Legislation Aimed at Supporting Rural Small Businesses Takes Step Towards Becoming Law
Before returning home for Congress' August recess, the U.S. Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee advanced legislation aimed at supporting small businesses in rural areas.
S. 1703, also known as the Rural Small Business Resilience Act, would require the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience to take necessary actions to ensure that individuals located in rural areas where a disaster has been declared have full access to disaster assistance. Such actions include providing targeted outreach and marketing materials to such individuals. The federal government has struggled to reach people and small businesses in rural areas in the aftermath of disasters. The actions outlined in this bill would make the SBA more prepared to provide disaster relief services in these areas. It would also help them overcome key obstacles specific to conducting this work in rural areas.
This bill passed earlier this year in the U.S. House of Representatives, under the designation H.R. 804, by a vote of 415 in favor and 8 opposed. It was introduced by Congresswoman Kelly Morrison (D-MN). The Senate version was introduced by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).