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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 564 Introduced in House (IH)]

110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 564

 To amend the Small Business Act to ensure that when a small business 
participating in the 8(a) business development program is affected by a 
   catastrophic incident, the period in which it can participate is 
                         extended by 18 months.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 18, 2007

Mr. Jefferson introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Small Business

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To amend the Small Business Act to ensure that when a small business 
participating in the 8(a) business development program is affected by a 
   catastrophic incident, the period in which it can participate is 
                         extended by 18 months.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Disadvantaged Business Disaster 
Eligibility Act''.

SEC. 2. AVAILABILITY OF DISASTER LOANS FOR CATASTROPHIC INCIDENTS.

    Section 7 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636) is amended in 
subsection (j)(10) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(K) Extension of participation for catastrophic 
                incidents.--
                            ``(i) Definition.--In this subparagraph, 
                        the term `catastrophic incident' means a 
                        disaster that--
                                    ``(I) results in extraordinary 
                                levels of mass casualties, damage, or 
                                disruption severely affecting the 
                                population, infrastructure, 
                                environment, economy, national morale, 
                                or government functions;
                                    ``(II) has the potential to result 
                                in sustained national impacts over a 
                                prolonged period of time;
                                    ``(III) almost immediately exceeds 
                                resources normally available to State, 
                                local, tribal, and private-sector 
                                authorities in the impacted area; and
                                    ``(IV) significantly interrupts 
                                governmental operations and emergency 
                                services to such an extent that 
                                national security could be threatened.
                            ``(ii) Extension of participation.--If a 
                        small business concern is affected by a 
                        catastrophic incident while participating in 
                        any program or activity under the authority of 
                        this paragraph, the period during which the 
                        small business concern is permitted continuing 
                        participation and eligibility in such program 
                        or activity shall be extended for an additional 
                        18 months.''.

SEC. 3. RETROACTIVITY FOR VICTIMS OF HURRICANES KATRINA, RITA, AND 
              WILMA.

    (a) Retroactivity.--Subparagraph (K) of section 7(j)(10) of the 
Small Business Act, as added by section 2 of this Act, applies to all 
catastrophic incidents occurring on or after August 29, 2005.
    (b) Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma.--For purposes of such 
subparagraph (K), Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma of 2005 are 
hereby deemed to be catastrophic incidents.
    (c) Review and Compliance.--The Administrator of the Small Business 
Administration shall ensure that the case of every small business 
concern participating before the date of the enactment of this Act in a 
program or activity covered by such subparagraph (K) is reviewed and 
brought into compliance with this section.
                                 <all>
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