Velázquez’s Sandy bill heads back to House after Senate passage
A bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez to cut red tape for owners of small businesses seeking government assistance to rebuild from Superstorm Sandy is headed back to the House after it was approved by the Senate.
The House passed Velázquez’s bill, the Superstorm Sandy Relief and Disaster Loan Program Improvement Act, earlier this year and sent it to the Senate. Last week, the Senate passed the legislation but made changes to the bill, a move that necessitated bringing it back to the House for another vote before it could be sent to President Barack Obama for his signature.
Velázquez’s bill would allow small businesses impacted by Superstorm Sandy to re-apply for assistance from the Small Business Administration (SBA). Velázquez (D-Brooklyn-Manhattan) said she sponsored the bill in an effort to cut the red tape many business owners have faced as they struggled to rebuild post-Sandy.