Bill Text: TX HB4067 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the small business assistance disaster recovery program.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-05-13 - Placed on General State Calendar [HB4067 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB4067-Comm_Sub.html
| 87R19617 MWC-F | |||
| By: Ordaz Perez, Price, Paddie | H.B. No. 4067 | ||
| Substitute the following for H.B. No. 4067: | |||
| By: Button | C.S.H.B. No. 4067 | ||
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| relating to the establishment of the small business assistance | ||
| disaster recovery program. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 481, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 481.00682 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 481.00682. OFFICE OF SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE | ||
| DISASTER RECOVERY PROGRAM. (a) In this section: | ||
| (1) "Declared disaster" means: | ||
| (A) a disaster declared by the president of the | ||
| United States; or | ||
| (B) a state of disaster declared by the governor | ||
| under Chapter 418. | ||
| (2) "Program" means the small business assistance | ||
| disaster recovery program established under this section. | ||
| (b) Subject to Subsection (c), the Office of Small Business | ||
| Assistance shall establish and administer the small business | ||
| assistance disaster recovery program to provide small businesses in | ||
| this state that have been economically affected by a declared | ||
| disaster with resources and assistance. Resources and assistance | ||
| provided to small businesses under the program may include: | ||
| (1) information regarding or assistance securing | ||
| state and federal funding; | ||
| (2) technical or financial opportunities available to | ||
| the small business; | ||
| (3) information regarding regulations applicable to | ||
| the small business; and | ||
| (4) general information and resources related to: | ||
| (A) taxes and accounting; | ||
| (B) loan refinancing; | ||
| (C) basic bankruptcy procedures; | ||
| (D) restructuring; and | ||
| (E) debt protection and forgiveness options. | ||
| (c) The Office of Small Business Assistance may not provide | ||
| a small business with direct legal or accounting advice under the | ||
| program but may provide: | ||
| (1) general resources and information regarding legal | ||
| or accounting issues faced by small businesses; and | ||
| (2) referrals to lawyers, accountants, or entities | ||
| that provide legal or accounting advice to small businesses. | ||
| (d) To the extent money is available, the Office of Small | ||
| Business Assistance shall employ not fewer than two employees to | ||
| administer the program. The Office of Small Business Assistance | ||
| may only hire a person to administer the program who has been | ||
| approved by the small business advocate designated under Section | ||
| 481.0067. | ||
| (e) Information collected from a small business under the | ||
| program is confidential and is not subject to disclosure under | ||
| Chapter 552. | ||
| SECTION 2. The Texas Economic Development and Tourism | ||
| Office is required to implement Section 481.00682, Government Code, | ||
| as added by this Act, only if the legislature appropriates money | ||
| specifically for that purpose. If the legislature does not | ||
| appropriate money specifically for that purpose, the Texas Economic | ||
| Development and Tourism Office may, but is not required to, | ||
| implement a provision of this Act using other appropriations that | ||
| are available for that purpose. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
