Max Cleland: “this amendment would permit SBA to use up to $15 million of existing disaster funds to establish a pilot program to…”

“this amendment would permit SBA to use up to $15 million of existing disaster funds to establish a pilot program to provide small businesses with low-interest, long-term disaster loans to finance preventive measures before a disaster hits. I just got back from Georgia where we had an incredible tornado that came through and killed 14 Georgians. It is obvious to me we need to prevent people from becoming disaster victims, especially small business people. We cannot prevent disasters, but we can prevent, in many ways, disaster victims. In response to the problem of the increasing costs and personal devastation caused by disasters, the administration has launched an approach to emergency management that moves away from the current reliance on response and recovery to one that emphasizes preparedness and prevention. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has established its Project Impact Program to assist disaster-prone communities in developing strategies to avoid the crippling effects of natural disasters. This amendment supports this approach by allowing the SBA to begin a pilot program that would be limited to small businesses within those communities that will be eligible to receive disaster loans after a disaster has been declared.”