,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cdag  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #aj1 
#bjbe,mr4 ,justice introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,small   
,business and ,entrepreneurship  ,a     
,,bill  ,to direct the ,comptroller     
,general of the ,united ,states to      
conduct a study on the disbursement     
process for certain small business      
loans1 and for other purposes4  #a4     
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,main ,street ,lending ,improvement 
,act of #bjbe4  #b4 ,disbursement       
process for certain small business loans
  7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3    
7#a7 ,appalachian region ,the term      
,appalachian region has the meaning     
given such term by section #adajb7;a7 of
 title #dj1 ,united ,states ,code4  7#b7
 ,covered region ,the term covered      
region means a region of the            
,administration that includes any part  
of the ,appalachian region4  7#c7       

,region of the ,administration ,the term
 region of the ,administration has the  
meaning given such term in section #c of
 the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae         
,u4,s4,c4 #fcb74  7#d7 ,small business  
concern ,the term small business concern
 has the meaning given such term under  
section #c of the ,small ,business ,act 
7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcb7;a774  7#e7 ,small  
business loan ,the term small business  
loan means a loan made under title ,v of
 the ,small ,business ,investment ,act  
of #aieh 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fie et seq471  
section #g7;a7 of the ,small ,business  
,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcf7;a771 or       
section #g7m7 of the ,small ,business   
,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcf7m771 except    
that such term excludes any loan made   
under a program established in response 
to the ,,covid-#ai pandemic4  7b7 ,study
 ,the ,comptroller ,general of the      
,united ,states shall conduct a study on
 the disbursement process for small     
business loans4  7c7 ,contents  7#a7 ,in
 general ,in conducting the study under 

subsection 7b71 the ,comptroller        
,general shall determine for each year  
during the period beginning on ,january 
#a1 #bjba1 and ending on ,december #ca1 
#bjbd1 for each covered region1 the     
measures described in paragraph 7#b74   
7#b7 ,measures described ,the measures  
described in this paragraph with respect
 to a covered region are1 for each of   
the portion of such covered region that 
is part of the ,appalachian region and  
the portion of such covered region that 
is not part of the ,appalachian region--
 7,a7 the average length of time-- 7i7  
between the submission of an application
 for a small business loan by a small   
business concern for which the principal
 place of business is located in such   
portion and when funds are disbursed    
with respect to such application2 and   
7ii7 to complete each step of the       
application and disbursement process for
 small business loans for small business
 concerns for which the principal place 
of business is located in such portion2 

7,b7 the number that is equal to the    
product of-- 7i7 the number of small    
business loans disbursed to small       
business concerns for which the         
principal place of business is located  
in such portion divided by the total    
number of small business concerns for   
which the principal place of business is
 located in such portion2 and  7ii7     
#ajjj2  7,c7 the number that is equal to
 the product of-- 7i7 the number of     
small business loans approved for small 
business concerns for which the         
principal place of business is located  
in such portion divided by the total    
number of small business concerns for   
which the principal place of business is
 located in such portion2 and  7ii7     
#ajjj2  7,d7 the average and median     
dollar amount of small business loans   
disbursed to small business concerns for
 which the principal place of business  
is located in such portion2 and  7,e7   
the number that is equal to the product 
of-- 7i7 the aggregate dollar amount of 

all small business loans disbursed to   
small business concerns for which the   
principal place of business is located  
in such portion divided by the total    
number of small business concerns for   
which the principal place of business is
 located in such portion2 and  7ii7     
#ajjj4  7d7 ,briefing and report  7#a7  
,interim briefing ,not later than #a    
year after the date of enactment of this
 ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general shall  
provide to ,congress a briefing on the  
progress of the study required by       
subsection 7b74  7#b7 ,report  7,a7 ,in 
general ,not later than #b years after  
the date of enactment of this ,act1 the 
,comptroller ,general shall submit to   
,congress a report containing the       
results of the study required by        
subsection 7b74  7,b7 ,recommendations  
,the report required by subparagraph    
7,a7 shall include recommendations of   
the ,comptroller ,general for changes to
 the small business loan disbursement   
process to-- 7i7 increase accessibility 

of small business loans2  7ii7 decrease 
the average length of time from when an 
application for a small business loan is
 submitted to when funds are disbursed  
with respect to such application2  7iii7
 increase the availability of           
information to an applicant for a small 
business loan regarding the status of   
the application of such applicant1      
including if any additional information 
is needed from the applicant to continue
 processing the application of such     
applicant and an estimate of the length 
of time until the funds with respect to 
such application will be disbursed2 and 
7iv7 identify mechanisms and processes  
internal to the agencies involved in    
making small business loans that can be 
changed to reduce inefficiencies of the 
,government with respect to the         
processing of applications for small    
business loans4