U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), Chairman of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, today announced that the Red River Region affected by flooding will receive additional assistance due to his efforts to get the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to implement a Small Business Administrative Directive disaster declaration. Vitter urged the SBA to provide assistance in a July 23 letter to Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet.

“Families, businesses, and homes have suffered for months now due to the Red River flooding, and they deserve assistance,” said Vitter. “The Small Business Administrative Directive disaster declaration will help businesses in the Red River region to recover and withstand this historical flooding.”

Vitter worked to ensure the Small Business Administrative Directive disaster declaration included Caddo, Bossier, De Soto, and Red River parishes. Businesses and non-profits in Caddo, Bossier, DeSoto, Red River Parishes have until September 28, 2015 to apply for physical disaster loans and until April 29, 2016 to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans.

The Disaster Loan Opportunity Center in Shreveport will open tomorrow, Thursday, July 30, at 12:00pm CST, and is located in the Jewella White Hours Financial & Business Center, 2230 Jewella Avenue, Shreveport, La.

On June 9, 2015, Vitter brought representatives from the SBA to tour the damaged areas in Caddo and Bossier, and was involved in pushing for Presidential Disaster Declaration. In recent months, historic flooding in Northwest Louisiana has resulted in widespread damage while also causing major disruptions to commerce and transportation. President Obama recognized the considerable damage to impacted communities and made a presidential disaster declaration. Six parishes – Bossier, Caddo, Grant, Natchitoches, Rapides, and Red River – were listed in the major disaster declaration that authorized vital federal assistance funds and resources for Louisiana.

Earlier this month, Vitter introduced the bipartisan National Disaster Relief Tax Act, which would provide for tax relief for disaster victims from 2012 to 2015, including the recent Red River flooding in northwest Louisiana and areas impacted by Hurricane Isaac from 2012. Additionally, Vitter, as Chairman of the Small Business Committee, passed through committee the Recovery Improvements for Small Entities After Disaster Act of 2015 (or RISE After Disaster Act), which would help small businesses to recover and adapt more quickly after a major disaster.

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