A bipartisan bill recently cosponsored by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins would ensure that during winters with a snow drought, small businesses would be eligible to receive federal disaster relief through the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Injury Disaster Loans program.
“Snow droughts pose a significant threat to Maine’s winter businesses, whose financial stability are often dependent on natural snowfall levels,” Sen. Collins said. “This bipartisan bill would add snow droughts to the list of recognized disasters under the Small Business Act, providing winter businesses a new tool to manage these unpredictable and costly seasons.”
The Winter Recreation Small Business Recovery Act of 2025, S. 1309, which U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) sponsored on April 4, would amend current law, which says qualifying disasters include droughts, ice storms, or blizzards, but does not include snow droughts, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Collins’ staff.
If enacted, S. 1309 would ensure that small businesses relying on winter weather can receive relief from the SBA’s existing loan program, which is designed to provide small businesses with the funds they need to operate while recovering from a natural or other disaster.
The bill is under consideration by the U.S. Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.