Stop Funding Rioters Act

The Stop Funding Rioters Act would bar individuals convicted of specific crimes from receiving any assistance from or participating in programs run by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Specifically, the bill blocks people who (1) were convicted of misdemeanor or felony assault of a law enforcement officer, or (2) were convicted of a felony for actions during or in connection with a riot that destroyed a small business (as defined by the Small Business Act) from any SBA-supported program. In effect, those with these criminal convictions would be ineligible for SBA loans, guarantees, grants, counseling, or other SBA-administered assistance. The bill’s short title and targeted offenses indicate its purpose is to limit government business assistance for individuals tied to violence against law enforcement or to rioting that harms small businesses. The bill references existing SBA definitions (i.e., what counts as a “small business concern”) from the Small Business Act. As introduced, it lays out eligibility restrictions but does not detail implementation, enforcement mechanisms, or procedures for verifying convictions.