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The House passed the Rural Small Business Resilience Act (H.R. 804) by a wide bipartisan margin to ensure rural communities have better access to federal disaster aid.
This vote was to pass H.R. 804, the Rural Small Business Resilience Act. The bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to improve its outreach efforts in rural areas following natural disasters. Specifically, the SBA must create targeted marketing materials and conduct direct outreach to ensure that small business owners and residents in less-populated areas are aware of and can access federal recovery loans and assistance programs. This vote was held under a procedure called "suspension of the rules." This is a fast-track method typically reserved for bills with broad, bipartisan support. Because it bypasses the standard amendment process and moves more quickly, it requires a higher two-thirds majority for passage instead of a simple majority. The measure passed with an overwhelming bipartisan majority, with 415 members voting in favor and only 8 against. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration. If approved there and signed into law, it will mandate specific changes to how the SBA communicates with rural populations during recovery efforts.
The bill has been sent to the Senate and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship for further study.
OPEN BILL →Why it matters. Rural communities often face geographic and technological barriers to receiving federal aid after a disaster. This bill attempts to ensure that these communities are not disadvantaged by a lack of awareness or communication from the SBA.
Who’s affected. Rural small business owners: Will see increased efforts from the federal government to inform them of recovery loan opportunities. · The Small Business Administration: Must update its disaster response protocols to include specific rural outreach components.
Democrats. Democrats almost unanimously supported the bill, with 208 voting in favor and only one voting against.
Republicans. Republicans supported the bill by a vast majority, with 203 voting in favor and four voting against.
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass
Feb 25, 2025
The House passed the Rural Small Business Resilience Act (H.R.
804) by a wide bipartisan margin to ensure rural communities have better access to federal disaster aid.
This was a vote to 'suspend the rules' and pass the bill, a common fast-track procedure for non-controversial legislation. Because this process skips standard House steps, it requires a supermajority of two-thirds of the members present to vote 'yes' for the bill to pass.
The bill has been sent to the Senate and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship for further study.
Rural communities often face geographic and technological barriers to receiving federal aid after a disaster. This bill attempts to ensure that these communities are not disadvantaged by a lack of awareness or communication from the SBA.
The vote showed nearly universal support across party lines, which is typical for suspension measures involving rural disaster recovery.
Democrats almost unanimously supported the bill, with 208 voting in favor and only one voting against.
Republicans supported the bill by a vast majority, with 203 voting in favor and four voting against.
The House's sole independent member voted in favor of the bill.