Author Description

After the Small Business Admin. (SBA) was widely criticized for its performance following the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes, the agency took steps to reform the Disaster Loan Program and Congress enacted the Small Business Disaster Response and Loan Improvements Act of 2008 (Act). This report determined: (1) the extent to which SBA addressed the Act's requirements; and (2) how SBA's response to major disasters in 2008 aligned with key components of its June 2007 Disaster Recovery Plan. The report also conducted site visits to areas affected by major 2008 disasters, reviewed SBA's customer satisfaction survey, and obtained the opinions of relevant stakeholders. Includes recommendations. Charts and tables.