H. R. 208—2 
DIVISION A—SUPERSTORM SANDY RE-
LIEF 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 provi-
sion of law, and subject to the same requirements and 
procedures that are used to make loans pursuant to sub-
section (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 Assist-
ance 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 con-
cern.
H. R. 208—3 
‘‘(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 CON-
STRUCT 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 sub-
section 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 poli-
cies 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
H. R. 208—4 
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 DEVELOP-
MENT 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 assist-
ance 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 assist-
ance under this paragraph shall provide counseling, 
training, and other related services, such as promoting 
long-term resiliency, to small business concerns and entre-
preneurs impacted by a major disaster. 
‘‘(E) PERFORMANCE.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, in coopera-
tion 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, reestablish-
ment 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
H. R. 208—5 
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 para-
graph 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
CON-
CERNS.— 
‘‘(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 Adminis-
trator, the Administrator may authorize a small busi-
ness development center to provide advice, information, 
and assistance, as described in subsection (c), to a