April 4, 2025
Ms. Baldwin (for herself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Peters, Ms. Smith, and Ms. Klobuchar) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
To modify the definition of disaster in the Small Business Act to include low or no snowfall amounts, 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 Winter Recreation Small Business Recovery Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1)
According to the American Meteorology Society Glossary of Meteorology, snow drought occurs when there is a period of abnormally low snowpack for the time of year.
(2)
Snow drought is described as either dry or warm, depending on whether the drought is a result of below-normal cold-season precipitation or a lack of snow accumulation despite near-normal precipitation, usually as a result of warm temperatures that cause precipitation to fall as rain rather than snow or an unusually early snowmelt.
Sec. 3. Definition of disaster
(a) In general
Section 3(k)(2) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632(k)(2)) is amended—
(1)
in subparagraph (B), by striking and
at the end;
(2)
in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and
; and
(3)
by adding at the end the following:
(D)
snow drought.
(b) Regulations
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, in consultation with the Director of the National Weather Service, shall promulgate rules to implement the amendment made by subsection (a).
(c) Review of existing resources and ways To adapt
(1) Definition
In this subsection, the term small business concern has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).
(2) Interagency review
The Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report—
(A)
providing a review of resources available to Federal agencies to assist small business concerns that have suffered economic injury or been economically impacted by lack of snow or low snow precipitation;
(B)
identifying ways small business concerns can become more resilient and adapt the business model of the concerns related to snow droughts; and
(C)
providing recommendations for legislative and administrative action to provide assistance to small business concerns impacted by lack of snow or low snow precipitation, including an evaluation of the capabilities of the Small Business Administration to support expanded disaster recovery efforts related to a lack of snow or low snow precipitation and other similar tasks through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.