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Small Business Administration Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet said she is in talks with credit unions to encourage more small business lending, specifically micro-lending, during a hearing Wednesday before the House Small Business Committee.

Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, asked Contreras-Sweet specifically about the role of credit unions in small business lending. She said micro-lending through SBA won't affect credit unions' member business lending cap and that it would be an "excellent complement" to what they are currently doing.

During her opening statement, Contreras-Sweet discussed the launch of a new business credit scoring model SBA is developing. "This new scoring model is now available to ALL of our lending partners for loans of $350,000 or less," she said in prepared testimony. "Making it easier and less time-consuming for banks to do business with us – and for entrepreneurs to do business with them."

Last week, Contreras-Sweet announced that the SBA is working with NAFCU and NCUA on ways to get more credit unions engaged in small-business lending. NAFCU is encouraging greater credit union involvement in SBA's 7(a) loan programs.

During the hearing on Wednesday, Contreras-Sweet said, "strong stewardship of our flagship 7(a) program has allowed us to keep fees at zero on loans of less than $150,000." She said next year SBA will roll out SBA One, an "interactive, user-friendly platform" that will facilitate electronic signatures and automated uploading of documents.