This legislation directs the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a comprehensive study on the disbursement process for certain small business loans, specifically excluding those established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study will cover the period from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2024, analyzing various metrics within specific "covered regions" that include parts of the Appalachian region, comparing data between Appalachian and non-Appalachian areas. Key measures to be examined include the average length of time from loan application submission to fund disbursement, the time taken for each step of the process, and the number of loans disbursed and approved per 1,000 small businesses, along with their average and median dollar amounts. The Comptroller General must provide an interim briefing to Congress within one year and a full report within two years, which will include recommendations. These recommendations are intended to improve the small business loan program by increasing accessibility, significantly decreasing the average time for fund disbursement, and enhancing the availability of application status information for applicants. The study also aims to identify internal agency mechanisms that can be modified to reduce government inefficiencies in processing applications.
This legislation directs the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a comprehensive study on the disbursement process for certain small business loans, specifically excluding those established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study will cover the period from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2024, analyzing various metrics within specific "covered regions" that include parts of the Appalachian region, comparing data between Appalachian and non-Appalachian areas. Key measures to be examined include the average length of time from loan application submission to fund disbursement, the time taken for each step of the process, and the number of loans disbursed and approved per 1,000 small businesses, along with their average and median dollar amounts. The Comptroller General must provide an interim briefing to Congress within one year and a full report within two years, which will include recommendations. These recommendations are intended to improve the small business loan program by increasing accessibility, significantly decreasing the average time for fund disbursement, and enhancing the availability of application status information for applicants. The study also aims to identify internal agency mechanisms that can be modified to reduce government inefficiencies in processing applications.