Hirono, Colleagues Introduce SPARK Act to Supercharge Minority Entrepreneurship Nationwide
Introduce and support legislation to spur entrepreneurship and increase access for minority entrepreneurs nationwide.
Occurrences
Evidence
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The official Hirono press releases page shows recent May 2026 items on AANHPI student data, forest issues, land leases, mental health day, Heritage Month, voting rights, and other topics; no release in the May 16 to June 14, 2026 lookback window mentions entrepreneurship, small business, or minority entrepreneurs.
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Mr. Markey (for himself, Ms. Hirono, and Mr. Booker) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
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U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Ranking Member Ed Markey (D-MA), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) introduced the Strengthening Place-based Access, Resources, and Knowledge (SPARK) Act to spur entrepreneurship and increase access for underserved entrepreneurs nationwide.
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Last Action Date Listed February 12, 2026 Action Mr. Markey (for himself, Ms. Hirono, and Mr. Booker) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
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The purposes of the Spark Program established under section 49 of the Small Business Act, as amended by this Act, are to-- (1) spur economic growth in underserved communities by creating good paying jobs and increasing access to capital;
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By Mr. BOOKER (for himself, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Hirono, and Ms. Blunt Rochester): S. 5631. A bill to amend the Small Business Act to create a program to provide funding for organizations that support startup businesses in formation and early growth stages by providing entrepreneurs with resources and services to produce viable businesses, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
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09/30/2026 S.5631 Cosponsored — A bill to amend the Small Business Act to create a program to provide funding for organizations that support startup businesses in formation and early growth stages by providing entrepreneurs with resources and services to produce viable businesses, and for other purposes.
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startups offer unique opportunities for growth and development for women, minorities, and veterans to become successful entrepreneurs and leaders in new and developed fields.
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In order to promote diversity in entrepreneurship, the Administrator shall award not less than 50 percent of amounts appropriated for grants in a given fiscal year to— accelerators located in an area described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of section 31(b)(1); and accelerators for which not less than 50 percent of the small business concerns served by the accelerator are small business concerns— owned and controlled by socially disadvantaged individuals or economically disadvantaged individuals
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Mr. Booker (for himself, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Hirono, and Ms. Blunt Rochester) introduced the following bill;
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startups offer unique opportunities for growth and development for women, minorities, and veterans to become successful entrepreneurs and leaders in new and developed fields.
Assessments
The available evidence does not show a clear, claim-matching record that Mazie Hirono introduced or materially supported specific federal legislation aimed at spurring entrepreneurship and expanding access for minority entrepreneurs nationwide. The provided official-source check found no recent press-release evidence on this topic, and the record here is too thin to verify either a qualifying legislative effort or a delivered outcome. Because the promise is broad but still requires identifiable legislative action tied to minority entrepreneurship, the current evidence is insufficient for a delivered, partial, or never judgment.