PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 

RECOVERY IMPROVEMENTS FOR SMALL 

ENTITIES AFTER DISASTER ACT OF 2015 


kgrant on DSKB33CYQ1 with PUBLAW
129 STAT. 686 PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 

Public Law 114–88 

114th Congress 

An Act 

To improve the disaster assistance programs of the Small Business Administration. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Recovery 

Improvements for Small Entities After Disaster Act of 2015’’ or 

the ‘‘RISE After Disaster Act of 2015’’. 

(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for this Act 

is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

DIVISION A—SUPERSTORM SANDY RELIEF AND DISASTER LOAN PROGRAM 

IMPROVEMENTS 

Sec. 1001. Short title. 

Sec. 1002. Findings. 

TITLE I—DISASTER ASSISTANCE IMPROVEMENTS 

Sec. 1101. Revised disaster deadline. 

Sec. 1102. Use of physical damage disaster loans to construct safe rooms. 

Sec. 1103. Reducing delays on closing and disbursement of loans. 

Sec. 1104. Safeguarding taxpayer interests and increasing transparency in loan approvals. 

Sec. 1105. Disaster plan improvements. 

DIVISION B—RECOVERY IMPROVEMENTS FOR SMALL ENTITIES 

Sec. 2001. Short title. 

TITLE I—IMPROVEMENTS OF DISASTER RESPONSE AND LOANS 

Sec. 2101. Additional awards to small business development centers, women’s business centers, and SCORE for disaster recovery. 

Sec. 2102. Collateral requirements for disaster loans. 

Sec. 2103. Assistance to out-of-State business concerns to aid in disaster recovery. 

Sec. 2104. FAST program. 

Sec. 2105. Use of Federal surplus property in disaster areas. 

Sec. 2106. Recovery opportunity loans. 

Sec. 2107. Contractor malfeasance. 

Sec. 2108. Local contracting preferences and incentives. 

Sec. 2109. Clarification of collateral requirements. 

TITLE II—DISASTER PLANNING AND MITIGATION 

Sec. 2201. Business recovery centers. 

TITLE III—OTHER PROVISIONS 

Sec. 2301. Increased oversight of economic injury disaster loans. 

Sec. 2302. GAO report on paperwork reduction. 

Sec. 2303. Report on web portal for disaster loan applicants. 

15 USC 631 note. 

Recovery 

Improvements 

for Small 

Entities After 

Disaster Act of 

2015. 

Nov. 25, 2015 

[H.R. 208] 


kgrant on DSKB33CYQ1 with PUBLAW
PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 129 STAT. 687 

DIVISION A—SUPERSTORM SANDY RELIEF AND DISASTER LOAN PROGRAM 

IMPROVEMENTS 

SEC. 1001. SHORT TITLE. 

This division may be cited as the ‘‘Superstorm Sandy Relief 

and Disaster Loan Program Improvement Act of 2015’’. 

SEC. 1002. FINDINGS. 

Congress finds the following: 

(1) In 2012, Superstorm Sandy caused substantial physical 

and economic damage to the United States, and New York 

in particular. 

(2) For businesses and homeowners, the primary means 

of obtaining long-term Federal financial assistance in the wake 

of disasters such as Superstorm Sandy is through the Small 

Business Administration’s Disaster Loan Program. 

(3) With regard to the Small Business Administration’s 

operation of the Disaster Loan Program after Superstorm 

Sandy, the Government Accountability Office found that the 

Administration did not meet its timeliness goals for processing 

business loan applications. 

(4) According to the Government Accountability Office, the 

Small Business Administration stated that it was challenged 

by an unexpectedly high volume of loan applications that it 

received early in its response to Superstorm Sandy. 

(5) As a result, many businesses and homeowners affected 

by Superstorm Sandy were unable to apply for financing from 

the Small Business Administration. 

TITLE I—DISASTER ASSISTANCE 

IMPROVEMENTS 

SEC. 1101. REVISED DISASTER DEADLINE. 

Section 7(d) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(d)) is 

amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(8) DISASTER LOANS FOR SUPERSTORM SANDY.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and subject to the same requirements and 

procedures that are used to make loans pursuant to subsection (b), a small business concern, homeowner, nonprofit 

entity, or renter that was located within an area and during 

the time period with respect to which a major disaster 

was declared by the President under section 401 of the 

Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) by reason of Superstorm Sandy 

may apply to the Administrator— 

‘‘(i) for a loan to repair, rehabilitate, or replace 

property damaged or destroyed by reason of 

Superstorm Sandy; or 

‘‘(ii) if such a small business concern has suffered 

substantial economic injury by reason of Superstorm 

Sandy, for a loan to assist such a small business concern. 

15 USC 636 note. 

15 USC 631 note. 

Superstorm 

Sandy Relief and 

Disaster Loan 

Program 

Improvement Act 

of 2015. 


kgrant on DSKB33CYQ1 with PUBLAW
129 STAT. 688 PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 

‘‘(B) TIMING.—The Administrator shall select loan 

recipients and make available loans for a period of not 

less than 1 year after the date on which the Administrator 

carries out this authority. 

‘‘(C) INSPECTOR GENERAL REVIEW.—Not later than 6 

months after the date on which the Administrator begins 

carrying out this authority, the Inspector General of the 

Administration shall initiate a review of the controls for 

ensuring applicant eligibility for loans made under this 

paragraph.’’. 

SEC. 1102. USE OF PHYSICAL DAMAGE DISASTER LOANS TO CONSTRUCT SAFE ROOMS. 

Section 7(b)(1)(A) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 

636(b)(1)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘mitigating measures’’ and 

all that follows through ‘‘modifying structures’’ and inserting the 

following: ‘‘mitigating measures, including— 

‘‘(i) construction of retaining walls and sea walls; 

‘‘(ii) grading and contouring land; and 

‘‘(iii) relocating utilities and modifying structures, 

including construction of a safe room or similar storm 

shelter designed to protect property and occupants from 

tornadoes or other natural disasters, if such safe room 

or similar storm shelter is constructed in accordance with 

applicable standards issued by the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency’’. 

SEC. 1103. REDUCING DELAYS ON CLOSING AND DISBURSEMENT OF 

LOANS. 

Section 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)) is 

amended by inserting before the undesignated matter following 

paragraph (9) the following: 

‘‘(10) REDUCING CLOSING AND DISBURSEMENT DELAYS.—The 

Administrator shall provide a clear and concise notification 

on all application materials for loans made under this subsection and on relevant websites notifying an applicant that 

the applicant may submit all documentation necessary for the 

approval of the loan at the time of application and that failure 

to submit all documentation could delay the approval and 

disbursement of the loan.’’. 

SEC. 1104. SAFEGUARDING TAXPAYER INTERESTS AND INCREASING 

TRANSPARENCY IN LOAN APPROVALS. 

Section 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)) is 

amended by inserting before the undesignated matter following 

paragraph (10), as added by section 1103 of this Act, the following: 

‘‘(11) INCREASING TRANSPARENCY IN LOAN APPROVALS.—The 

Administrator shall establish and implement clear, written policies and procedures for analyzing the ability of a loan applicant 

to repay a loan made under this subsection.’’. 

SEC. 1105. DISASTER PLAN IMPROVEMENTS. 

The Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall 

revise the comprehensive written disaster response plan required 

in section 40 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657l), or any 

successor thereto, to incorporate the Administration’s response to 

a situation in which an extreme volume of applications are received 

during the period of time immediately after a disaster, which shall 

15 USC 6571 

note. 

Procedures. 

Notification. 

Web posting. 


kgrant on DSKB33CYQ1 with PUBLAW
PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 129 STAT. 689 

include a plan to ensure that sufficient human and technological 

resources are made available and a plan to prevent delays in 

loan processing. 

DIVISION B—RECOVERY 

IMPROVEMENTS FOR SMALL ENTITIES 

SEC. 2001. SHORT TITLE. 

This division may be cited as the ‘‘Recovery Improvements 

for Small Entities After Disaster Act of 2015’’ or the ‘‘RISE After 

Disaster Act of 2015’’. 

TITLE I—IMPROVEMENTS OF DISASTER 

RESPONSE AND LOANS 

SEC. 2101. ADDITIONAL AWARDS TO SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT 

CENTERS, WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTERS, AND SCORE FOR 

DISASTER RECOVERY. 

Section 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)) is 

amended by inserting before the undesignated matter following 

paragraph (11), as added by section 1104 of this Act, the following: 

‘‘(12) ADDITIONAL AWARDS TO SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS, WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTERS, AND SCORE FOR

DISASTER RECOVERY.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administration may provide 

financial assistance to a small business development center, 

a women’s business center described in section 29, the 

Service Corps of Retired Executives, or any proposed 

consortium of such individuals or entities to spur disaster 

recovery and growth of small business concerns located 

in an area for which the President has declared a major 

disaster. 

‘‘(B) FORM OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.—Financial assistance provided under this paragraph shall be in the form 

of a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement. 

‘‘(C) NO MATCHING FUNDS REQUIRED.—Matching funds 

shall not be required for any grant, contract, or cooperative 

agreement under this paragraph. 

‘‘(D) REQUIREMENTS.—A recipient of financial assistance under this paragraph shall provide counseling, 

training, and other related services, such as promoting 

long-term resiliency, to small business concerns and entrepreneurs impacted by a major disaster. 

‘‘(E) PERFORMANCE.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, in cooperation with the recipients of financial assistance under 

this paragraph, shall establish metrics and goals for 

performance of grants, contracts, and cooperative 

agreements under this paragraph, which shall include 

recovery of sales, recovery of employment, reestablishment of business premises, and establishment of new 

small business concerns. 

‘‘(ii) USE OF ESTIMATES.—The Administrator shall 

base the goals and metrics for performance established 

Grants. 

Contracts. 

15 USC 631 note. 

Recovery 

Improvements 

for Small 

Entities After 

Disaster Act of 

2015. 


kgrant on DSKB33CYQ1 with PUBLAW
129 STAT. 690 PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 

under clause (i), in part, on the estimates of disaster 

impact prepared by the Office of Disaster Assistance 

for purposes of estimating loan-making requirements. 

‘‘(F) TERM.— ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The term of any grant, contract, 

or cooperative agreement under this paragraph shall 

be for not more than 2 years. 

‘‘(ii) EXTENSION.—The Administrator may make 1 

extension of a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement 

under this paragraph for a period of not more than 

1 year, upon a showing of good cause and need for 

the extension. 

‘‘(G) EXEMPTION FROM OTHER PROGRAM REQUIRE- MENTS.—Financial assistance provided under this paragraph is in addition to, and wholly separate from, any 

other form of assistance provided by the Administrator 

under this Act. 

‘‘(H) COMPETITIVE BASIS.—The Administration shall 

award financial assistance under this paragraph on a 

competitive basis.’’. 

SEC. 2102. COLLATERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR DISASTER LOANS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 7(d)(6) of the Small Business Act 

(15 U.S.C. 636(d)(6)) is amended in the third proviso— (1) by striking ‘‘$14,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$25,000’’; and 

(2) by striking ‘‘major disaster’’ and inserting ‘‘disaster’’. 

(b) SUNSET.—Effective on the date that is 3 years after the 

date of enactment of this Act, section 7(d)(6) of the Small Business 

Act (15 U.S.C. 636(d)(6)) is amended in the third proviso— (1) by striking ‘‘$25,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$14,000’’; and 

(2) by inserting ‘‘major’’ before ‘‘disaster’’. 

(c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days before the date on which 

the amendments made by subsection (b) are to take effect, the 

Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall submit 

to Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the 

Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House of 

Representatives a report on the effects of the amendments made 

by subsection (a), which shall include— 

(1) an assessment of the impact and benefits resulting 

from the amendments; and 

(2) a recommendation as to whether the amendments 

should be made permanent. 

SEC. 2103. ASSISTANCE TO OUT-OF-STATE BUSINESS CONCERNS TO 

AID IN DISASTER RECOVERY. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 21(b)(3) of the Small Business Act 

(15 U.S.C. 648(b)(3)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘(3) At the discretion’’ and inserting the 

following: 

‘‘(3) ASSISTANCE TO OUT-OF-STATE SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—At the discretion’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(B) DISASTER RECOVERY ASSISTANCE.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—At the discretion of the Administrator, the Administrator may authorize a small business development center to provide advice, information, 

and assistance, as described in subsection (c), to a 

Recommendation. 

Assessment. 

Effective date. 

15 USC 636 note. 


kgrant on DSKB33CYQ1 with PUBLAW
PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 129 STAT. 691 

small business concern located outside of the State, 

without regard to geographic proximity to the small 

business development center, if the small business concern is located in an area for which the President 

has declared a major disaster. 

‘‘(ii) TERM.— 

‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—A small business development center may provide advice, information, and 

assistance to a small business concern under 

clause (i) for a period of not more than 2 years 

after the date on which the President declared 

a major disaster for the area in which the small 

business concern is located. 

‘‘(II) EXTENSION.—The Administrator may, at 

the discretion of the Administrator, extend the 

period described in subclause (I). 

‘‘(iii) CONTINUITY OF SERVICES.—A small business 

development center that provides counselors to an area 

described in clause (i) shall, to the maximum extent 

practicable, ensure continuity of services in any State 

in which the small business development center otherwise provides services. 

‘‘(iv) ACCESS TO DISASTER RECOVERY FACILITIES.— 

For purposes of this subparagraph, the Administrator 

shall, to the maximum extent practicable, permit the 

personnel of a small business development center to 

use any site or facility designated by the Administrator 

for use to provide disaster recovery assistance.’’. 

(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress that, 

subject to the availability of funds, the Administrator of the Small 

Business Administration should, to the extent practicable, ensure 

that a small business development center is appropriately 

reimbursed for any legitimate expenses incurred in carrying out 

activities under section 21(b)(3)(B) of the Small Business Act, as 

added by subsection (a). 

SEC. 2104. FAST PROGRAM. 

(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 34(a) of the Small Business Act (15 

U.S.C. 657d(a)) is amended— 

(1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (9) as paragraphs (4) through (10), respectively; and 

(2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following: 

‘‘(3) CATASTROPHIC INCIDENT.—The term ‘catastrophic 

incident’ means a major disaster that is comparable to the 

description of a catastrophic incident in the National Response 

Plan of the Administration, or any successor thereto.’’. 

(b) PRIORITY.—Section 34(c)(2) of the Small Business Act (15 

U.S.C. 657d(c)(2)) is amended— 

(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(2) in subparagraph (B)(vi)(III), by striking the period at 

the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(C) shall give special consideration to an applicant 

that is located in an area affected by a catastrophic 

incident.’’. 


kgrant on DSKB33CYQ1 with PUBLAW
129 STAT. 692 PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 

(c) ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE.—Section 34(c) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657d(c)) is amended by adding at the end 

the following: 

‘‘(5) ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR CATASTROPHIC

INCIDENTS.—Upon application by an applicant that receives 

an award or has in effect a cooperative agreement under this 

section and that is located in an area affected by a catastrophic 

incident, the Administrator may— 

‘‘(A) provide additional assistance to the applicant; and 

‘‘(B) waive the matching requirements under subsection 

(e)(2).’’. 

SEC. 2105. USE OF FEDERAL SURPLUS PROPERTY IN DISASTER AREAS. 

Section 7(j)(13)(F) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 

636(j)(13)(F)) is amended— 

(1) by inserting ‘‘(i)’’ after ‘‘(F)’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(ii)(I) In this clause— 

‘‘(aa) the term ‘covered period’ means the 2-year 

period beginning on the date on which the President 

declared the applicable major disaster; and 

‘‘(bb) the term ‘disaster area’ means the area for 

which the President has declared a major disaster, 

during the covered period. 

‘‘(II) The Administrator may transfer technology or 

surplus property under clause (i) on a priority basis to 

a small business concern located in a disaster area if— 

‘‘(aa) the small business concern meets the requirements for such a transfer, without regard to whether 

the small business concern is a Program Participant; 

and 

‘‘(bb) for a small business concern that is a Program Participant, on and after the date on which the 

President declared the applicable major disaster, the 

small business concern has not received property under 

this subparagraph on the basis of the status of the 

small business concern as a Program Participant. 

‘‘(III) For any transfer of property under this clause 

to a small business concern, the terms and conditions shall 

be the same as a transfer to a Program Participant, except 

that the small business concern shall agree not to sell 

or transfer the property to any party other than the Federal 

Government during the covered period. 

‘‘(IV) A small business concern that receives a transfer 

of property under this clause may not receive a transfer 

of property under clause (i) during the covered period. 

‘‘(V) If a small business concern sells or transfers property in violation of the agreement described in subclause 

(III), the Administrator may initiate proceedings to prohibit 

the small business concern from receiving a transfer of 

property under this clause or clause (i), in addition to 

any other remedy available to the Administrator.’’. 

SEC. 2106. RECOVERY OPPORTUNITY LOANS. 

Section 7(a)(31) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)(31)) 

is amended— 

(1) in subparagraph (A)— 

Definition. 

Time period. 

Waiver authority. 


kgrant on DSKB33CYQ1 with PUBLAW
PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 129 STAT. 693 

(A) by redesignating clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) as clauses 

(ii), (iii), and (iv), respectively; and 

(B) by inserting before clause (ii), as so redesignated, 

the following: 

‘‘(i) The term ‘disaster area’ means the area for 

which the President has declared a major disaster, 

during the 5-year period beginning on the date of the 

declaration.’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(H) RECOVERY OPPORTUNITY LOANS.— ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may guarantee an express loan to a small business concern 

located in a disaster area in accordance with this 

subparagraph. 

‘‘(ii) MAXIMUMS.—For a loan guaranteed under 

clause (i)— 

‘‘(I) the maximum loan amount is $150,000; 

and 

‘‘(II) the guarantee rate shall be not more than 

85 percent. 

‘‘(iii) OVERALL CAP.—A loan guaranteed under 

clause (i) shall not be counted in determining the 

amount of loans made to a borrower for purposes of 

subparagraph (D). 

‘‘(iv) OPERATIONS.—A small business concern 

receiving a loan guaranteed under clause (i) shall certify that the small business concern was in operation 

on the date on which the applicable major disaster 

occurred as a condition of receiving the loan. 

‘‘(v) REPAYMENT ABILITY.—A loan guaranteed 

under clause (i) may only be made to a small business 

concern that demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the 

Administrator, sufficient capacity to repay the loan. 

‘‘(vi) TIMING OF PAYMENT OF GUARANTEES.— 

‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 

the date on which a request for purchase is filed 

with the Administrator, the Administrator shall 

determine whether to pay the guaranteed portion 

of the loan. 

‘‘(II) RECAPTURE.—Notwithstanding any other 

provision of law, unless there is a subsequent 

finding of fraud by a court of competent jurisdiction 

relating to a loan guaranteed under clause (i), 

on and after the date that is 6 months after the 

date on which the Administrator determines to 

pay the guaranteed portion of the loan, the 

Administrator may not attempt to recapture the 

paid guarantee. 

‘‘(vii) FEES.— 

‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—Unless the Administrator 

has waived the guarantee fee that would otherwise 

be collected by the Administrator under paragraph 

(18) for a loan guaranteed under clause (i), and 

except as provided in subclause (II), the guarantee 

fee for the loan shall be equal to the guarantee 

fee that the Administrator would collect if the 

guarantee rate for the loan was 50 percent. 

Deadline. 

Determination. 

Certification. 

Definition. 

Time period. 


kgrant on DSKB33CYQ1 with PUBLAW
129 STAT. 694 PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 

‘‘(II) EXCEPTION.—Subclause (I) shall not apply 

if the cost of carrying out the program under this 

subsection in a fiscal year is more than zero and 

such cost is directly attributable to the cost of 

guaranteeing loans under clause (i). 

‘‘(viii) RULES.—Not later than 270 days after the 

date of enactment of this subparagraph, the Administrator shall promulgate rules to carry out this subparagraph.’’. 

SEC. 2107. CONTRACTOR MALFEASANCE. 

Section 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)) is 

amended by inserting before the undesignated matter following 

paragraph (12), as added by section 2101 of this Act, the following: 

‘‘(13) SUPPLEMENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR CONTRACTOR MALFEA- SANCE.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If a contractor or other person 

engages in malfeasance in connection with repairs to, 

rehabilitation of, or replacement of real or personal property relating to which a loan was made under this subsection and the malfeasance results in substantial economic 

damage to the recipient of the loan or substantial risks 

to health or safety, upon receiving documentation of the 

substantial economic damage or the substantial risk to 

health and safety from an independent loss verifier, and 

subject to subparagraph (B), the Administrator may 

increase the amount of the loan under this subsection, 

as necessary for the cost of repairs, rehabilitation, or 

replacement needed to address the cause of the economic 

damage or health or safety risk. 

‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS.—The Administrator may only 

increase the amount of a loan under subparagraph (A) 

upon receiving an appropriate certification from the borrower and person performing the mitigation attesting to 

the reasonableness of the mitigation costs and an assignment of any proceeds received from the person engaging 

in the malfeasance. The assignment of proceeds recovered 

from the person engaging in the malfeasance shall be equal 

to the amount of the loan under this section. Any mitigation 

activities shall be subject to audit and independent 

verification of completeness and cost reasonableness.’’. 

SEC. 2108. LOCAL CONTRACTING PREFERENCES AND INCENTIVES. 

Section 15 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644) is amended 

by inserting after subsection (e) the following: 

‘‘(f) CONTRACTING PREFERENCE FOR SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS

IN A MAJOR DISASTER AREA.— ‘‘(1) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term ‘disaster 

area’ means the area for which the President has declared 

a major disaster, during the period of the declaration. 

‘‘(2) CONTRACTING PREFERENCE.—An agency shall provide 

a contracting preference for a small business concern located 

in a disaster area if the small business concern will perform 

the work required under the contract in the disaster area. 

‘‘(3) CREDIT FOR MEETING CONTRACTING GOALS.—If an 

agency awards a contract to a small business concern under 

the circumstances described in paragraph (2), the value of 

the contract shall be doubled for purposes of determining 

Audit. 

Deadline. 


kgrant on DSKB33CYQ1 with PUBLAW
PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 129 STAT. 695 

compliance with the goals for procurement contracts under 

subsection (g)(1)(A).’’. 

SEC. 2109. CLARIFICATION OF COLLATERAL REQUIREMENTS. 

Section 7(d)(6) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(d)(6)) 

is amended by inserting after ‘‘which are made under paragraph 

(1) of subsection (b)’’ the following: ‘‘: Provided further, That the 

Administrator, in obtaining the best available collateral for a loan 

of not more than $200,000 under paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection 

(b) relating to damage to or destruction of the property of, or 

economic injury to, a small business concern, shall not require 

the owner of the small business concern to use the primary residence of the owner as collateral if the Administrator determines 

that the owner has other assets of equal quality and with a value 

equal to or greater than the amount of the loan that could be 

used as collateral for the loan: Provided further, That nothing 

in the preceding proviso may be construed to reduce the amount 

of collateral required by the Administrator in connection with a 

loan described in the preceding proviso or to modify the standards 

used to evaluate the quality (rather than the type) of such collateral’’. 

TITLE II—DISASTER PLANNING AND 

MITIGATION 

SEC. 2201. BUSINESS RECOVERY CENTERS. 

Section 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)) is 

amended by inserting before the undesignated matter following 

paragraph (13), as added by section 2108 of this Act, the following: 

‘‘(14) BUSINESS RECOVERY CENTERS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, acting through 

the district offices of the Administration, shall identify 

locations that may be used as recovery centers by the 

Administration in the event of a disaster declared under 

this subsection or a major disaster. 

‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS FOR IDENTIFICATION.—Each district office of the Administration shall— 

‘‘(i) identify a location described in subparagraph 

(A) in each county, parish, or similar unit of general 

local government in the area served by the district 

office; and 

‘‘(ii) ensure that the locations identified under 

subparagraph (A) may be used as a recovery center 

without cost to the Government, to the extent practicable.’’. 

TITLE III—OTHER PROVISIONS 

SEC. 2301. INCREASED OVERSIGHT OF ECONOMIC INJURY DISASTER 

LOANS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 

U.S.C. 636(b)) is amended by inserting before the undesignated 

matter following paragraph (14), as added by section 2201 of this 

Act, the following: 

Determination. 


kgrant on DSKB33CYQ1 with PUBLAW
129 STAT. 696 PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 

‘‘(15) INCREASED OVERSIGHT OF ECONOMIC INJURY DISASTER

LOANS.—The Administrator shall increase oversight of entities 

receiving loans under paragraph (2), and may consider— 

‘‘(A) scheduled site visits to ensure borrower eligibility 

and compliance with requirements established by the 

Administrator; and 

‘‘(B) reviews of the use of the loan proceeds by an 

entity described in paragraph (2) to ensure compliance 

with requirements established by the Administrator.’’. 

(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS RELATING TO USING EXISTING FUNDS.— It is the sense of Congress that no additional Federal funds should 

be made available to carry out the amendments made by this 

section. 

SEC. 2302. GAO REPORT ON PAPERWORK REDUCTION. 

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 

Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit 

to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the 

Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House of 

Representatives a report evaluating steps that the Small Business 

Administration has taken, with respect to the application for disaster assistance under section 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 

U.S.C. 636(b)), to comply with subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 

44, United States Code (commonly known as the ‘‘Paperwork Reduction Act’’) and related guidance. 

SEC. 2303. REPORT ON WEB PORTAL FOR DISASTER LOAN APPLICANTS. 

Section 38 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657j) is 

amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(c) REPORT ON WEB PORTAL FOR DISASTER LOAN APPLICATION

STATUS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

of enactment of this subsection, the Administrator shall submit 

to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship 

of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the 

House of Representatives a report relating to the creation of 

a web portal to the track the status of applications for disaster 

assistance under section 7(b). 

‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The report under paragraph (1) shall 

include— 

‘‘(A) information on the progress of the Administration 

in implementing the information system under subsection 

(a); 

‘‘(B) recommendations from the Administration relating 

to the creation of a web portal for applicants to check 

the status of an application for disaster assistance under 

section 7(b), including a review of best practices and web 

portal models from the private sector; 

‘‘(C) information on any related costs or staffing needed 

to implement such a web portal; 

‘‘(D) information on whether such a web portal can 

maintain high standards for data privacy and data security; 

‘‘(E) information on whether such a web portal will 

minimize redundancy among Administration disaster programs, improve management of the number of inquiries 

made by disaster applicants to employees located in the 

area affected by the disaster and to call centers, and reduce 

paperwork burdens on disaster victims; and 

Recommendations. 


kgrant on DSKB33CYQ1 with PUBLAW
PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 129 STAT. 697 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 208 (S. 1811): 

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 114–186 (Comm. on Small Business). 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 161 (2015): 

July 13, considered and passed House. 

Oct. 21, considered and passed Senate, amended. 

Nov. 16, House concurred in Senate amendments. 

Æ 

‘‘(F) such additional information as is determined necessary by the Administrator.’’. 

Approved November 25, 2015. 


kgrant on DSKB33CYQ1 with PUBLAW