[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 565 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 565

To provide emergency assistance to certain small business concerns that 
        have suffered substantial economic injury from drought.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 5, 2003

Mr. DeMint (for himself and Mr. Spratt) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Small Business

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide emergency assistance to certain small business concerns that 
        have suffered substantial economic injury from drought.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Small Business 
Drought Relief Act of 2003''.
    (b) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) during 2002, more than 36 States suffered from 
        continuing drought conditions;
            (2) droughts have a negative effect on State and regional 
        economies;
            (3) many small businesses in the United States sell, 
        distribute, market, or otherwise engage in commerce related to 
        water and water sources, such as lakes, rivers, and streams;
            (4) many small businesses in the United States suffer 
        economic injury from drought conditions, leading to revenue 
        losses, job layoffs, and bankruptcies;
            (5) these small businesses need access to low-interest 
        loans for business-related purposes, including paying their 
        bills and making payroll until business returns to normal;
            (6) absent a legislative change, only agriculture and 
        agriculture-related businesses are eligible for Federal 
        disaster loan assistance as a result of drought conditions; and
            (7) it is necessary to amend the Small Business Act to 
        clarify that nonfarm small businesses that have suffered 
        substantial economic injury from drought are eligible to 
        receive financial assistance through the economic injury 
        disaster loan program of the Small Business Administration.

SEC. 2. LOANS TO SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS THAT SUFFER SUBSTANTIAL 
              ECONOMIC INJURY FROM DROUGHT.

    (a) Drought Disaster Authority.--Section 3(k) of the Small Business 
Act (15 U.S.C. 632(k)) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(k)''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(2) For purposes of section 7(b)(2), the term `disaster' includes 
drought.''.
    (b) Required Response to Certification by Governor.--Section 
7(b)(2)(D) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)(2)(D)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: ``Not later than 30 days 
after the receipt of such certification, the Administration shall 
respond in writing to the Governor who submitted such certification and 
shall state the extent to which the Administration intends to exercise 
its authority under the preceding sentence with respect to such 
certification and the reasons therefore.''.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--Section 7(b)(2)(B) of the Small Business 
Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)(2)(B)) is amended by striking ``the Consolidated 
Farmers Home Administration Act of 1961 (7 U.S.C. 1961)'' and inserting 
``section 321 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 
U.S.C. 1961)''.
    (d) Rulemaking.--Not later than 45 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration 
shall promulgate final rules to carry out the provisions of this 
section.
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