504 Authority

AUTHORITY FOR 504 LOAN PROGRAM 15 U.S.C. 697 (Sec. 503 of the Small Business Investment Act)

Sec. 503. DEVELOPMENT COMPANY DEBENTURES

(a) (1) Except as provided in subsection (b), the Administration may guarantee the timely payment of all principal and interest as scheduled on any debenture issued by any qualified State or local development company.

(2) Such guarantees may be made on such terms and conditions as the Administration may by regulation determine to be appropriate: Provided, That the Administration shall not decline to issue such guarantee when the ownership interests of the small business concern and the ownership interests of the property to be financed with the proceeds of a loan made pursuant to subsection (b)(1) are not identical because one or more of the following classes of relatives have an ownership interest in either the small business concern or the property: father, mother, son, daughter, wife, husband, brother, or sister: Provided further, That the Administrator or his designee has determined on a case by case basis that such ownership interest, such guarantee, and the proceeds of such loan, will substantially benefit the small business concern.

(3) The full faith and credit of the United States is pledged to the payment of all amounts guaranteed under this subsection.

(4) Any debenture issued by any State or local development company with respect to which a guarantee is made under this subsection, may be subordinated by the Administration to any other debenture, promissory note, or other debt or obligation of such company.

(b) No guarantee may be made with respect to any debenture under subsection (a) unless—

(1) such debenture is issued for the purpose of making one or more loans to small business concerns, the proceeds of which shall be used by such concern for the purposes set forth in section 502;

(2) necessary funds for making such loans are not available to such company from private sources on reasonable terms;

(3) the interest rate on such debentures is not less than the rate of interest determined by the Secretary of the Treasury for purposes of section 303(b);

(4) the aggregate amount of such debenture does not exceed the amount of loans to be made from the proceeds of such debenture (other than any excess attributable to the administrative costs of such loans);

(5) the amount of any loan to be made from such proceeds does not exceed an amount equal to 50 percent of the cost of the project with respect to which such loan is made; and

(6) the Administration approves each loan to be made from such proceeds.

(7) with respect to each loan made from the proceeds of such debenture, the Administration--

(A) assesses and collects a fee, which shall be payable by the borrower, in an amount established annually by the Administration, which amount shall not exceed [of]—

(i) the lesser [of]

(I) 0.9375 percent per year of the outstanding balance of the loan; and

(II) the minimum amount necessary to reduce the cost (as defined in section 502 of the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990) to the Administration of purchasing and guaranteeing debentures under this Act to zero; and

(ii) 50 percent of the amount established under clause (i) in the case of a loan made during the 2-year period beginning on October 1, 2002, for the life of the loan; and

(B) uses the proceeds of such fee to offset the cost (as such term is defined in section 502 of the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990) to the Administration of making guarantees under subsection (a).

(c) (1) The purpose of this subsection is to facilitate the orderly and necessary flow of long term loans from certified development companies to small business concerns.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of the constitution or laws of any State limiting the rate or amount of interest which may be charged, taken, received, or reserved, the maximum legal rate of interest on any commercial loan which funds any portion of the cost of the project financed pursuant to this section or section 504 which is not funded by a debenture guaranteed under this section shall be a rate which is established by the Administrator of the Small Business Administration under the authority of this section.

(3) The Administrator is authorized and directed to establish and publish quarterly a maximum legal interest rate for any commercial loan which funds any portion of the cost of the project financed pursuant to this section or section 504 which is not funded by a debenture guaranteed under this section.