Small Business Language Accessibility Act

The Small Business Language Accessibility Act requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to update its regulations so that small business development centers (SBDCs) must assess whether language translation services are needed for their clients. This directly affects SBDCs - which provide free business support to small businesses - and the small business owners who use these services, particularly those with limited English proficiency. Within 180 days of the law taking effect, the SBA must revise a specific regulation (13 CFR §130.330(a)) to mandate this assessment as part of each SBDC’s needs evaluation process. The law aims to improve access to SBA resources by ensuring language barriers are identified before services are delivered.