Stop the Shutdowns Act
Bill: H.R.2290 | Sponsor: Rep. Stauber, Pete (R-MN)
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
Stop the Shutdowns Act
This bill requires the Small Business Administration to submit a report analyzing the impact on small businesses of any prospective requirement relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) that would restrict or prevent those businesses from operating at normal capacity.

To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to 
    submit a report on the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on small 
               business concerns, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Stop the Shutdowns Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) According to Bureau of Labor and Statistics, in 
        February 2020, unemployment was at 3.5 percent.
            (2) According to the Centers for Disease Control and 
        Prevention, during March 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020, States and 
        territories issued mandatory stay-at-home orders due to the 
        spread of COVID-19 in the United States.
            (3) According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, in 
        April 2020, unemployment was 14.7 percent with 23.1 million 
        people unemployed.
            (4) In a December 2020 Chamber of Commerce report, 50 
        percent of small business owners reported they saw their 
        operations continuing for a year or less in the current 
        business climate before having to permanently close.
            (5) In a January 2021 National Federation of Independent 
        Business report, small business owners reported a decline in 
        expectations for better business conditions over the next six 
        months.
            (6) On August 21, 2020, President Joseph R. Biden stated, 
        ``I would shut it down'', when asked if he would be prepared to 
        shut down the country again, if so advised.

SEC. 3. REPORT ON IMPACT OF COVID-19 REQUIREMENTS.

    Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this 
section, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall 
submit to Congress a report on the impact on small business concerns 
(as defined under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)) 
of a requirement relating to COVID-19 that would restrict or otherwise 
prevent such a concern from operating at normal capacity. Such report 
shall include data disaggregated by State requirements, Federal 
statutory requirements, and requirements issued by rule or Executive 
Order, including--
            (1) the total number of small business concerns that would 
        have to temporarily or permanently close under each such 
        requirement;
            (2) the impact on small business concerns, disaggregated by 
        industry, under each such requirement; and
            (3) the impact on small business concerns, disaggregated by 
        the location of such concern in an urban, suburban, or rural 
        area, under each such requirement.
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