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The House passed the AI for Main Street Act (H.R. 5764) with an overwhelming bipartisan majority. This bill helps small businesses learn how to use and implement artificial intelligence through local development centers.
This bill, the AI for Main Street Act, directs Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) to provide specialized training and advice to small business owners regarding artificial intelligence (AI). These local centers, which already offer guidance to entrepreneurs, would now be required to teach business owners how to protect their data, improve cybersecurity, and use AI tools to improve their daily operations and manage unexpected business challenges. This vote was held under a procedure called "suspension of the rules." In Congress, this is a fast-track method used for bills that have broad support and are not considered controversial. Because it skips many of the usual steps to speed up the process, it requires a higher threshold—two-thirds of the members present—to pass, rather than a simple majority. The bill passed with 395 votes in favor, easily clearing the required supermajority. It now moves to the Senate for consideration. If it passes there and is signed by the President, it will become law, though the bill specifies that no new federal money will be provided to the centers to carry out these new AI-focused tasks.
The bill has been sent to the Senate and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship for further review.
OPEN BILL →Why it matters. As artificial intelligence becomes a central tool for modern business, this bill ensures that small business owners have access to free, local expertise to help them compete with larger corporations.
Who’s affected. Small Business Owners: Gain access to new training and guidance on how to safely and effectively use AI tools to grow their businesses. · Small Business Development Centers: Required to update their advisory services to include AI topics without receiving new federal funding.
Democrats. Democrats nearly unanimously supported the bill, with 94 voting in favor and only 2 voting against.
Republicans. Republicans strongly supported the measure, with 96 voting in favor and 5 voting against.
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended
Jan 20, 2026
The House passed the AI for Main Street Act (H.R.
5764) with an overwhelming bipartisan majority. This bill helps small businesses learn how to use and implement artificial intelligence through local development centers.
A 'suspension of the rules' is a shortcut used to pass legislation quickly when it has broad support. To prevent this shortcut from being misused, the House requires a two-thirds supermajority (66.7%) to pass the bill instead of the usual simple majority (50% plus one).
The bill has been sent to the Senate and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship for further review.
As artificial intelligence becomes a central tool for modern business, this bill ensures that small business owners have access to free, local expertise to help them compete with larger corporations.
This was a highly bipartisan vote, with the vast majority of both Democrats and Republicans supporting the measure.
Democrats nearly unanimously supported the bill, with 94 voting in favor and only 2 voting against.
Republicans strongly supported the measure, with 96 voting in favor and 5 voting against.
The House's single independent member voted in favor of the bill.