H.R. 6499 - Homeowners Disaster Preparation Act of 2018

115th CONGRESS 2d Session

H. R. 6499

To amend the Small Business Act to authorize the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to issue loans to homeowners in areas at risk for disasters to carry out pre-disaster mitigation activities, and for other purposes.

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 24, 2018

Mrs. Torres (for herself and Mr. Poe of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Small Business

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A BILL

To amend the Small Business Act to authorize the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to issue loans to homeowners in areas at risk for disasters to carry out pre-disaster mitigation activities, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

This Act may be cited as the “Homeowners Disaster Preparation Act of 2018”.

The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended—

(1) by redesignating section 47 as section 48; and

(2) by inserting after section 46 the following new section:

“(a) Loan program.—

“(1) LOANS.—The Administrator may issue a loan to an eligible homeowner for purpose of pre-disaster mitigation activities.

“(2) AMOUNT.—No loan issued under this section may exceed $10,000.

“(3) INTEREST RATE.—The Administrator shall set the interest rate of loans issued under this section at such rates as the Administrator determines, in the aggregate, are sufficient to cover—

“(A) the cost of such loans; and

“(B) the administrative costs of carrying out this section.

“(4) PRIORITY.—In making a determination whether to issue a loan under this section, the Administrator shall prioritize loans that the Administrator determines will have the greatest effect on the protection of life and property.

“(5) AUTHORIZATION OF FUNDS.—

“(A) INITIAL APPROPRIATION.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator $100,000,000 to carry out this section.

“(B) SUBSEQUENT FUNDS.—All funds collected under this section shall be deposited in an account solely for the purpose of carrying out this section. Such amounts shall be available to carry out such activities without need of further appropriation.

“(b) Definitions.—In this section:

“(1) The term ‘Administrator’ means the Administrator of the Small Business Administration.

“(2) The term ‘cost’ shall have the meaning given the term under section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

“(3) The term ‘eligible homeowner’ means an individual who—

“(A) owns a single- or multi-family home located in an area that the Administrator determines to be at risk for—

“(i) earthquakes;

“(ii) flooding;

“(iii) wildfires;

“(iv) landslides; or

“(v) tornadoes; and

“(B) does not, at the time of application for a loan under this section, have any outstanding loans under this section.

“(4) The term ‘pre-disaster mitigation activities’ means—

“(A) home elevation;

“(B) purchasing a generator for an individual who, in the determination of the Administrator, requires the generator to address a critical medical need;

“(C) dry floodproofing;

“(D) construction of a residential safe room;

“(E) wildfire mitigation;

“(F) enhancements to strengthen a roof, window, or door to minimize potential wind damage; or

“(G) earthquake retrofitting.”.

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