On Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at 1:00 p.m.the Committee on Small Business conducted a hearing titled Disaster Assistance: Is SBA Meeting the Recovery Needs of Disaster Victims?  The hearing began at 1:00 P.M. on November 30^th, 2011, in Room 2360 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

The purpose of the hearing was to examine the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) programs that provide long-term disaster recovery assistance. The hearing focused on the SBA’s implementation of the Small Business Disaster Response and Loan Improvements Act of 2008. The hearing also examined the changes made in the disaster loan program since Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005. SBA Disaster Assistance staff and a representative of the Government Accountability Office provided testimony.

Opening Statement:

Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO)

Witnesses and Testimony:

James Rivera, Associate Administrator, Office of Disaster Assistance, United States Small Business Administration, Washington, DC

• Testimony 

William Shear, Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment, United States Government Accountability Office, Washington, DC

• Testimony 

Additional Items:

Official Hearing Notice

Official Witness List

Official Hearing Memo

Hearing Video

Press Release