WASHINGTON – The Small Business Administration this week announced the full implementation of U.S. Senator Jim Risch’s legislation the Disaster Assistance for Rural Communities Act. This legislation—by removing burdensome requirements for declaring disasters in rural communities—will allow rural homeowners, renters, and small businesses to more easily access disaster relief in the wake of a natural disaster.

“I introduced the Disaster Assistance for Rural Communities Act because Idahoans were denied access to disaster relief due to their rural geography,” said Risch. “Now that my bill was passed into law and is being implemented, disaster resources will finally be available to rural small businesses across Idaho.”

In the spring of 2019, Idaho County in the Idaho panhandle experienced severe and unprecedented flooding, prompting a Presidential Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance that helped rebuild roads and public infrastructure. In response to scores of affected small businesses and homeowners in the region, the state also applied for SBA’s disaster assistance programs. However, Idaho’s request was denied due to the county’s rural geography.