House Small Business Committee Advances Mejia Bill to Ensure Accurate Disaster Assistance Information

For Immediate Release: September 16, 2026
Contact: Beth Wiesinger | NJ11AMPress@Mail.House.Gov

Disaster Loan Outreach Consistency Act would require SBA to provide consistent, current disaster loan information to small business owners

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House Committee on Small Business today advanced legislation introduced by Representative Analilia Mejia (NJ-11) to strengthen federal disaster assistance for small businesses and ensure owners have accurate, up-to-date information when recovering from natural disasters. The legislation will advance to the House floor when scheduled for a vote.

Small businesses are increasingly on the front lines of natural disasters, facing flooding, severe storms, blizzards, and other events that can threaten their ability to stay open. The Disaster Loan Outreach Consistency Act would require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish standardized procedures to ensure disaster outreach materials are consistent, current, and accurate across its field operations centers—equipping businesses with the information to seek and receive aid in a timely manner.

“With nearly 99 percent of all businesses in my home state of New Jersey are small businesses and each one facing the threat of coastal storms and severe floods, these are over 1 million owners and potential borrowers who need all the relevant information. This is why my bill, the Disaster Loan Outreach Consistency Act, offers a simple solution and basic oversight to this issue,” said Congresswoman Mejia. “I urge my colleagues and members of this committee to support this legislation. In a period of time where misinformation is rampant, we must work to ensure small business owners have all the possible information they can have to make the best decision for themselves. We cannot let our federal agencies misguide, misdirect, and withhold vital information, especially when they make regulatory changes that affect Americans. The disaster loan program is one crucial step in recovery after a natural disaster.”

Small businesses make up nearly 99 percent of businesses in New Jersey, making access to reliable disaster assistance particularly important as communities across the state face increasingly severe storms and flooding.

The legislation would provide greater consistency and accountability across SBA’s disaster outreach efforts, helping ensure that the small business owners who rely on federal disaster loans receive the information they need to make informed decisions and recover more quickly.

Click here to read the full bill text.

Click here to view Rep. Mejia’s remarks.

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