Overview
Title
To modify the definition of disaster in the Small Business Act to include low or no snowfall amounts, and for other purposes.
ELI5 AI
The bill wants to help small businesses that struggle when there's not enough snow by calling it a "snow drought." It asks a group in charge to change the rules so these businesses can get help when it doesn't snow much.
Summary AI
S. 1309, known as the "Winter Recreation Small Business Recovery Act of 2025," aims to amend the definition of a disaster in the Small Business Act to include periods of low or no snowfall, referred to as snow droughts. The bill instructs the Small Business Administration (SBA) to create rules for implementing this definition change within 90 days and mandates an interagency review to assess resources and provide recommendations for supporting small businesses affected by these snow droughts. The goal is to help small businesses become more resilient and adapt to economic challenges arising from insufficient snowfall.
Published
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AnalysisAI
The bill titled the Winter Recreation Small Business Recovery Act of 2025 aims to modify the Small Business Act to include "snow drought" as a type of disaster. By doing so, it seeks to provide relief to small businesses that suffer economic impacts due to unusually low or nonexistent snowfall. Sponsored by multiple senators, including Ms. Baldwin and Ms. Collins, this legislative proposal recognizes the economic challenges posed by snow droughts, defined as periods of low snowpack and unusual precipitation patterns.
General Summary
The bill articulates a need to update existing legislation so that small businesses impacted by snow droughts can access federal disaster aid. Currently, the Small Business Act provides financial assistance to businesses affected by various natural disasters. This proposal adds "snow drought" to the list of recognized disasters, ensuring efforts and resources are extended to businesses reliant on snowfall—such as those in winter sports or tourism—that may otherwise struggle during snow drought conditions.
Sections include a declaration of findings, amendments to definitions within the Small Business Act, and directives for implementing new guidelines and reviews by appropriate governmental bodies.
Significant Issues
Several issues arise from the proposal. One primary concern is the vagueness surrounding the term "snow drought." Without a clear and precise definition, there is the potential for broad interpretations, which could lead to difficulty in qualifying what constitutes a disaster under this new category. This could complicate administration and allocation of disaster aid.
Additionally, the timeline for the Small Business Administration (SBA) to develop the implementing rules within 90 days may be unrealistic, considering the requirement for inter-agency consultations. Such a tight schedule could result in inadequately formulated policies or operational delays.
The inclusion of a mandate for the Comptroller General to review resources and adaptive strategies for small businesses may overlap with existing assessments conducted by other agencies. This could lead to redundancy and potentially unnecessary expenditure, diverting focus from immediate disaster relief.
Broad Public Impact
The bill has the potential to influence various stakeholders positively and negatively. On a broad scale, expanding the definition of disasters to include snow droughts ensures businesses in affected regions may continue operations following low-snow seasons, thus preserving jobs and local economies reliant on winter tourism.
However, there is the risk that without a tightly defined scope, resources could be stretched. Broad interpretations of "snow drought" might strain the disaster relief systems, potentially delaying aid to areas that were historically prioritized, such as those affected by hurricanes or wildfires.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
For small businesses in industries reliant on steady snowfall, such as ski resorts or winter recreation services, this bill could provide essential lifelines during tough seasons. Extending financial support might not only help in immediate recovery but also allow these businesses to plan and adapt for future seasons with greater resilience.
Conversely, stakeholders within the federal emergency response framework may encounter challenges. The reallocation of resources to accommodate an expanded definition of disasters could mean reassessing priorities and possibly stretching budgets already earmarked for other critical emergencies.
In conclusion, while the Winter Recreation Small Business Recovery Act of 2025 offers necessary support for certain small businesses, careful consideration and precise policy detailing are crucial. Balancing urgency with practicality will be key as legislative discussions and implementations proceed.
Issues
The term 'snow drought' may be too vague and require a more precise definition to avoid overly broad interpretations that could lead to inefficient use of disaster relief resources. This is related to SEC. 3, Definition of disaster.
The timeline of 'not later than 90 days' for the promulgation of rules by the Small Business Administration may not be feasible given the complexity of the task and the need for inter-agency coordination. This is related to SEC. 3, Definition of disaster.
The amendment to include 'snow drought' as a disaster could potentially strain resources intended for disaster recovery by broadening the criteria, which may not be aligned with existing statutory definitions. This is related to SEC. 3, Definition of disaster.
There is a potential duplication of resources as the requirement for the Comptroller General to review and submit a report may overlap with evaluations already conducted by other agencies, potentially leading to unnecessary expenditure. This is tied to SEC. 3, Definition of disaster.
The scope of review to be conducted by the Comptroller General includes suggesting ways small businesses can adapt, which may not align with the primary focus of providing immediate disaster relief. This could dilute the focus of the bill. This is related to SEC. 3, Definition of disaster.
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The first section of this Act provides its official short title: the “Winter Recreation Small Business Recovery Act of 2025”.
2. Findings Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
Congress acknowledges two types of snow drought: dry snow drought, caused by less precipitation than usual during cold seasons, and warm snow drought, resulting from precipitation falling as rain instead of snow due to warmer temperatures or early snowmelt, despite normal levels of precipitation.
3. Definition of disaster Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section updates the Small Business Act to include "snow drought" in the definition of disaster and requires the Small Business Administration to create new rules and assess existing resources and strategies to help small businesses affected by low snow levels.