In Fall 2025, lawmakers introduced the Small Business RELIEF Act to help small business owners nationwide fight rising costs from tariffs — including tariff exemptions and refunds for those already impacted. The bill, championed by Rep. Kelly Morrison (MN-03), has generated attention for its potential relief to Main Street businesses.

👉 What’s new in 2026 for veteran and military spouse small business owners?
While the RELIEF Act itself does not yet include specific provisions tailored to veteran- or military spouse-owned businesses, several other federal efforts are advancing*:

🔹 Veteran Entrepreneurship Empowerment Act — introduced by Senators Markey & Shaheen — would lower financial barriers to business ownership and expand access to affordable SBA loans and data on veteran small business support.
🔹 Service-Disabled Veteran and Military Spouse Contracting & Hiring Legislation — House and Senate proposals focused on increasing contracting opportunities for service-disabled veteran business owners and offering tax incentives for hiring military spouses.
🔹 Federal SBA Programs continue to offer entrepreneurship training, counseling, and resources specifically for military spouses and veteran entrepreneurs.

Why this matters:
• Veteran- and military spouse-owned small businesses are vital to local economies and community resilience.
• By engaging with and supporting these policy efforts, we help ensure that those who’ve served our country have every opportunity to succeed as entrepreneurs.

As of early 2026:

• Small Business RELIEF Act is still primarily focused on tariff relief for small businesses and does not yet include explicit veteran or military spouse business provisions.

• Separate veteran/military spouse legislation and initiatives are moving in Congress, with several proposals aimed at reducing financial barriers and increasing contracting and hiring opportunities for these communities.

Stay tuned — MSCC will continue covering policy developments that affect military spouse and veteran business owners and share how you can get involved in advocacy and legislative outreach.

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