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New York announces New York Forward Loan Fund for small businesses, nonprofits, and small landlords
New York has announced the creation of the New York Forward Loan Fund (NYFLF), a new state-based loan program to support small businesses, nonprofits, and small landlords (buildings with 50 units or less) in New York as they reopen from Covid-19-related shutdowns. The NYFLF is intended to provide working capital for upfront expenses related to complying with operational guidelines, such as inventory, marketing, and refitting for new social distancing guidelines. The loans will be available to individuals who did not receive a loan from either the U.S. Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program or the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans for Covid-19 in 2020. The NYFLF loans are interest bearing, are not forgivable, and must be repaid over a five-year term. Pre-applications for the program are being accepted.
SBA gives guidance on collecting PPP processing fees
On May 21, the Small Business Administration (SBA) released a procedural notice detailing the Form 1502 reporting process through which lenders will be able to collect the processing fees on eligible Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The SBA will pay lenders’ processing fees for PPP loans, based on the balance of the loan at the time of full disbursement, in the following amounts: (i) five percent for loans of not more than $350,000; (ii) three percent for loans of more than $350,000 and less than $2 million; and (iii) one percent for loans of at least $2 million. Lenders are required to report to the SBA on Form 1502 loans have been fully disbursed or canceled. Form 1502 should be submitted electronically to the SBA by the later of (i) May 29, or (ii) 10 calendar days after disbursement or cancellation of the PPP loan. (This is an updated deadline that was recently reflected in the SBA’s FAQs and was first announced in an interim final rule regarding disbursements under the PPP, covered by InfoBytes here.)
The SBA will begin accepting 1502 reports on fully disbursed or cancelled PPP loans on May 22. Lenders will not receive a processing fee payment if the loan is canceled before disbursement or if a disbursed loan is canceled or voluntarily terminated but repaid before May 18 (the borrower certification safe harbor date). As detailed in the procedural notice, lenders will be required to create an account in the Fiscal Transfer Agent Lender portal to access and submit Form 1502. The procedural notice includes, among other things, specifics on account creation and reporting. Additionally, the procedural notice contains useful questions and answers, including how the processing fees will be disbursed and when processing fees may be subject to clawbacks from the SBA.
SBA clarifies PPP eligibility for foreign affiliates
On May 21, the SBA recently published an interim final rule (IFR), which addresses the eligibility requirements related to employees of a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) borrower’s foreign affiliates. The SBA reiterated in the IFR that a small business must include foreign affiliate employees when calculating how many people it employs for purposes of determining if the business meets the PPP eligibility requirement of 500 or fewer employees. The SBA acknowledged, however, that previous guidance (covered by InfoBytes here) may have created “reasonable borrower confusion,” so in “an exercise of enforcement discretion,” the agency reiterated that the “SBA will not find any borrower that applied for a PPP loan prior to May 5, 2020 to be ineligible based on the borrower’s exclusion of non-US employees from the borrower’s calculation of its employee headcount if the borrower (together with its affiliates) had no more than 500 employees whose principal place of residence is in the United States.” The SBA further determined that these borrowers will “not be deemed to have made an inaccurate certification of eligibility solely on that basis.”
The IFR takes effect upon publication in the Federal Register and is applicable to PPP applications submitted through June 30, 2020, or when program funding is exhausted. Comments are due within 30 days.
FDIC updates FAQs for financial institutions affected by Covid-19
On May 20, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) updated its frequently asked questions issued to financial institutions affected by Covid-19 (previously covered here, here, and here). The updated FAQs provide guidance on Community Reinvestment Act requirements, including, among other things, (i) whether Covid-19-affected states and jurisdictions are considered CRA designated disaster areas, (ii) how activities undertaken in response to Covid-19 that are responsive to community needs will be considered in CRA examinations, and (iii) whether bank loans made under the Paycheck Protection Program or Main Street Lending Program are eligible for CRA consideration.
6th Circuit denies stay of injunction against PPP Ineligibility Rule
On May 15, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit denied the SBA’s emergency motion for a stay of the district court’s injunction against the agency’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Ineligibility Rule. As previously covered by InfoBytes, the district court granted a preliminary injunction against the SBA’s PPP Ineligibility Rule—which, in relevant part, excludes from PPP loan eligibility “sexually oriented businesses that present entertainment or sell products of a ‘prurient’ (but not unlawful) nature.” The district court concluded that the Rule was in conflict with the Congressional purpose of the CARES Act, which houses the PPP, to protect workers in need during the Covid-19 pandemic, including workers for businesses that have been historically excluded from SBA financial assistance.
The 6th Circuit agreed with the district court, denying the motion for a stay. The court noted that the CARES Act specifies that eligibility “is conferred on ‘any business concern,’” which “encompasses sexually oriented businesses.” It went on to state that “the public interest is served in guaranteeing that any business, including plaintiffs, receive loans to protect and support their employees during the pandemic.”
In dissent, one judge argued that it is “unclear whether Congress meant that any business concern was eligible for a PPP loan regardless of SBA restrictions,” and therefore, the injunction should be stayed pending a decision on the merits.
SBA, Treasury release PPP loan forgiveness application
On May 15, the Small Business Administration (SBA) in consultation with the Treasury Department announced the release of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Forgiveness Application that borrowers must complete in order to have their loans forgiven at the conclusion of the eight-week covered period, which begins upon loan disbursement. The application provides specific instructions, including several measures designed to reduce compliance burdens and simplify the process. These include: (i) “[o]ptions for borrowers to calculate payroll costs using an ‘alternative payroll covered period’ that aligns with borrowers’ regular payroll cycles”; (ii) the flexibility to count any eligible payroll and non-payroll expenses paid or incurred during the eight-week period after the disbursement of a borrower’s PPP loan; (iii) clear instructions on how to perform calculations to confirm eligibility for loan forgiveness as required by the CARES Act; (iv) a safe harbor from forgiveness reduction for borrowers that were able to rehire employees by June 30; and (v) the addition of a new exemption from forgiveness reduction “for borrowers who have made a good-faith, written offer to rehire workers that was declined[.]” The SBA announced it “will also soon issue regulations and guidance to further assist borrowers as they complete their applications, and to provide lenders with guidance on their responsibilities.”
Small Business Administration requires lenders to review loans in CAFS for accuracy and completeness
On May 14, the Small Business Administration announced that it had launched a new search functionality within the E-Tran Servicing section of the Capital Access Financial System (CAFS) to assist Paycheck Protection Program lenders with reviewing loans in their portfolios. Lenders are required to review all fields in these files for accuracy and completeness by no later than 5:00pm EDT on May 15, 2020. The SBA also provided updated instructions on how to access CAFS and update records in “Research” status.
FTC and SBA warn companies about misleading PPP marketing
On May 14, the FTC and SBA sent letters to two companies for allegedly misleading small businesses seeking Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The first letter was sent to a California-based media company, which owns the web address “sba.com.” The letter claims the website suggests an “an affiliation or relationship with the SBA and approved PPP lenders” and encourages customers to apply for PPP loans through the site. The second letter, sent to a Utah-based company, asserts the company and its affiliate lead generators may be violating Section 5 of the FTC Act. Among other things, the FTC notes that one of the company’s affiliate lead generators advertises itself as an SBA loan packager for a $495 fee, even though the SBA prohibits lead generators from charging fees to PPP loan applicants. Both letters instruct the recipients to remove all deceptive claims and advertisements and remediate any harm that may have been caused. The letters require the companies to notify the FTC within 48 hours of the actions taken in response.
SBA issues IFR extending PPP Safe Harbor
The Small Business Administration (SBA) recently issued an interim final rule (IFR) to supplement the CARES Act and extend the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) safe harbor for repayment from May 7 to May 14. Borrowers who received a PPP loan prior to April 24 but determined that the funds were “obtained based on a misunderstanding or misapplication of the required certification standard” will be deemed by the SBA to have made the borrower certification on a loan application in good faith if they repay the loans in full by May 14. Additional guidance on the safe harbor extension is forthcoming. (The SBA first announced the repayment extension last week in updated Frequently Asked Questions, covered by InfoBytes here.) Due to the safe harbor extension, the IFR also extends the deadline to May 22 for PPP lenders to file yet-to-be released Form 1502 in order to receive their lender processing fees. As previously covered by InfoBytes, the SBA stated that PPP lenders must disburse each loan and submit SBA Form 1502 within 20 days of loan approval. The IFR takes effect upon publication in the Federal Register, with comments due within 30 days.
SBA, Treasury won’t audit PPP loans beneath $2 million
On May 13, the Small Business Administration (SBA) in consultation with the Treasury Department updated the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to provide additional borrower guidance. Borrowers that submit PPP applications must certify, in good faith, that “[c]urrent economic uncertainty makes this loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the Applicant.” FAQ #46 establishes a safe harbor that “[a]ny borrower that, together with its affiliates, received PPP loans with an original principal amount of less than $2 million will be deemed to have made the required certification concerning the necessity of the loan request in good faith.” According to SBA, this safe harbor is appropriate because borrowers with loans of less than $2 million are generally less likely to have access to other forms of liquidity than borrowers who are able to obtain larger loans. Also, the safe harbor will provide more certainty to PPP borrowers with more limited resources, and it will allow SBA to use its resources efficiently to prioritize reviews of larger loans, where compliance audits may yield higher returns.
SBA’s guidance noted, however, that borrowers with loans greater than the $2 million threshold “may still have an adequate basis for making the required good-faith certification, based on their individual circumstances in light of the language of the certification and SBA guidance.” Those loans will be subject to review by the SBA, and if the SBA determines a borrower lacks an adequate basis for certification, the borrower will not be eligible for loan forgiveness and must pay the outstanding balance. If a borrower repays a loan after receiving notification from the SBA, the SBA states that it will not pursue administrative enforcement or make referrals to other agencies based on its determination concerning the certification of necessity.
Additionally, in FAQ #47, the SBA extended until May 18 the PPP safe harbor repayment deadline for borrowers who received PPP loans but had access to other sources of capital. Borrowers who applied for a PPP loan and repay the loan in full by May 18 will be deemed by the SBA to have made the required certification regarding necessity of the loan request in good faith. The extension is intended to provide borrowers an opportunity to consider FAQ #46. The SBA’s interim final rule providing the safe harbor (covered by InfoBytes here) will be revised to reflect the extension.