I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6826 
To amend the Small Business Act to provide for disaster loans to repair, 
rehabilitate, or replace property damaged or destroyed by hurricane Har-
vey, Irma, or Maria, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 13, 2018 
Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Small Business 
A BILL 
To amend the Small Business Act to provide for disaster 
loans to repair, rehabilitate, or replace property damaged 
or destroyed by hurricane Harvey, Irma, or Maria, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Access to Sufficient 
Capital for Everyone in Natural Disaster areas Act of 
2018’’ or the ‘‘ASCEND Act of 2018’’. 
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SEC. 2. 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: 
‘‘(9) DISASTER LOANS FOR HURRICANES HAR-
VEY, IRMA, AND MARIA.— 
‘‘(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 hurricane Har-
vey, Irma, or Maria may apply to the Adminis-
trator— 
‘‘(i) for a loan to repair, rehabilitate, 
or replace property damaged or destroyed 
by reason of hurricane Harvey, Irma, or 
Maria; or 
‘‘(ii) if such a small business concern 
has suffered substantial economic injury by 
reason of hurricane Harvey, Irma, or 
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Maria, for a loan to assist such a small 
business concern. 
‘‘(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 author-
ity, the Inspector General of the Administration 
shall initiate a review of the controls for ensur-
ing applicant eligibility for loans made under 
this paragraph.’’. 
SEC. 3. COLLATERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR DISASTER 
LOANS. 
(a) AMENDMENT TO THE RISE AFTER DISASTER 
ACT OF 2015.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 2102 of the RISE 
After Disaster Act of 2015 is amended by striking 
subsection (b). 
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made 
by paragraph (1) shall take effect as though enacted 
as part of the RISE After Disaster Act of 2015. 
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(b) SUNSET.—Effective on the date that is 5 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 Busi-
ness and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Com-
mittee on Small Business of the House of Representatives 
a report on the effects of the amendments made by sub-
section (a), which shall include— 
(1) an assessment of the impact and benefits 
resulting from the amendments; and 
(2) a recommendation as to whether the amend-
ments should be made permanent. 
Æ 
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