119 S1698 IS: Small Business Disaster Coordination Act
U.S. Senate
2025-05-08
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EN
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II
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1698
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 8, 2025
Mr. Risch (for himself, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Bennet, and Mr. Peters) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
A BILL
To amend the Small Business Disaster Response and Loan Improvements Act of 2008 to require the Small Business Administration to coordinate with resource partners with respect to disaster planning activities, and for other purposes.
1.

Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Small Business Disaster Coordination Act”.
2.

Coordination in disaster response and disaster planning
(a)

Disaster response coordination
The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended—
(1)
in section 4 (15 U.S.C. 633), by adding at the end the following:
“(i)

Disaster recovery assistance from resource partners
(1)

Authorization
At the discretion of the Administrator, the Administrator may authorize a resource partner of the Administration to provide advice, information, and assistance to a small business concern located outside of the area of service in which that resource partner provides services, without regard to geographic proximity to that resource partner, if—
(A)
the small business concern is located in an area with respect to which loans under section 7(b)(2) may be made; and
(B)
in providing that advice, information, and assistance, the resource partner coordinates with another resource partner that serves the area in which the small business concern is located.
(2)

Period of assistance
(A)

In general
A resource partner of the Administration may provide advice, information, and assistance to a small business concern under paragraph (1) for a period of not more than 2 years after the date on which the applicable disaster has been determined to exist.
(B)

Extension
The Administrator may, at the discretion of the Administrator, extend the period described in subparagraph (A).
(3)

Continuity of services
A resource partner of the Administration that provides counselors to an area pursuant to an authorization under paragraph (1) shall, to the maximum extent practicable, ensure continuity of services in any area of service in which that resource partner otherwise provides services.
(4)

Sites and facilities
For purposes of this subsection, the Administrator shall, to the maximum extent practicable, permit the personnel of a resource partner of the Administration to use any site or facility designated by the Administrator for use to provide disaster recovery assistance.”;
(2)
in section 7(b)(5) (15 U.S.C. 636(b)(5))—
(A)
by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (G) as clauses (i) through (vii), respectively, and adjusting the margins accordingly;
(B)
by striking “If a disaster” and inserting the following:
“(A)

In general
If a disaster”;
(C)
in subparagraph (A), as so redesignated—
(i)
in clause (vi), as so redesignated, by striking “and” at the end;
(ii)
in clause (vii), as so redesignated, by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
(iii)
by adding at the end the following:
“(viii)
links to websites of resource partners of the Administration.”; and
(D)
by adding at the end the following:
“(B)

Provision of information to resource partners
In carrying out subparagraph (A), the Administrator shall make all information communicated under that subparagraph available to resource partners of the Administration so that those resource partners can assist in amplifying public awareness regarding relevant information needed by disaster loan applicants.”; and
(3)
by amending section 40(a)(2)(D) (15 U.S.C. 657l(a)(2)(D)) to read as follows:
“(D)
guidelines pursuant to which the Administration will coordinate with other Federal agencies, State, local, and regional authorities, and resource partners of the Administration to best respond to the demand described in subparagraph (B) and to best use the resources described in that subparagraph.”.
(b)

Disaster planning coordination
Section 12073(c) of the Small Business Disaster Response and Loan Improvements Act of 2008 (15 U.S.C. 636h(c)) is amended—
(1)
in paragraph (2), by striking “and” at the end;
(2)
by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and
(3)
by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
“(3)
resource partners of the Administration; and”.