,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cbgh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #ab1 
#bjbj,mr4 ,risch 7for himself and ,mrs4 
,shaheen7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,small ,business and  
,entrepreneurship  ,a ,,bill  ,to modify
 the requirements for the ,administrator
 of the ,small ,business ,administration
 relating to declaring a disaster in a  
rural area1 and for other purposes4  #a4
 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,disaster ,assistance for ,rural   
,communities ,act4  #b4 ,disaster       
declaration in rural areas  7a7 ,in     
general ,section #g7;b7 of the ,small   
,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcf7;b77 
is amended by inserting after paragraph 
7#ae7 the following3  7#af7 ,disaster   
declaration in rural areas  7,a7        
,definitions ,in this paragraph-- 7i7   
the term rural area means an area with a
 population of less than #bjj1jjj       
outside an urbanized area2 and  7ii7 the

 term significant damage means1 with    
respect to property1 uninsured losses of
 not less than #dj percent of the       
estimated fair replacement value or     
pre-disaster fair market value of the   
damaged property1 whichever is lower4   
7,b7 ,disaster declaration              
,notwithstanding section #abc4c7;a7 of  
title #ac1 ,code of ,federal            
,regulations1 or any successor          
regulation1 the ,administrator may      
declare a disaster in a rural area for  
which a major disaster was declared by  
the ,president under section #dja of the
 ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief
 and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db   
,u4,s4,c4 #eagj7 if-- 7i7 the ,governor 
of the ,state in which the rural area is
 located requests such a declaration2   
and  7ii7 any home1 small business      
concern1 private nonprofit organization1
 or small agricultural cooperative has  
incurred significant damage in the rural
 area4  7,c7 ,,sba report ,not later    
than #abj days after the date of        

enactment of this ,act1 and every year  
thereafter1 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 on1 with      
respect to the #a-year period preceding 
submission of the report-- 7i7 any      
economic injury that resulted from a    
major disaster declared by the          
,president under section #dja of the    
,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief 
and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db    
,u4,s4,c4 #eagj7 in a rural area2  7ii7 
each request for assistance made by the 
,governor of a ,state under subparagraph
 7,b77i7 and the response of the        
,administrator1 including the timeline  
for each response2 and  7iii7 any       
regulatory changes that will impact the 
ability of communities in rural areas to
 obtain disaster assistance under this  
subsection4  4  7b7 ,regulations ,not   
later than #abj days after the date of  

enactment of this ,act1 the             
,administrator of the ,small ,business  
,administration shall issue regulations 
to carry out the amendment made by      
subsection 7a74  7c7 ,,gao report  7#a7 
,definition of rural area ,in this      
subsection1 the term rural area means an
 area with a population of less than    
#bjj1jjj outside an urbanized area4     
7#b7 ,report ,not later than #abj days  
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 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 on--
 7,a7 any unique challenges that        
communities in rural areas face compared
 to communities in metropolitan areas   
when seeking to obtain disaster         
assistance under section #g7;b7 of the  
,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4    
#fcf7;b772 and  7,b7 legislative        
recommendations for improving access to 

disaster assistance for communities in  
rural areas4