Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Small Business Wildfire Smoke Recovery Act
A Democratic bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the ``Small Business Wildfire Smoke Recovery Act'', aims to amend the Small Business Act. The primary purpose is to update the definition of a disaster. Specifically, it seeks to include smoke within that definition. This change affects Section 3(k)(2) of the Small Business Act.
Yes· 3 of 5
- Scored +6
Would business owners be better off under this?
The bill directly benefits business owners by qualifying smoke as a disaster, enabling them to seek federal aid.
- Scored +5
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
The bill expands the definition of a disaster to include smoke, which allows small businesses affected by wildfire smoke to access federal disaster assistance programs.
- Scored +4
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
Rural residents who often operate small businesses are more likely to be impacted by wildfire smoke and qualify for assistance under this change.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Updated Disaster Definition: By adding ``smoke'' to the definition of a disaster in Section 3(k)(2) of the Small Business Act, the bill provides a new category of disaster for consideration. This could benefit those affected by smoke.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts are explicitly mentioned in the text provided.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill directly benefits business owners by qualifying smoke as a disaster, enabling them to seek federal aid. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Rural residents who often operate small businesses are more likely to be impacted by wildfire smoke and qualify for assistance under this change. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The expansion of disaster definitions can provide a safety net for low-income small business owners affected by smoke. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill provides potential economic relief for middle-class small business owners facing smoke-related disruptions.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill expands the definition of a disaster to include smoke, which allows small businesses affected by wildfire smoke to access federal disaster assistance programs.
- 5/14/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
- Introduced in Senate