To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to establish a grant program for assisting small businesses and agricultural enterprises in meeting disaster-related expenses.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Emergency Management.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Oct 19, 1999
Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President to make grants for assisting small businesses and agricultural enterprises adversely affected by a major disaster in meeting disaster-related expenses, including the costs of nonstructural repairs and replacement of noninsured contents and inventory.Disallows a small business or agricultural enterprise from using the proceeds of the grant for relocation, although such proceeds may be used for appropriate purposes in a new location, at the President's discretion, for safety, health, or mitigation purposes.Makes a small business or agricultural enterprise receiving assistance liable to the United States to the extent that such assistance duplicated benefits provided to such business or enterprise for the same purpose from another Federal agency. Requires any Federal agency that provides any duplicative assistance to collect an amount equal to the value of such duplicative assistance from the recipient when the head of such agency considers it to be in the Federal Government's best interest.Makes any small business or agricultural enterprise ineligible for assistance in relation to more than one major disaster and limits the maximum aggregate of such assistance to such small business or agricultural enterprise to $20,000 with respect to such disaster.Permits the President to only make a grant during the 90-day period beginning on the date of declaration of a major disaster.Makes the amendments made by this Act applicable to any major disaster declared after September 1, 1999, and before the date of the enactment of this Act. Provides that, for purposes of the maximum limit on assistance, the 90-day time period for such disaster shall begin on such date of enactment.
Source last updated: Feb 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
Explore the bill from different angles
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Neutral evidence review
Objective
Analyze H.R.3109 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
View full prompt & sources
Fairness and public impact
Progressive lens
Examine H.R.3109 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
View full prompt & sources
Institutions and government scope
Conservative lens
Examine H.R.3109 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
View full prompt & sources
Individual rights and government power
Liberty lens
Examine H.R.3109 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.