DURAND, W.I. (NAFB) – A rule change advocated by Representative Ron Kind allows rural states a larger share of the Paycheck Protection Program. The Wisconsin Democrat says the Paycheck Protection Program has been a lifeline for farmers and small businesses, but too many were getting left behind.

In June, Kind and others introduced bipartisan legislation to expand access to PPP loans for certain farmers and ranchers who had previously been deemed ineligible for loans under the program. The legislation was included in the COVID-19 relief package that was passed in December. However, Kind says the change is not complete.

Still, small businesses in Nebraska, Oklahoma and other rural states have been the most successful at getting federal pandemic relief in the $284 billion round of aid, buoyed by a new rule that authorizes loans to many farms that didn’t qualify before.