Faith-based organizations now are eligible to apply for emergency loans from the Small Business Administration, just like any other group across the nation, the SBA said in an announcement.
“The SBA is committed to ending the era of weaponized government that has systematically discriminated against Americans of faith – even denying them access to vital disaster relief in times of tragedy,” SBA chief Kelly Loeffler said in a statement shared with the Washington Examiner.
The report said they are eliminating a rule that previously had barred faith-based organizations from that loan program.
Today, the SBA launched our new Center for Faith – and reversed a major Biden-era ban on disaster relief for faith-based organizations that discriminated against faith-aligned businesses and nonprofits in need. Read more:https://t.co/wt3Yx2xiiu pic.twitter.com/XQ1Vrcdm7D
— SBA (@SBAgov) July 14, 2025
Loeffler said, “We are thrilled to announce our first-ever Center for Faith at the SBA to improve access to agency resources for the faith community, ensuring that all SBA programs are accessible to eligible Americans regardless of their religious affiliation. We are proud to uphold the principles of religious freedom that our nation was founded on – and look forward to forging lasting relationships that bring new small businesses into the SBA ecosystem.”
The SBA called the previous rule the “Biden ban” even though the practice predated Biden’s regime.
“The first Trump administration would not enforce existing SBA regulations on ‘businesses principally engaged in teaching, instructing, counseling or indoctrinating religion or religious beliefs’ that had been ineligible for SBA loans,” the report said.
The decision was prompted by a 2016 Supreme Court ruling that confirmed a religion-based Missouri preschool and daycare could not be denied public benefits due to its religious component.
The federal funds are sought after tragedies because of the lower interest rates and better financing options than available from private lenders.