The Paycheck Protection Program is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provides relief for small business and their employees who are affected by the coronavirus. The Paycheck Protection Program is administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under its lending program, to provide small business loans on favorable terms to borrowers that have been impacted by the current state of economic uncertainty. This program is intended to assist small businesses in covering their near-term operating expenses during this crisis, and provide a strong incentive for employers to retain their employees.
Title 1 – Keeping American Workers Paid and Employed Act
Increases the government guarantee of loans made for the Payment Protection Program under section 7(a) of the Small Business Act to 100 percent through December 31, 2020. Outlines the terms in this section.
Provides the authority for the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to make loans under the Paycheck Protection Program.
Requires the Administrator to register each loan using the taxpayer TIN, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service, within 15 days.
Defines eligibility for loans as a small business, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, a 501(c)(19) veteran’s organization, or Tribal business concern described in section 31(b)(2)(C) of the Small Business Act with not more than 500 employees, or the applicable size standard for the industry as provided by SBA, if higher.
Applies current SBA affiliation rules to eligible nonprofits.
Includes sole-proprietors, independent contractors, and other self-employed individuals as eligible for loans.
Allow businesses with more than one physical location that employs no more than 500 employees per physical location in certain industries to be eligible.
Waives affiliation rules for businesses in the hospitality and restaurant industries, franchises that are approved on the SBA’s Franchise Directory, and small businesses that receive financing through the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program.
Defines the covered loan period as beginning on February 15, 2020 and ending on June 30, 2020.
Establishes the maximum 7(a) loan amount to $10 million through December 31, 2020 and provides a formula by which the loan amount is tied to payroll costs incurred by the business to determine the size of the loan.
Specifies allowable uses of the loan include payroll support, such as employee salaries, paid sick or medical leave, insurance premiums, and mortgage, rent, and utility payments.
Provides delegated authority, which is the ability for lenders to make determinations on borrower eligibility and creditworthiness without going through all of SBA’s channels, to all current 7(a) lenders who make these loans to small businesses, and provides that same authority to lenders who join the program and make these loans.
For eligibility purposes, requires lenders to, instead of determining repayment ability, which is not possible during this crisis, to determine whether a business was operational on February 15, 2020, and had employees for whom it paid salaries and payroll taxes, or a paid independent contractor.
Provides an avenue, through the U.S. Department of Treasury, for additional lenders to be approved to help keep workers paid and employed. Additional lenders approved by Treasury are only permitted to make Paycheck Protection Program loans, not regular 7(a) loans.
It allows a borrower who has an EIDL loan related to COVID-19 to apply for a PPP loan, with an option to refinance that loan into the PPP loan. However, the emergency EIDL grant award of up to $10,000 would be subtracted from the amount forgiven under the Paycheck Protection Program. Existing EIDL borrowers not related to COVID-19 are also eligible to apply for PPP for payroll assistance but they cannot refinance into a PPP.
Requires eligible borrowers to make a good faith certification that the loan is necessary due to the uncertainty of current economic conditions caused by COVID-19; they will use the funds to retain workers and maintain payroll, lease, and utility payments; and are not receiving duplicative funds for the same uses from another SBA program.
Waives both borrower and lender fees for participation in the Paycheck Protection Program. Waives the credit elsewhere test for funds provided under this program.
Waives collateral and personal guarantee requirements under this program.
Outlines the treatment of any portion of a loan that is not used for forgiveness purposes. The remaining loan balance will have a maturity of not more than 10 years, and the guarantee for that portion of the loan will remain intact.
Sets a maximum interest rate of four percent.
Ensures borrowers are not charged any prepayment fees.
Increases the government guarantee of 7(a) loans to 100 percent through December 31, 2020, at which point guarantee percentages will return to 75 percent for loans exceeding $150,000 and 85 percent for loans equal to or less than $150,000.
Allows complete deferment of PPP loan payments for at least six months and not more than a year, and requires SBA to disseminate guidance to lenders on this deferment process within 30 days.
Provides guidance for loans sold on the secondary market.
Provides the regulatory capital risk weight of loans made under this program, and temporary relief from troubled debt restructuring (TDR) disclosures for loans that are deferred under this program.
Requires the Administrator to provide a lender with a process fee for servicing the loan. Sets lender compensation fees at five percent for loans of not more than $350,000; three percent for loans of more than $350,000 and less than $2,000,000; and one percent for loans of not less than $2,000,000.
Includes a sense of the Senate for the Administrator to issue guidance to lenders and agents to ensure that the processing and disbursement of covered loans prioritizes small business concerns and entities in underserved and rural markets, including veterans and members of the military community, small business concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.
Provides an authorization level of $349 billion for the 7(a) program through December 31, 2020.
Increases the maximum loan for a SBA Express loan from $350,000 to $1 million through December 31, 2020, after which point the Express loan will have a maximum of $350,000.
Requires Veteran’s fee waivers for the 7(a) Express loan program to be permanently waived.
Permanently rescinds the interim final rule entitled, “Express Loan Programs: Affiliation Standards” (85 Fed. Reg. 7622 (February 10, 2020)).