I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4609 

To authorize the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to 

waive interest for certain loans relating to damage caused by Hurricane 

Katrina, Hurricane Rita, Hurricane Gustav, or Hurricane Ike. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 4, 2010 

Mr. MELANCON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Small Business 

A BILL 

To authorize the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to waive interest for certain loans relating 

to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita, 

Hurricane Gustav, or Hurricane Ike. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Southeast Hurricanes 

5 Small Business Disaster Relief Act of 2010’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act— 


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1 (1) the terms ‘‘Administration’’ and ‘‘Adminis2 trator’’ mean the Small Business Administration 

3 and the Administrator thereof, respectively; 

4 (2) the term ‘‘covered disaster loan’’ means a 

5 loan— 

6 (A) made under section 7(b) of the Small 

7 Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)); 

8 (B) for damage or injury caused by Hurri9 cane Katrina of 2005, Hurricane Rita of 2005, 

10 Hurricane Gustav of 2008, or Hurricane Ike of 

11 2008; and 

12 (C) made to a business located in a de13 clared disaster area; 

14 (3) the term ‘‘declared disaster area’’ means an 

15 area in the State of Louisiana, State of Mississippi, 

16 or State of Texas for which the President declared 

17 a major disaster under section 401 of the Robert T. 

18 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 

19 Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) relating to Hurricane Katrina 

20 of 2005, Hurricane Rita of 2005, Hurricane Gustav 

21 of 2008, or Hurricane Ike of 2008; 

22 (4) the term ‘‘program’’ means the Southeast 

23 Hurricanes Small Business Disaster Relief Program 

24 established under section 3; and 


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1 (5) the term ‘‘small business concern’’ has the 

2 meaning given that term under section 3(a) of the 

3 Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632(a)). 

4 SEC. 3. SOUTHEAST HURRICANES SMALL BUSINESS DIS5 ASTER RELIEF PROGRAM. 

6 (a) PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.—Subject to the avail7 ability of appropriations, the Administrator shall establish 

8 a Southeast Hurricanes Small Business Disaster Relief 

9 Program, under which the Administrator may waive pay10 ment of interest by a business on a covered disaster loan— 

11 (1) for not more than 3 years; and 

12 (2) in a total amount of not more than 

13 $15,000. 

14 (b) PRIORITY OF APPLICATIONS.—The Adminis15 trator shall, to the extent practicable, give priority to an 

16 application for a waiver of interest under the program by 

17 a small business concern— 

18 (1) with not more than 50 employees; or 

19 (2) that resumed business operations in a de20 clared disaster area during the period— 

21 (A) beginning on September 1, 2005, and 

22 ending on October 1, 2006, for loans relating to 

23 Hurricane Katrina of 2005 or Hurricane Rita 

24 of 2005; or 


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1 (B) beginning on September 1, 2008, and 

2 ending on January 1, 2009, for loans relating 

3 to Hurricane Gustav of 2008 or Hurricane Ike 

4 of 2008. 

5 (c) TERMINATION OF PROGRAM.—The Administrator 

6 may not approve an application under the program after 

7 December 31, 2010. 

8 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

9 There are authorized to be appropriated to the Ad10 ministrator such sums as may be necessary to carry out 

11 this Act. 

Æ 


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