Disaster Assistance for Rural Communities Act
This bill expands the availability of Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster assistance for rural small businesses.
Currently, the declaration of a disaster by the SBA is contingent upon a certain number of homes or businesses being damaged or economically injured (e.g., at least 25 homes or 25 businesses are damaged). The bill authorizes the SBA to declare a disaster in a rural area if any home, small business, private nonprofit, or small agricultural cooperative located in such area has incurred significant damage.
The bill defines a rural area as an area with a population of less than 200,000 outside an urbanized area.