NE Florida News

WASHINGTON—Today, the House Committee on Small Business favorably reported H.R. 7948, the Rural Small Business Resilience Act. The bill, authored by U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean (FL-04), Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02), and Congressman Tracy Mann (KS-01) would require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to improve access to disaster assistance and relief programs for rural business owners to efficiently mitigate effects of natural disasters.

"In the wake of a natural disaster, making sure small businesses can get back up and running is crucial. As we enter hurricane season in Northeast Florida, I’m proud to work with Congressman Pappas to eliminate bureaucratic red-tape and get much-needed emergency relief resources into the hands of those that really need it," said Congressman Bean.

"New Hampshire's rural small businesses are part of the backbone of our economy and make up the fabric of our rural communities," said Congressman Pappas. "We know that rural small businesses face unique challenges and that a one-size-fits-all approach by government agencies is simply ineffective in providing the support they need. This bipartisan legislation would require the Small Business Administration to tailor its outreach and marketing efforts to reach rural businesses and ensure that small businesses in rural areas have full access to SBA disaster assistance. I remain committed to ensuring New Hampshire's Main Street economy can grow and thrive, and I will continue to work in a bipartisan fashion to build support for this and other legislation to help Granite State small businesses."

"When disaster strikes, getting the right help at the right time can make sure a small business stays afloat," said Congressman Golden. "Many along Maine’s working waterfronts are now facing that exact challenge after particularly damaging winter storms. Rural Americans deserve equal access to critical SBA resources, and this bipartisan effort will ensure that the agency is taking every step necessary to provide timely relief."

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that people in rural communities may not be aware of the assistance the SBA can provide following a disaster and issued a report on how targeted outreach from the SBA can benefit rural communities.

Specifically, the Rural Small Business Resilience Act would task the SBA with establishing and carrying out an advertising and outreach program tailored to rural small business owners for the SBA Disaster Loan Program.