Stop the Shutdowns Act

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2290 To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to submit a report on the impact of COVID–19 restrictions on small business concerns, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 29, 2021 Mr. STAUBER (for himself, Mr. LUETKEMEYER, Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas, Mr. HAGEDORN, Mr. MEUSER, Mr. GARBARINO, Mrs. KIM of California, Mr. DONALDS, Mr. FITZGERALD, Ms. SALAZAR, Ms. TENNEY, and Ms. VAN DUYNE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com- mittee on Small Business A BILL To require the Administrator of the Small Business Adminis- tration to submit a report on the impact of COVID– 19 restrictions on small business concerns, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stop the Shutdowns 4 Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:37 May 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2290.IH H2290 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 2290 IH (1) According to Bureau of Labor and Statis- 1 tics, in February 2020, unemployment was at 3.5 2 percent. 3 (2) According to the Centers for Disease Con- 4 trol and Prevention, during March 1, 2020, and May 5 31, 2020, States and territories issued mandatory 6 stay-at-home orders due to the spread of COVID–19 7 in the United States. 8 (3) According to the Bureau of Labor and Sta- 9 tistics, in April 2020, unemployment was 14.7 per- 10 cent with 23.1 million people unemployed. 11 (4) In a December 2020 Chamber of Commerce 12 report, 50 percent of small business owners reported 13 they saw their operations continuing for a year or 14 less in the current business climate before having to 15 permanently close. 16 (5) In a January 2021 National Federation of 17 Independent Business report, small business owners 18 reported a decline in expectations for better business 19 conditions over the next six months. 20 (6) On August 21, 2020, President Joseph R. 21 Biden stated, ‘‘I would shut it down’’, when asked 22 if he would be prepared to shut down the country 23 again, if so advised. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:37 May 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2290.IH H2290 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 2290 IH SEC. 3. REPORT ON IMPACT OF COVID–19 REQUIREMENTS. 1 Not later than 120 days after the date of the enact- 2 ment of this section, the Administrator of the Small Busi- 3 ness Administration shall submit to Congress a report on 4 the impact on small business concerns (as defined under 5 section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)) of 6 a requirement relating to COVID–19 that would restrict 7 or otherwise prevent such a concern from operating at nor- 8 mal capacity. Such report shall include data disaggregated 9 by State requirements, Federal statutory requirements, 10 and requirements issued by rule or Executive Order, in- 11 cluding— 12 (1) the total number of small business concerns 13 that would have to temporarily or permanently close 14 under each such requirement; 15 (2) the impact on small business concerns, 16 disaggregated by industry, under each such require- 17 ment; and 18 (3) the impact on small business concerns, 19 disaggregated by the location of such concern in an 20 urban, suburban, or rural area, under each such re- 21 quirement. 22 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:37 May 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2290.IH H2290 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS