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Disaster Assistance for Rural Communities Act

Public Law 117-249 · S. 1617 · 117th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Dec 20, 2022 · Commerce

Sponsor: Sen. James Risch (R-ID)

Cosponsors (4): Sen. Jeanne Shaheen,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 406 yea, 8 nay406–8
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Disaster Assistance for Rural Communities Act

This bill authorizes the Small Business Administration (SBA) to declare a disaster in rural areas where significant damage has been incurred for the purpose of providing certain assistance.

A rural area is a county or political subdivision designated as such by the Census Bureau. Significant damage means uninsured losses of not less than 40% of the fair replacement value or pre-disaster fair market value of the damaged property (whichever is less).

For a rural area where the President has declared a major disaster, the SBA may declare a disaster for the purpose of providing economic injury disaster loans if (1) the state or tribal government wherein the rural area is located requests the declaration; and (2) any home, small business, private nonprofit organization, or small agricultural cooperative has incurred significant damage.

The Government Accountability Office must report on (1) any unique challenges to communities in rural areas compared to communities in urbanized areas when seeking economic injury disaster assistance, and (2) any legislative recommendations for improving access to disaster assistance for communities in rural areas.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 117th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 406 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

406 yea8 nay17 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(209)

Republicans who voted yea(197)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 964 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 3192Identical bill

    Disaster Assistance for Rural Communities Act

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.

  1. Dec 20, 2022Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 117-249.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 16, 2022FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 8, 2022FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 406 - 8 (Roll no. 517).House roll call 517
  6. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  7. Dec 5, 2022FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  8. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House resumed debate on S. 1617.
  9. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1617.
  10. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  11. FloorFloor · Ms. Velazquez moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  12. Sep 29, 2022FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  13. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  14. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  15. Sep 28, 2022FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  16. May 3, 2022FloorFloor · By Senator Cardin from Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship filed written report. Report No. 117-103.
  17. Feb 17, 2022CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 278.
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Reported by Senator Cardin with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
  19. Feb 15, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
  20. May 13, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
  21. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.