WASHINGTON – The Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship passed comprehensive legislation Thursday that aims to improve the government’s Disaster Loan Program and ensure that disaster victims receive timely assistance. The bill includes language added by Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, that could benefit Maine businesses hurt by this past winter’s relative lack of snow.

In Maine, “many small businesses depend on the seasonal winter conditions to sustain profitability and normal business operations,” Snowe noted. “When nature doesn’t comply, and a lack of snowfall adversely impacts ski lodges, retail shops, and [the] snowmobiling industry, among others, these businesses struggle to make ends meet.”

Snowe said she included in the bill a requirement that the Small Business Administration “examine the potential benefits and costs of allowing businesses affected by these conditions to apply for disaster loans.”