Data / Federal rules / 2026-16370
Reforms to 13 CFR 124.103 To Remove SBA's 8(a) Program's Rebuttable Presumption of Social Disadvantage for Individually Owned Firms Only. Reforms Do Not Impact Entity-Owned Firms
The Small Business Administration published this final rule in the Federal Register on August 11, 2026. It took effect on September 10, 2026.
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What the agency says
The U.S. Small Business Administration ("SBA" or "Agency") amends its regulations to align the Section 8(a) Business Development Program (8(a) BD program) with constitutional requirements and the law. The rule applies only to the 8(a) BD eligibility of small businesses owned and controlled by individuals. It does not in any way amend or affect the eligibility of entity-owned small businesses (i.e., those owned by tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, Native Hawaiian Organizations, or Community Development Corporations). Specifically, the rule amends SBA's regulations to remove the rebuttable presumption that individuals belonging to certain designated groups are socially disadvantaged and sets forth revised standards for individuals establishing social disadvantage.
Key facts
- Document number
- 2026-16370
- Type
- Final rule
- Action
- Final rule
- Agency
- Small Business Administration
- Published
- August 11, 2026
- Takes effect
- September 10, 2026
- Dates
- This rule is effective on September 10, 2026. It applies to all pending applications of individually-owned applicants as of that date.
- Docket
- SBA-2026-0133
- Regulation ID (RIN)
- 3245-AI75
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 13 CFR 124
- Topics
- Administrative practice and procedure; Government procurement; Government property; Small businesses
- Pages
- 6
Other documents from the Small Business Administration
| Document | Type | Published |
|---|---|---|
| Removing Constitutional Concerns From SBA Programs 2026-19878 | Final rule | Sep 29 |
| Small Business Size Standards 2026-19546 | Proposed rule | Sep 24 |
| Rescinding Unnecessary Notice and Comment Procedures 2026-17731 | Final rule | Aug 31 |
| Small Business Size Standards 2026-17042 | Proposed rule | Aug 20 |
| Small Business Size Standards: Revised Size Standards Methodology 2026-17039 | Proposed rule | Aug 20 |
| Reforms To Remove SBA's 8(a) Program's Rebuttable Presumption of Social Disadvantage for Individually Owned Firms Only; Reforms Do Not Impact Entity-Owned Firms 2026-11765 | Proposed rule | Jun 11 |
| Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance 2026-10817 | Proposed rule | May 29 |
| Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act Regulations Statutory Updates 2026-05459 | Final rule | Mar 19 |
Everything from the Small Business Administration · Rules on administrative practice and procedure · Rules on government procurement · Rules on government property · Published in August 2026
Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-24. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.