[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2734 Reported in Senate (RS)]
Calendar No. 535
107th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2734
[Report No. 107-230]
To provide emergency assistance to non-farm small business concerns
that have suffered substantial economic harm from the devastating
effects of drought.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 16, 2002
Mr. Kerry (for himself, Mr. Hollings, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Baucus, Mr.
Bingaman, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Cleland, Mrs.
Carnahan, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Reid, Mr. Ensign,
Mr. Bond, Mr. Helms, Mr. Allen, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Torricelli, Mr. Levin,
Mr. Crapo, and Mr. Thurmond) introduced the following bill; which was
read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and
Entrepreneurship
July 31, 2002
Reported by Mr. Kerry, with an amendment and an amendment to the title
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide emergency assistance to non-farm small business concerns
that have suffered substantial economic harm from the devastating
effects of drought.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. LOANS TO SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS DAMAGED BY
DROUGHT.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Small
Business Drought Relief Act''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Findings.--Congress finds that--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) as of July 2002, more than 36 States
(including Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Louisiana) have
suffered from continuing drought conditions;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) droughts have a negative effect on State and
regional economies;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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 and
streams;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) many small businesses in the United States
suffer economic injury from drought conditions, leading to
revenue losses, job layoffs, and bankruptcies;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) absent a legislative change, only agriculture-
related businesses are eligible for Federal disaster loan
assistance as a result of drought conditions; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (7) it is necessary to amend the Small Business
Act to allow non-farm small businesses that have suffered
economic injury from drought to receive financial assistance
through Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster
Loans.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Expansion of Disaster Definition.--Section 3(k) of the
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632(k)) is amended by inserting
``drought,'' after ``windstorms,''.</DELETED>
SECTION 1. LOANS TO SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS DAMAGED BY DROUGHT.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Small Business
Drought Relief Act''.
(b) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) as of July 2002, more than 36 States (including
Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Louisiana) have 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;
(7) during the past several years small businesses that
rely on the Great Lakes have suffered economic injury as a
result of lower than average water levels, resulting from low
precipitation and increased evaporation; and
(8) it is necessary to amend the Small Business Act to
clarify that nonfarm-related small businesses that have
suffered economic injury from drought are eligible to receive
financial assistance through Small Business Administration
Economic Injury Disaster Loans.
(c) Drought Disaster Authority.--
(1) Definition of disaster.--Section 3(k) of the Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632(k)) is amended--
(A) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(k)''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) For purposes of section 7(b)(2), the term `disaster'
includes--
``(A) drought; and
``(B) below average water levels in the Great
Lakes.''.
(2) Drought disaster relief authority.--Section 7(b)(2) of
the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)(2)) is amended--
(A) by inserting ``including drought, with respect
to both farm-related and nonfarm-related small business
concerns affected by drought,'' before ``if the
Administration''; and
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``the
Consolidated Farmers Home Administration Act of 1961 (7
U.S.C. 1961)'' and inserting the following: ``section
321 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act
(7 U.S.C. 1961), in which case, assistance under this
paragraph may be provided to farm-related and nonfarm-
related small business concerns, subject to the other
applicable requirements of this paragraph''.
(d) Prompt Response to Disaster Requests.--Section 7(b)(2)(D) of
the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)(2)(D)) is amended by striking
``Upon receipt of such certification, the Administration may'' and
inserting ``Not later than 30 days after the date of receipt of such
certification by a Governor of a State, the Administration shall
respond in writing to that Governor on its determination, and may
then''.
(e) 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 this Act and the amendments
made by this Act.
Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to provide
emergency assistance to nonfarm-related small business concerns
that have suffered substantial economic harm from drought.''.
Calendar No. 535
107th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2734
[Report No. 107-230]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide emergency assistance to non-farm small business concerns
that have suffered substantial economic harm from the devastating
effects of drought.
_______________________________________________________________________
July 31, 2002
Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the title