12 USC 4741 - Findings and purposes

Collapse to view only § 4741. Findings and purposes

§ 4741. Findings and purposes
§ 4742. Definitions
§ 4743. Approving States for participation
§ 4744. Participation agreements
§ 4745. Terms of participation agreements
§ 4746. Reports
§ 4747. Reimbursement by Fund
§ 4748. Reimbursement to Fund
§ 4749. Regulations
§ 4750. Authorization of appropriations

§ 4741. Findings and purposes

(a) Findings

The Congress finds that—

(1) small business concerns are a vital part of the economy, accounting for the majority of new jobs, new products, and new services created in the United States;

(2) adequate access to debt capital is a critical component for small business development, productivity, expansion, and success in the United States;

(3) commercial banks are the most important suppliers of debt capital to small business concerns in the United States;

(4) commercial banks and other depository institutions have various incentives to minimize their risk in financing small business concerns;

(5) as a result of such incentives, many small business concerns with economically sound financing needs are unable to obtain access to needed debt capital;

(6) the small business capital access programs implemented by certain States are a flexible and efficient tool to assist financial institutions in providing access to needed debt capital for many small business concerns in a manner consistent with safety and soundness regulations;

(7) a small business capital access program would complement other programs which assist small business concerns in obtaining access to capital; and

(8) Federal policy can stimulate and accelerate efforts by States to implement small business capital access programs by providing an incentive to States, while leaving the administration of such programs to each participating State.

(b) Purposes

By encouraging States to implement administratively efficient capital access programs that encourage commercial banks and other depository institutions to provide access to debt capital for a broad portfolio of small business concerns, and thereby promote a more efficient and effective debt market, the purposes of this subchapter are—

(1) to promote economic opportunity and growth;

(2) to create jobs;

(3) to promote economic efficiency;

(4) to enhance productivity; and

(5) to spur innovation.

(Pub. L. 103–325, title II, § 251, Sept. 23, 1994, 108 Stat. 2203.)

§ 4742. DefinitionsFor purposes of this subchapter—

(1) the term “Fund” means the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund established under section 4703 of this title;

(2) the term “appropriate Federal banking agency”—

(A) has the same meaning as in section 1813 of this title; and

(B) includes the National Credit Union Administration Board in the case of any credit union the deposits of which are insured in accordance with the Federal Credit Union Act [12 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.];

(3) the term “early loan” means a loan enrolled at a time when the aggregate covered amount of loans previously enrolled under the Program by a particular participating financial institution is less than $5,000,000;

(4) the term “enrolled loan” means a loan made by a participating financial institution that is enrolled by a participating State in accordance with this subchapter;

(5) the term “financial institution” means any federally chartered or State-chartered commercial bank, savings association, savings bank, or credit union;

(6) the term “participating financial institution” means any financial institution that has entered into a participation agreement with a participating State in accordance with section 4744 of this title;

(7) the term “participating State” means any State that has been approved for participation in the Program in accordance with section 4743 of this title;

(8) the term “passive real estate ownership” means ownership of real estate for the purpose of deriving income from speculation, trade, or rental, except that such term shall not include—

(A) the ownership of that portion of real estate being used or intended to be used for the operation of the business of the owner of the real estate (other than the business of passive ownership of real estate); or

(B) the ownership of real estate for the purpose of construction or renovation, until the completion of the construction or renovation phase;

(9) the term “Program” means the Small Business Capital Enhancement Program established under this subchapter;

(10) the term “reserve fund” means a fund, established by a participating State, earmarked for a particular participating financial institution, for the purposes of—

(A) depositing all required premium charges paid by the participating financial institution and by each borrower receiving a loan under the Program from a participating financial institution;

(B) depositing contributions made by the participating State; and

(11) the term “State” means—

(A) a State of the United States;

(B) the District of Columbia;

(C) any political subdivision of a State of the United States, which subdivision has a population in excess of the population of the least populated State of the United States; and

(D) any other political subdivision of a State of the United States that the Fund determines has the capacity to participate in the program.1

1 So in original. Probably should be capitalized.

(Pub. L. 103–325, title II, § 252, Sept. 23, 1994, 108 Stat. 2204.)

§ 4743. Approving States for participation

(a) Application

(b) Approval criteria

The Fund shall approve a State to be a participating State, if—

(1) a specific department or agency of the State has been designated to implement the Program;

(2) all legal actions necessary to enable such designated department or agency to implement the Program have been accomplished;

(3) funds in the amount of at least $1 for every 2 people residing in the State (as of the last decennial census for which data have been released) are available and have been legally committed to contributions by the State to reserve funds, with such funds being available without time limit and without requiring additional legal action, except that such requirements shall not be construed to limit the authority of the State to take action at a later time that results in the termination of its obligation to enroll loans and make contributions to reserve funds;

(4) the State has prescribed a form of participation agreement to be entered into between it and each participating financial institution that is consistent with the requirements and purposes of this subchapter; and

(5) the State and the Fund have executed a reimbursement agreement that conforms to the requirements of this subchapter.

(1) In general

A State that is not a participating State, but that has its own capital access program providing portfolio insurance for business loans (based on a separate loss reserve fund for each financial institution), may apply at any time to the Fund to be approved to be a participating State. The Fund shall approve such State to be a participating State, and to be eligible for reimbursements by the Fund pursuant to section 4747 of this title, if the State—

(A) satisfies the requirements of subsections (a) and (b); and

(B) certifies that each affected financial institution has satisfied the requirements of section 4744 of this title.

(2) Applicable terms of participation

(A) Status of institutions

(B) Effective date of participation

(d) Prior appropriations requirement

(e) Amendments to agreements

(Pub. L. 103–325, title II, § 253, Sept. 23, 1994, 108 Stat. 2205.)

§ 4744. Participation agreements

(a) In general

(b) Participating financial institutions

(Pub. L. 103–325, title II, § 254, Sept. 23, 1994, 108 Stat. 2207.)

§ 4745. Terms of participation agreements

(a) In general

(b) Establishment of separate reserve fundsA separate reserve fund shall be established by the participating State for each participating financial institution. All funds credited to a reserve fund shall be the exclusive property of the participating State. Each reserve fund shall be an administrative account for the purposes of—

(1) receiving all required premium charges to be paid by the borrower and participating financial institution and contributions by the participating State; and

(2) disbursing funds, either to cover losses sustained by the participating financial institution in connection with loans made under the Program, or as contemplated by subsections (d) and (r).

(d) Earned income and interest

(e) Loan terms and conditions

(1) In general

(2) Lines of credit

(f) Enrollment process

(1) Filing

(A) In general

(B) Form

(D) Submission

(2) Enrollment by State

(g) Coverage amount

(h) Premium charges

(1) Minimum and maximum amounts

(2) Allocation of premium charges

(i) Restrictions

(1) Actions prohibitedExcept as provided in subsection (h) and paragraph (2) of this subsection, the participating State may not—

(A) impose any restrictions or requirements, relating to the interest rate, fees, collateral, or other business terms and conditions of the loan; or

(B) condition enrollment of a loan in the Program on the review by the State of the risk or creditworthiness of a loan.

(2) Effect on other law

(j) State contributions

(k) Submission of claims

(1) FilingIf a participating financial institution charges off all or part of an enrolled loan, such participating financial institution may file a claim for reimbursement with the participating State by submitting a form that—

(A) includes the representation by the participating financial institution that it is filing the claim in accordance with the terms of the applicable participation agreement; and

(B) contains such other information as may be required by the participating State.

(2) Timing

(l) Elements of claims

(m) Payment of claims

(1) In general

(2) Insufficient reserve fundsIf there are insufficient funds in the reserve fund to cover the entire amount of a claim of a participating financial institution, the participating State shall pay to the participating financial institution an amount equal to the current balance in the reserve fund. If the enrolled loan for which the claim has been filed—

(A) is not an early loan, such payment shall be deemed fully to satisfy the claim, and the participating financial institution shall have no other or further right to receive any amount from the reserve fund with respect to such claim; or

(B) is an early loan, such payment shall not be deemed fully to satisfy the claim of the participating financial institution, and at such time as the remaining balance of the claim does not exceed 75 percent of the balance in the reserve fund, the participating State shall, upon the request of the participating financial institution, pay any remaining amount of the claim.

(n) Denial of claims

(o) Subsequent recovery of claim amount

(p) Participation agreement terms

(1) In generalIn connection with the filing of a loan for enrollment in the Program, the participation agreement—

(A) shall require the participating financial institution to obtain an assurance from each borrower that—

(i) the proceeds of the loan will be used for a business purpose;

(ii) the loan will not be used to finance passive real estate ownership; and

(iii) the borrower is not—(I) an executive officer, director, or principal shareholder of the participating financial institution;(II) a member of the immediate family of an executive officer, director, or principal shareholder of the participating financial institution; or(III) a related interest of any such executive officer, director, principal shareholder, or member of the immediate family;

(B) shall require the participating financial institution to provide assurances to the participating State that the loan has not been made in order to place under the protection of the Program prior debt that is not covered under the Program and that is or was owed by the borrower to the participating financial institution or to an affiliate of the participating financial institution;

(i) a participating financial institution makes a loan to a borrower that is a refinancing of a loan previously made to the borrower by the participating financial institution or an affiliate of the participating financial institution;

(ii) such prior loan was not enrolled in the Program; and

(iii) additional or new financing is extended by the participating financial institution as part of the refinancing,

the participating financial institution may file the loan for enrollment, with the amount to be covered under the Program not to exceed the amount of any additional or new financing; and

(D) may include additional restrictions on the eligibility of loans or borrowers that are not inconsistent with the provisions and purposes of this subchapter.

(2) Definitions

(q) Termination clause

(r) Allowable withdrawals from fund

(s) Grandfathered provision

(1) Special treatment of premium chargesNotwithstanding subsection (b) or (d), the participation agreement, if explicitly authorized by a statute enacted by the State before September 23, 1994, may allow a participating financial institution to treat the premium charges paid by the participating financial institution and the borrower into the reserve fund, and interest or income earned on funds in the reserve fund that are deemed to be attributable to such premium charges, as assets of the participating financial institution for accounting purposes, subject to withdrawal by the participating financial institution only—

(A) for the payment of claims approved by the participating State in accordance with this section; and

(B) upon the participating financial institution’s withdrawal from authority to make new loans under the Program.

(2) Payment of post-withdrawal claims

(3) Conditions for terminating special authority

(Pub. L. 103–325, title II, § 255, Sept. 23, 1994, 108 Stat. 2207.)

§ 4746. Reports

(a) Reserve funds reportOn or before the last day of each calendar quarter, a participating State shall submit to the Fund a report of contributions to reserve funds made by the participating State during the previous calendar quarter. If the participating State has made contributions to one or more reserve funds during the previous quarter, the report shall—

(1) indicate the total amount of such contributions;

(2) indicate the amount of contributions which is subject to reimbursement, which shall be equal to the total amount of contributions, unless one of the limitations contained in section 4747 of this title is applicable;

(3) if one of the limitations in section 4747 of this title is applicable, provide documentation of the applicability of such limitation for each loan for which the limitation applies; and

(4) include a certification by the participating State that—

(A) the information provided in accordance with paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) is accurate;

(B) funds in an amount meeting the minimum requirements of section 4743(b)(3) of this title continue to be available and legally committed to contributions by the State to reserve funds, less any amount that has been contributed by the State to reserve funds subsequent to the State being approved for participation in the Program;

(D) the participating State is otherwise implementing the Program in accordance with this subchapter and regulations issued pursuant to section 4749 of this title.

(b) Annual data

(Pub. L. 103–325, title II, § 256, Sept. 23, 1994, 108 Stat. 2212.)

§ 4747. Reimbursement by Fund

(a) Reimbursements

(b) Size of assisted borrower

(d) Loans totaling less than $2,000,000

In connection with a loan in which the covered amount of the loan plus the covered amount of all previous loans enrolled by a participating financial institution does not exceed $2,000,000, the amount of reimbursement by the Fund to the participating State shall not exceed the lesser of—

(1) 75 percent of the sum of the premium charges paid to the reserve fund by the borrower and the participating financial institution; or

(2) 5.25 percent of the covered amount of the loan.

(e) Loans totaling more than $2,000,000

In connection with a loan in which the sum of the covered amounts of all previous loans enrolled by the participating financial institution in the Program equals or exceeds $2,000,000, the amount of reimbursement to be provided by the Fund to the participating State shall not exceed the lesser of—

(1) 50 percent of the sum of the premium charges paid by the borrower and the participating financial institution; or

(2) 3.5 percent of the covered amount of the loan.

(f) Other amounts

In connection with the enrollment of a loan that will cause the aggregate covered amount of all enrolled loans to exceed $2,000,000, the amount of reimbursement by the Fund to the participating State shall be determined—

(1) by applying subsection (d) to the portion of the loan, which when added to the aggregate covered amount of all previously enrolled loans equals $2,000,000; and

(2) by applying subsection (e) to the balance of the loan.

(Pub. L. 103–325, title II, § 257, Sept. 23, 1994, 108 Stat. 2212.)

§ 4748. Reimbursement to Fund

(a) In general

(b) Factor

The appropriate factor shall be obtained by dividing the total amount of contributions that have been made by the participating State to all reserve funds which were subject to reimbursement—

(1) by 2; and

(2) by the total amount of contributions made by the participating State to all reserve funds, including if applicable, contributions that have been made by the State prior to becoming a participating State if the State continued its own capital access program in accordance with section 4743(b) of this title.

(Pub. L. 103–325, title II, § 258, Sept. 23, 1994, 108 Stat. 2213.)

§ 4749. Regulations

The Fund shall promulgate appropriate regulations to implement this subchapter.

(Pub. L. 103–325, title II, § 259, Sept. 23, 1994, 108 Stat. 2214.)

§ 4750. Authorization of appropriations

(a) Amount

(b) Budgetary treatment

(Pub. L. 103–325, title II, § 260, Sept. 23, 1994, 108 Stat. 2214.)