Rebuilding Small Businesses After Disasters Act

This bill, signed into law on November 22, 2019, amended the RISE After Disaster Act of 2015 to extend the period during which the SBA may require collateral for major-disaster loans from 4 to 7 years. It also required a GAO report comparing default rates of disaster loans before and after the 2015 change. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Kennedy (R-LA) and passed both chambers by voice vote, indicating bipartisan support and no controversy. As an authorization bill with no direct funding appropriation, it does not allocate any specific dollar amounts to any sector. The extension of collateral requirements is a regulatory adjustment that affects SBA lending procedures, not private market activity. No publicly traded companies are directly impacted, as the SBA's disaster loan program is a government lending operation that does not involve private sector contractors or publicly traded financial institutions in a material way. The GAO report requirement is informational and has no market implications. This is a routine, low-impact legislative action.