Congressman Panetta Calls on the Small Business Administration to Provide Spanish-Language Online Resources for Coronavirus-Related Assistance

SALINAS, CA – On Friday, March 20 Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) wrote a letter to the Small Business Administration (SBA) urging the agency to immediately provide Spanish-language online resources for small business owners seeking coronavirus-related assistance through the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.



Congress passed and the President signed into law H.R. 6074, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, which provides the SBA additional funding and authority to make low-interest loans available to businesses facing economic harm from COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, through the EIDL program.  The administration acted quickly to set up a process for states to apply for COVID-19 disaster loan eligibility.  However, administration web pages related to COVID-19 guidance and resources, and pages to apply for COVID-19 EIDL loans, specifically, are only presented in English.



“For many hardworking businessowners across a range of industries on the central coast of California who have limited English proficiency, this lack of Spanish-language resources could prevent them from receiving critical emergency assistance, forcing them to lay off workers or close permanently,” Congressman Panetta wrote. 



Full text of the letter here and below, in English and in Spanish:



Dear Administrator Carranza:



I write to you urging the Small Business Administration (SBA) to immediately provide Spanish-language online resources for small business owners seeking coronavirus-related assistance through the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.



Congress passed and the President signed into law H.R. 6074, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, which provides the SBA additional funding and authority to make low-interest loans available to businesses facing economic harm from COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, through the EIDL program.



SBA acted quickly to set up a process for states to apply for COVID-19 disaster loan eligibility, and I am grateful that SBA further streamlined the process for statewide declarations.



Unfortunately, SBA web pages related to COVID-19 guidance and resources, and pages to apply for COVID-19 EIDL loans, specifically, are only presented in English.



For many hardworking businessowners across a range of industries on the central coast of California who have limited English proficiency, this lack of Spanish-language resources could prevent them from receiving critical emergency assistance, forcing them to lay off workers or close permanently.



Thankfully, SBA has previously taken steps to create a Spanish-language version of most of the pages on its website.  It can and should do the same now for new COVID-19 materials and the EIDL loan application process, in addition to providing Spanish-speaking SBA loan officers.



Your attention to this matter is greatly appreciated by Spanish-speaking businessowners across the Central Coast