RISE After Disaster Act of 2015
PL 114-88 (H.R.208), enacted 11/25/2015

129 STAT. 686 
PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 
Public Law 114–88 
114th Congress 
An Act 
To improve the disaster assistance programs of the Small Business Administration. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Recovery 
Improvements for Small Entities After Disaster Act of 2015’’ or 
the ‘‘RISE After Disaster Act of 2015’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for this Act 
is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
DIVISION A—SUPERSTORM SANDY RELIEF AND DISASTER LOAN PROGRAM 
IMPROVEMENTS 
Sec. 1001. Short title. 
Sec. 1002. Findings. 
TITLE I—DISASTER ASSISTANCE IMPROVEMENTS 
Sec. 1101. Revised disaster deadline. 
Sec. 1102. Use of physical damage disaster loans to construct safe rooms. 
Sec. 1103. Reducing delays on closing and disbursement of loans. 
Sec. 1104. Safeguarding taxpayer interests and increasing transparency in loan ap-
provals. 
Sec. 1105. Disaster plan improvements. 
DIVISION B—RECOVERY IMPROVEMENTS FOR SMALL ENTITIES 
Sec. 2001. Short title. 
TITLE I—IMPROVEMENTS OF DISASTER RESPONSE AND LOANS 
Sec. 2101. Additional awards to small business development centers, women’s busi-
ness centers, and SCORE for disaster recovery. 
Sec. 2102. Collateral requirements for disaster loans. 
Sec. 2103. Assistance to out-of-State business concerns to aid in disaster recovery. 
Sec. 2104. FAST program. 
Sec. 2105. Use of Federal surplus property in disaster areas. 
Sec. 2106. Recovery opportunity loans. 
Sec. 2107. Contractor malfeasance. 
Sec. 2108. Local contracting preferences and incentives. 
Sec. 2109. Clarification of collateral requirements. 
TITLE II—DISASTER PLANNING AND MITIGATION 
Sec. 2201. Business recovery centers. 
TITLE III—OTHER PROVISIONS 
Sec. 2301. Increased oversight of economic injury disaster loans. 
Sec. 2302. GAO report on paperwork reduction. 
Sec. 2303. Report on web portal for disaster loan applicants. 
15 USC 631 note. 
Recovery 
Improvements 
for Small 
Entities After 
Disaster Act of 
2015. 
Nov. 25, 2015 
[H.R. 208] 
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129 STAT. 687 
PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 
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. 
15 USC 636 note. 
15 USC 631 note. 
Superstorm 
Sandy Relief and 
Disaster Loan 
Program 
Improvement Act 
of 2015. 
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129 STAT. 688 
PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 
‘‘(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 
15 USC 6571 
note. 
Review. 
Procedures. 
Notification. 
Web posting. 
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129 STAT. 689 
PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 
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 
Grants. 
Contracts. 
15 USC 631 note. 
Recovery 
Improvements 
for Small 
Entities After 
Disaster Act of 
2015. 
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129 STAT. 690 
PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 
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 
Recommenda- 
tion. 
Assessment. 
Effective date. 
15 USC 636 note. 
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129 STAT. 691 
PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 
small business concern located outside of the State, 
without regard to geographic proximity to the small 
business development center, if the small business con-
cern is located in an area for which the President 
has declared a major disaster. 
‘‘(ii) TERM.— 
‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—A small business develop-
ment center may provide advice, information, and 
assistance to a small business concern under 
clause (i) for a period of not more than 2 years 
after the date on which the President declared 
a major disaster for the area in which the small 
business concern is located. 
‘‘(II) EXTENSION.—The Administrator may, at 
the discretion of the Administrator, extend the 
period described in subclause (I). 
‘‘(iii) CONTINUITY OF SERVICES.—A small business 
development center that provides counselors to an area 
described in clause (i) shall, to the maximum extent 
practicable, ensure continuity of services in any State 
in which the small business development center other-
wise provides services. 
‘‘(iv) ACCESS TO DISASTER RECOVERY FACILITIES.— 
For purposes of this subparagraph, the Administrator 
shall, to the maximum extent practicable, permit the 
personnel of a small business development center to 
use any site or facility designated by the Administrator 
for use to provide disaster recovery assistance.’’. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress that, 
subject to the availability of funds, the Administrator of the Small 
Business Administration should, to the extent practicable, ensure 
that a small business development center is appropriately 
reimbursed for any legitimate expenses incurred in carrying out 
activities under section 21(b)(3)(B) of the Small Business Act, as 
added by subsection (a). 
SEC. 2104. FAST PROGRAM. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 34(a) of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 657d(a)) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (9) as para-
graphs (4) through (10), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following: 
‘‘(3) CATASTROPHIC
INCIDENT.—The term ‘catastrophic 
incident’ means a major disaster that is comparable to the 
description of a catastrophic incident in the National Response 
Plan of the Administration, or any successor thereto.’’. 
(b) PRIORITY.—Section 34(c)(2) of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 657d(c)(2)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (B)(vi)(III), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) shall give special consideration to an applicant 
that is located in an area affected by a catastrophic 
incident.’’. 
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129 STAT. 692 
PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 
(c) ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE.—Section 34(c) of the Small Busi-
ness Act (15 U.S.C. 657d(c)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(5) 
ADDITIONAL
ASSISTANCE
FOR
CATASTROPHIC 
INCIDENTS.—Upon application by an applicant that receives 
an award or has in effect a cooperative agreement under this 
section and that is located in an area affected by a catastrophic 
incident, the Administrator may— 
‘‘(A) provide additional assistance to the applicant; and 
‘‘(B) waive the matching requirements under subsection 
(e)(2).’’. 
SEC. 2105. USE OF FEDERAL SURPLUS PROPERTY IN DISASTER AREAS. 
Section 7(j)(13)(F) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
636(j)(13)(F)) is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(i)’’ after ‘‘(F)’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(ii)(I) In this clause— 
‘‘(aa) the term ‘covered period’ means the 2-year 
period beginning on the date on which the President 
declared the applicable major disaster; and 
‘‘(bb) the term ‘disaster area’ means the area for 
which the President has declared a major disaster, 
during the covered period. 
‘‘(II) The Administrator may transfer technology or 
surplus property under clause (i) on a priority basis to 
a small business concern located in a disaster area if— 
‘‘(aa) the small business concern meets the require-
ments for such a transfer, without regard to whether 
the small business concern is a Program Participant; 
and 
‘‘(bb) for a small business concern that is a Pro-
gram Participant, on and after the date on which the 
President declared the applicable major disaster, the 
small business concern has not received property under 
this subparagraph on the basis of the status of the 
small business concern as a Program Participant. 
‘‘(III) For any transfer of property under this clause 
to a small business concern, the terms and conditions shall 
be the same as a transfer to a Program Participant, except 
that the small business concern shall agree not to sell 
or transfer the property to any party other than the Federal 
Government during the covered period. 
‘‘(IV) A small business concern that receives a transfer 
of property under this clause may not receive a transfer 
of property under clause (i) during the covered period. 
‘‘(V) If a small business concern sells or transfers prop-
erty in violation of the agreement described in subclause 
(III), the Administrator may initiate proceedings to prohibit 
the small business concern from receiving a transfer of 
property under this clause or clause (i), in addition to 
any other remedy available to the Administrator.’’. 
SEC. 2106. RECOVERY OPPORTUNITY LOANS. 
Section 7(a)(31) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)(31)) 
is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A)— 
Definition. 
Time period. 
Waiver authority. 
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129 STAT. 693 
PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 
(A) by redesignating clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) as clauses 
(ii), (iii), and (iv), respectively; and 
(B) by inserting before clause (ii), as so redesignated, 
the following: 
‘‘(i) The term ‘disaster area’ means the area for 
which the President has declared a major disaster, 
during the 5-year period beginning on the date of the 
declaration.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(H) RECOVERY OPPORTUNITY LOANS.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may guar-
antee an express loan to a small business concern 
located in a disaster area in accordance with this 
subparagraph. 
‘‘(ii) MAXIMUMS.—For a loan guaranteed under 
clause (i)— 
‘‘(I) the maximum loan amount is $150,000; 
and 
‘‘(II) the guarantee rate shall be not more than 
85 percent. 
‘‘(iii) OVERALL
CAP.—A loan guaranteed under 
clause (i) shall not be counted in determining the 
amount of loans made to a borrower for purposes of 
subparagraph (D). 
‘‘(iv) OPERATIONS.—A small business concern 
receiving a loan guaranteed under clause (i) shall cer-
tify that the small business concern was in operation 
on the date on which the applicable major disaster 
occurred as a condition of receiving the loan. 
‘‘(v) REPAYMENT
ABILITY.—A loan guaranteed 
under clause (i) may only be made to a small business 
concern that demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the 
Administrator, sufficient capacity to repay the loan. 
‘‘(vi) TIMING OF PAYMENT OF GUARANTEES.— 
‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date on which a request for purchase is filed 
with the Administrator, the Administrator shall 
determine whether to pay the guaranteed portion 
of the loan. 
‘‘(II) RECAPTURE.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, unless there is a subsequent 
finding of fraud by a court of competent jurisdiction 
relating to a loan guaranteed under clause (i), 
on and after the date that is 6 months after the 
date on which the Administrator determines to 
pay the guaranteed portion of the loan, the 
Administrator may not attempt to recapture the 
paid guarantee. 
‘‘(vii) FEES.— 
‘‘(I) IN
GENERAL.—Unless the Administrator 
has waived the guarantee fee that would otherwise 
be collected by the Administrator under paragraph 
(18) for a loan guaranteed under clause (i), and 
except as provided in subclause (II), the guarantee 
fee for the loan shall be equal to the guarantee 
fee that the Administrator would collect if the 
guarantee rate for the loan was 50 percent. 
Deadline. 
Determination. 
Certification. 
Definition. 
Time period. 
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129 STAT. 694 
PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 
‘‘(II) EXCEPTION.—Subclause (I) shall not apply 
if the cost of carrying out the program under this 
subsection in a fiscal year is more than zero and 
such cost is directly attributable to the cost of 
guaranteeing loans under clause (i). 
‘‘(viii) RULES.—Not later than 270 days after the 
date of enactment of this subparagraph, the Adminis-
trator shall promulgate rules to carry out this subpara-
graph.’’. 
SEC. 2107. CONTRACTOR MALFEASANCE. 
Section 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)) is 
amended by inserting before the undesignated matter following 
paragraph (12), as added by section 2101 of this Act, the following: 
‘‘(13) SUPPLEMENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR CONTRACTOR MALFEA-
SANCE.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—If a contractor or other person 
engages in malfeasance in connection with repairs to, 
rehabilitation of, or replacement of real or personal prop-
erty relating to which a loan was made under this sub-
section and the malfeasance results in substantial economic 
damage to the recipient of the loan or substantial risks 
to health or safety, upon receiving documentation of the 
substantial economic damage or the substantial risk to 
health and safety from an independent loss verifier, and 
subject to subparagraph (B), the Administrator may 
increase the amount of the loan under this subsection, 
as necessary for the cost of repairs, rehabilitation, or 
replacement needed to address the cause of the economic 
damage or health or safety risk. 
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS.—The Administrator may only 
increase the amount of a loan under subparagraph (A) 
upon receiving an appropriate certification from the bor-
rower and person performing the mitigation attesting to 
the reasonableness of the mitigation costs and an assign-
ment of any proceeds received from the person engaging 
in the malfeasance. The assignment of proceeds recovered 
from the person engaging in the malfeasance shall be equal 
to the amount of the loan under this section. Any mitigation 
activities shall be subject to audit and independent 
verification of completeness and cost reasonableness.’’. 
SEC. 2108. LOCAL CONTRACTING PREFERENCES AND INCENTIVES. 
Section 15 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644) is amended 
by inserting after subsection (e) the following: 
‘‘(f) CONTRACTING PREFERENCE FOR SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS 
IN A MAJOR DISASTER AREA.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term ‘disaster 
area’ means the area for which the President has declared 
a major disaster, during the period of the declaration. 
‘‘(2) CONTRACTING PREFERENCE.—An agency shall provide 
a contracting preference for a small business concern located 
in a disaster area if the small business concern will perform 
the work required under the contract in the disaster area. 
‘‘(3) CREDIT
FOR
MEETING
CONTRACTING
GOALS.—If an 
agency awards a contract to a small business concern under 
the circumstances described in paragraph (2), the value of 
the contract shall be doubled for purposes of determining 
Audit. 
Deadline. 
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129 STAT. 695 
PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 
compliance with the goals for procurement contracts under 
subsection (g)(1)(A).’’. 
SEC. 2109. CLARIFICATION OF COLLATERAL REQUIREMENTS. 
Section 7(d)(6) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(d)(6)) 
is amended by inserting after ‘‘which are made under paragraph 
(1) of subsection (b)’’ the following: ‘‘: Provided further, That the 
Administrator, in obtaining the best available collateral for a loan 
of not more than $200,000 under paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection 
(b) relating to damage to or destruction of the property of, or 
economic injury to, a small business concern, shall not require 
the owner of the small business concern to use the primary resi-
dence of the owner as collateral if the Administrator determines 
that the owner has other assets of equal quality and with a value 
equal to or greater than the amount of the loan that could be 
used as collateral for the loan: Provided further, That nothing 
in the preceding proviso may be construed to reduce the amount 
of collateral required by the Administrator in connection with a 
loan described in the preceding proviso or to modify the standards 
used to evaluate the quality (rather than the type) of such collat-
eral’’. 
TITLE II—DISASTER PLANNING AND 
MITIGATION 
SEC. 2201. BUSINESS RECOVERY CENTERS. 
Section 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)) is 
amended by inserting before the undesignated matter following 
paragraph (13), as added by section 2108 of this Act, the following: 
‘‘(14) BUSINESS RECOVERY CENTERS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, acting through 
the district offices of the Administration, shall identify 
locations that may be used as recovery centers by the 
Administration in the event of a disaster declared under 
this subsection or a major disaster. 
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS
FOR
IDENTIFICATION.—Each dis-
trict office of the Administration shall— 
‘‘(i) identify a location described in subparagraph 
(A) in each county, parish, or similar unit of general 
local government in the area served by the district 
office; and 
‘‘(ii) ensure that the locations identified under 
subparagraph (A) may be used as a recovery center 
without cost to the Government, to the extent prac-
ticable.’’. 
TITLE III—OTHER PROVISIONS 
SEC. 2301. INCREASED OVERSIGHT OF ECONOMIC INJURY DISASTER 
LOANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 636(b)) is amended by inserting before the undesignated 
matter following paragraph (14), as added by section 2201 of this 
Act, the following: 
Determination. 
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129 STAT. 696 
PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 
‘‘(15) INCREASED OVERSIGHT OF ECONOMIC INJURY DISASTER 
LOANS.—The Administrator shall increase oversight of entities 
receiving loans under paragraph (2), and may consider— 
‘‘(A) scheduled site visits to ensure borrower eligibility 
and compliance with requirements established by the 
Administrator; and 
‘‘(B) reviews of the use of the loan proceeds by an 
entity described in paragraph (2) to ensure compliance 
with requirements established by the Administrator.’’. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS RELATING TO USING EXISTING FUNDS.— 
It is the sense of Congress that no additional Federal funds should 
be made available to carry out the amendments made by this 
section. 
SEC. 2302. GAO REPORT ON PAPERWORK REDUCTION. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit 
to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the 
Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House of 
Representatives a report evaluating steps that the Small Business 
Administration has taken, with respect to the application for dis-
aster assistance under section 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 636(b)), to comply with subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 
44, United States Code (commonly known as the ‘‘Paperwork Reduc-
tion Act’’) and related guidance. 
SEC. 2303. REPORT ON WEB PORTAL FOR DISASTER LOAN APPLICANTS. 
Section 38 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657j) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) REPORT ON WEB PORTAL FOR DISASTER LOAN APPLICATION 
STATUS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of enactment of this subsection, the Administrator shall submit 
to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship 
of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the 
House of Representatives a report relating to the creation of 
a web portal to the track the status of applications for disaster 
assistance under section 7(b). 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The report under paragraph (1) shall 
include— 
‘‘(A) information on the progress of the Administration 
in implementing the information system under subsection 
(a); 
‘‘(B) recommendations from the Administration relating 
to the creation of a web portal for applicants to check 
the status of an application for disaster assistance under 
section 7(b), including a review of best practices and web 
portal models from the private sector; 
‘‘(C) information on any related costs or staffing needed 
to implement such a web portal; 
‘‘(D) information on whether such a web portal can 
maintain high standards for data privacy and data security; 
‘‘(E) information on whether such a web portal will 
minimize redundancy among Administration disaster pro-
grams, improve management of the number of inquiries 
made by disaster applicants to employees located in the 
area affected by the disaster and to call centers, and reduce 
paperwork burdens on disaster victims; and 
Recommenda- 
tions. 
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129 STAT. 697 
PUBLIC LAW 114–88—NOV. 25, 2015 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 208 (S. 1811): 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 114–186 (Comm. on Small Business). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 161 (2015): 
July 13, considered and passed House. 
Oct. 21, considered and passed Senate, amended. 
Nov. 16, House concurred in Senate amendments. 
‘‘(F) such additional information as is determined nec-
essary by the Administrator.’’. 
Approved November 25, 2015. 
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