Florida’s two senators on Capitol Hill continue to push a bill to ensure victims of natural disasters aren’t penalized by one branch of the federal government for refusing loans from another part of it.
Back in 2017, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., first introduced the “Disaster Assistance Simplification Act,” which he has been championing since then.
The bill “would prohibit the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from penalizing victims of qualified natural disasters who apply for, but decline, Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans.”
Rubio reintroduced the bill this week and his office offered some of the reasons behind why he was continuing to champion the proposal.
“Survivors of natural disasters who apply for, but do not accept, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans have been penalized when the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awards Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) disaster relief funds. Every dollar of SBA loan money for which they are approved is a dollar less that can be awarded in CDBG disaster relief grants,” Rubio’s office noted.
“The current disaster assistance process is unsynchronized and burdensome for victims of natural disasters. As Floridians, and thousands of Americans across our nation, continue to rebuild and recover from recent natural disasters, removing bureaucratic hurdles is imperative to ensuring that no victim is penalized for weighing their hurricane recovery options,” said Rubio.
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., continues to co-sponsor the bill.
“Unfortunately, Florida has experienced multiple devastating storms, which have left families, businesses and communities with a huge burden to rebuild. Following the recent landfalls of major Hurricanes Idalia and Ian, there is an even greater need to make sure families and businesses impacted by storms quickly get the relief they need. The Disaster Assistance Simplification Act streamlines government and eliminates bureaucracy. It’s a commonsense bill that should pass without delay,” said Scott.
The bill was sent to the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. So far, there is no companion measure in the U.S. House.
