Investing in America's Small Businesses Act of 2011
Referred to the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Dec 12, 2011
Investing in America's Small Businesses Act of 2011 - Amends the Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994 to require the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund to make grants to community development financial institutions to enable such institutions to establish a loan-loss reserve fund to defray the costs of a small business loan program.
Defines "small business loan program" as a program in which a community development financial institution offers loans to small businesses that: (1) are made in amounts up to $25,000, (2) have no prepayment penalty, and (3) meet any affordability requirements established by Administrator of the Fund.
Requires a community development financial institution to provide non-federal matching funds equal to 50% of the amount of any grant received.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Read full official summaryShow less
Prohibits the use of such grants to make direct loans to small businesses.
Permits a community development financial institution to use such a grant to: (1) help recapture a portion or all of a defaulted loan made under its small business loan program, and (2) designate and utilize a fiscal agent for services the agent normally provides.
Requires the Fund to make technical assistance grants to community development financial institutions to create, support, or maintain such a program.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 14, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
Explore the bill from different angles
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Neutral evidence review
Objective
Analyze H.R.3635 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
View full prompt & sources
Fairness and public impact
Progressive lens
Examine H.R.3635 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
View full prompt & sources
Institutions and government scope
Conservative lens
Examine H.R.3635 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
View full prompt & sources
Individual rights and government power
Liberty lens
Examine H.R.3635 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.