State Sen. Phil Boyle is asking the federal government to ease restrictions so more Long Island residents can receive Superstorm Sandy recovery money under the federally funded New York Rising program.

Many homeowners followed FEMA guidelines and got Small Business Administration loans to cover insurance payments.

Homeowners are now learning that if they got a SBA loan, they are potentially ineligible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in free New York Rising grant money.

State Sen. Boyle is asking for changes in some rules so more people are eligible for the program, instead of just paying back loans.