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S1451119th CongressWALLET

Helene Small Business Recovery Act

Sponsored By: Senator Tillis, Thomas [R-NC]

Introduced

Summary

This bill would let the President waive the federal prohibition on receiving duplicative disaster assistance so affected people and businesses can get extra help after a declared disaster. Waiving the ban on duplicative disaster aid is the bill's core change.

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  • Small businesses, households, and other entities could receive overlapping federal disaster aid if a Governor requests a waiver on their behalf and the President finds it in the public interest.
  • State governors gain a clear path to seek waivers for their state or for specific people and businesses, and the President would have to act on requests within 45 days.
  • The President would consider FEMA recommendations, cost effectiveness, equity and fraud risk when deciding waivers, and the law would bar imposing any income threshold to limit eligibility.
  • The bill would prevent treating a federal loan as duplicative when all federal assistance is used to cover disaster losses, and it specifically covers disasters or emergencies declared in calendar years 2023 and 2024.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

More disaster aid for small businesses

If enacted, this bill would let the President waive the ban on duplicate federal disaster aid. This waiver would apply only to disasters declared by the President in 2023 or 2024. A Governor must ask for the waiver for a State, person, business, or other entity. The President would grant or deny the request within 45 days and may consider FEMA recommendations. No income test could block eligibility. The President may not call a loan duplicative if all federal aid is used for the disaster loss.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Tillis, Thomas [R-NC]

NC • R

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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