    ``(c) Dissemination.--The Administrator shall--
            ``(1) make the educational resources and modules described
        in subsection (a)(1) publicly available on an existing online
        learning platform of the Administration;
            ``(2) make the electronic version of the card described in
        subsection (a)(2) and the compliance and planning materials
        described in subsection (a)(3) publicly available on the
        website of each regional and district office of the
        Administration and authorize such offices to distribute a
        physical version of such card and such materials.
    ``(d) Prohibited Contents.--The educational resources and modules,
card, and compliance and planning materials described in subsection (a)
shall not include any statement--
            ``(1) blaming owners or employees of small business
        concerns for any errors made in efforts to comply with
        immigration laws;
            ``(2) disagreeing with the information required by
        subsection (b);
            ``(3) making normative judgements about the legality of the
        presence of a person in the United States;
            ``(4) discouraging the use by a small business concern of
        services and resources provided by the Administration based on
        the perceived immigration status of any of its owners or
        employees; or
            ``(5) disagreeing with the requirements or intent of this
        section.
    ``(e) Accuracy and Maintenance.--
            ``(1) In general.--To the extent practicable, the
        Administrator shall ensure that the information contained in
        the educational resources and modules, card, and compliance and
        planning materials described in subsection (a) is factually
        accurate and current, including by consulting with--
                    ``(A) the Secretary of the Department of Homeland
                Security;
                    ``(B) the Director of the Executive Office for
                Immigration Review of the Department of Justice;
                    ``(C) other Federal departments and agencies as
                appropriate; and
                    ``(D) relevant policy or legal experts from--
                            ``(i) resource partners;
                            ``(ii) organizations with demonstrated
                        expertise in civil rights and liberties; and
                            ``(iii) organizations with demonstrated
                        expertise in immigration law or policy.
            ``(2) Incorporation of information in educational resources
        and modules.--In establishing and maintaining such educational
        resources and modules, card, and compliance and planning
        materials, the Administrator--
                    ``(A) shall consider relevant, existing information
                developed by--
                            ``(i) resource partners;
                            ``(ii) the Chair or the Ranking Member of
                        the Committee on Small Business of the United
                        States House of Representatives; and
                            ``(iii) the Chair or the Ranking Member of
                        the Committee on Small Business and
                        Entrepreneurship of the United States Senate;
                    ``(B) may consider relevant, existing information
                developed by private and nonprofit entities; and
                    ``(C) may incorporate information described in
                subparagraphs (A) and (B) into such educational
                resources and modules.
            ``(3) Updates.--In maintaining such educational resources
        and modules, card, and compliance and planning materials, the
        Administrator shall make updates to such educational resources
        and modules, card, and materials in response to relevant
        changes to immigration laws.
    ``(f) Resource Partner Involvement.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Administrator shall coordinate with
        resource partners to disseminate information to raise the
        awareness of small business concerns about availability of the
        educational resources and modules, card, and compliance and
        planning materials described in subsection (a), including by
        distributing physical copies of such card and materials to
        resource partners.
            ``(2) State and local information.--In disseminating the
        information developed under subsection (a), resource partners
        may incorporate information on immigration protections and
        resources provided by State and local governments, and provide
        related webinars and in-person training.
    ``(g) Translated Materials.--The Administrator shall ensure that
the information in the educational resources and modules, card, and
compliance and planning materials described in subsection (a) is
available in the 15 most commonly spoken languages in the United States
other than English, including Spanish and Chinese, as well as American
Sign Language.''.
    (b) Deadline.--The Administrator of the Small Business
Administration shall establish the educational resources and modules,
card, and planning materials required by section 49 of the Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.), as added by this Act, not later
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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