The Rural Small Business Resilience Act ensures individuals in rural areas have full access to disaster assistance by requiring the Small Business Administration to provide targeted outreach and marketing materials. This act also makes a technical amendment to redesignate a paragraph within the Small Business Act.
Kelly Morrison
Representative
MN-3
The Rural Small Business Resilience Act ensures individuals in rural areas have full access to disaster assistance provided by the Small Business Administration. It requires the SBA to provide targeted outreach and marketing to individuals in rural areas to increase awareness of available disaster assistance. The SBA must complete these actions within one year. The bill also makes a technical correction to the Small Business Act.
| Party | Total Votes | Yes | No | Did Not Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | 218 | 203 | 8 | 7 |
Democrat | 215 | 212 | 0 | 3 |
Rural Small Business Resilience Act Mandates Disaster Aid Outreach: SBA to Target Rural Businesses Within One Year
The Rural Small Business Resilience Act is pretty straightforward: it's all about making sure small businesses in rural areas actually get the disaster assistance they're entitled to. The bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to step up its game and make sure rural businesses are fully aware of, and can easily access, disaster relief programs under Section 7(b) of the Small Business Act.
Getting the Word Out
This section is the meat of the bill. The SBA's Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience has one year to put a plan in place. This isn't just about sending out a few flyers. It's about targeted outreach and marketing. Think tailored information reaching the right people, whether they're running a farm, a small-town diner, or a rural tech startup. If you're a small business owner in a rural area, this means you should start seeing more relevant information about disaster loans and other assistance programs coming your way, specifically designed for businesses like yours.
For example, instead of a general government website, the SBA might partner with local agricultural organizations or rural business associations to get the word out. They might even set up mobile assistance centers in rural communities after a disaster hits, making it easier for folks to apply for help without having to travel long distances or navigate complicated online forms.
Fixing a Typo
This is a simple housekeeping item. The bill corrects a numbering error in the Small Business Act, redesignating paragraph (16) as paragraph (17) in Section 7(b). While it doesn't change any actual policy, it does clean up the legal language, which is always a good thing for clarity.
Challenges and the Big Picture
While the bill is straightforward, the real test will be in the execution. How effectively will the SBA reach these rural businesses? Will the outreach be culturally sensitive and relevant to the diverse types of businesses out there? The bill doesn't define 'rural area,' so it's important that the definition used is inclusive of genuinely rural and underserved communities. There is some potential for funds to be used inefficiently. It is also important for the SBA to take care that the definition of "rural area" is not manipulated to benefit areas that are not actually in need. The long-term goal here is to build more resilient rural economies – ones that can bounce back faster after a natural disaster. This bill is a step in that direction, ensuring that the support already on the books actually reaches the businesses that need it most.