Affiliation and Lending Criteria for the SBA Business Loan Programs, 21074-21086 [2023-07173]
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 68 / Monday, April 10, 2023 / Rules and Regulations
replaceable lamps or consumer-replaceable
SSL light sources removed. Take
measurements at full light output. For each
test, use the test procedures in the table in
this section. CFLKs with non-consumerreplaceable SSL and consumer replaceable
covers may be measured with their covers
removed but must otherwise be measured
according to the table in this section.
Lighting technology
Lamp or luminaire
efficacy measured
Referenced test procedure
Other (non-CFL and non-GSFL) fluorescent lamps.
CFLKs with consumer-replaceable SSL
Lamp Efficacy .......
IES LM–9–20, sections 4–7 and corresponding subsections including references to IES LM–54–20
(lamp seasoning); IES–LM–78–20 (integrating sphere measurements).
IES LM–79–19, sections 4–7 and corresponding subsections. Where IES LM–78–17 and IES LM–75–
01/R12 are referenced in these sections and corresponding subsections, use IES LM–78–20 (integrating sphere measurements) and IES LM–75–19 (goniophotometer measurements) instead.
IES LM–79–19, sections 4–7 and corresponding subsections. Where IES LM–78–17 and IES LM–75–
01/R12 are referenced in these sections and corresponding subsections, use IES LM–78–20 (integrating sphere measurements) and IES LM–75–19 (goniophotometer measurements) instead.
IES LM–79–19, sections 4–7 and corresponding subsections. Where IES LM–78–17 and IES LM–75–
01/R12 are referenced in these sections and corresponding, use IES LM–78–20 (integrating sphere
measurements) and IES LM–75–19 (goniophotometer measurements) instead.
Lamp Efficacy .......
CFLKs with non-consumer-replaceable
SSL.
Luminaire Efficacy
Other SSL lamps that have an ANSI
standard base and are not integrated
LED lamps.
Lamp Efficacy .......
8. Amend § 430.32 by revising
paragraph (s)(6) to read as follows:
■
§ 430.32 Energy and water conservation
standards and their compliance dates.
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(s) * * *
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(6) Ceiling fan light kits manufactured
on or after January 21, 2020 must be
packaged with lamps to fill all sockets,
and each basic model of lamp packaged
with the basic model of CFLK, each
basic model of consumer-replaceable
SSL packaged with the basic model of
CFLK, and each basic model of nonconsumer-replaceable SSL in the CFLK
basic model shall meet the requirements
shown in paragraphs (s)(6)(i) and (ii) of
this section:
Minimum required efficacy
(lm/W)
Lumens 1
(i) <120 ................................................................
(ii) ≥120 ...............................................................
50.
(74.0¥29.42 × 0.9983 lumens).
1 Use the lumen output for each basic model of lamp packaged with the basic model of CFLK, each basic model of consumer-replaceable SSL
packaged with the basic model of CFLK, or each basic model of non-consumer-replaceable SSL in the CFLK basic model to determine the applicable standard.
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DATES:
2023.
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
13 CFR Parts 120 and 121
RIN 3245–AH87
Affiliation and Lending Criteria for the
SBA Business Loan Programs
U.S. Small Business
Administration.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA or Agency) is
amending various regulations governing
SBA’s 7(a) Loan Program and 504 Loan
Program, including regulations on use of
proceeds for partial changes of
ownership, lending criteria, loan
conditions, reconsiderations, and
affiliation standards, to expand access to
capital to small businesses and drive
economic recovery. The amendments to
affiliation standards will also apply to
the Microloan Program, Intermediary
Lending Pilot Program, Surety Bond
Guarantee Program, and the Disaster
Loan programs (except for the COVID
Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)
Disaster Loan Program).
SUMMARY:
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This rule is effective May 11,
[FR Doc. 2023–06987 Filed 4–7–23; 8:45 am]
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Dianna Seaborn, Director, Office of
Financial Assistance, Office of Capital
Access, Small Business Administration,
at (202) 205–3645 or Dianna.Seaborn@
sba.gov. The phone number above may
also be reached by individuals who are
deaf or hard of hearing, or who have
speech disabilities, through the Federal
Communications Commission’s TTYBased Telecommunications Relay
Service teletype service at 711.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background Information
The mission of SBA is to ‘‘aid,
counsel, assist and protect the interests
of small business concerns in order to
preserve free competitive enterprise and
to maintain and strengthen the overall
economy of our nation.’’ 15 U.S.C.
631(a). SBA accomplishes this mission,
in part, through Capital Access
programs that bridge the financing gap
in the private market to help small
businesses start and grow; and help
businesses of all sizes to recover from
disasters. 15 U.S.C. 636(a) and (b). SBA
determined that changing conditions in
the American economy, technological
developments, and a constantly
evolving small business community
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necessitate the need to revise
regulations to improve program
efficiency and the customer experience
for the 7(a) and 504 Loan Programs.
Additionally, SBA determined that
revisions for similar purposes to SBA
regulations on affiliation determinations
should also apply to the Microloan
Program, the Intermediary Lending Pilot
Program (ILP Program), the Surety Bond
Guarantee Program (SBG Program), and
the Business Disaster Loan Programs,
which consist of Physical Disaster
Business Loans, Economic Injury
Disaster Loans (EIDL), and Military
Reservist Economic Injury Disaster
Loans (MREIDL) (but do not include
COVID EIDL Disaster Loans).
Accordingly, on October 26, 2022,
SBA published a notice of proposed
rulemaking with a request for comments
in the Federal Register (87 FR 64724) to
streamline and modernize the 7(a) and
504 Loan Program regulations setting
forth use of proceeds regarding partial
changes of ownership, lending criteria,
hazard insurance requirements, and
reconsiderations. Specifically, SBA is
amending 13 CFR 120.130 on
‘‘Restrictions on uses of proceeds’’; 13
CFR 120.150 on ‘‘What are SBA’s
lending criteria?’’; 13 CFR 120.160 on
‘‘Loan conditions’’; 13 CFR 120.193 on
‘‘Reconsideration after denial’’; 13 CFR
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120.202 on ‘‘Restrictions on loans for
changes of ownership’’.
Regarding 13 CFR 120.130 on
‘‘Restrictions on uses of proceeds’’ and
13 CFR 120.202 ‘‘Restrictions on loans
for changes of ownership’’ except for
where an employee stock ownership
plan or Qualified Employee Trust
(ESOP) purchases a controlling interest
(51 percent or more) in the employer
small business from the current
owner(s), SBA’s current regulations do
not permit 7(a) loan proceeds to be used
for partial changes of ownership.
Therefore, SBA is amending restrictions
on borrowers using 7(a) loan proceeds to
effect partial changes of ownership to
assist small businesses and to expand
pathways to ownership.
Regarding 13 CFR 120.150 on ‘‘What
are SBA’s lending criteria?’’ SBA stated
that streamlining and modernizing
regulations on lending criteria and loan
conditions for its 7(a) and 504 Loan
Programs can better position the Agency
and participating lenders to meet the
needs of America’s small businesses,
create jobs, assist with recovery from the
COVID–19 pandemic, and grow the
economy, fueling American
entrepreneurship. SBA is amending this
section to provide capital in the form of
7(a) and 504 loans to more small
businesses.
Regarding 13 CFR 120.193 on
‘‘Reconsideration after denial’’ SBA is
amending the process for
reconsideration after denial of a loan
application or loan modification request
in its 7(a) and 504 Loan Programs to
provide the Director, Office of Financial
Assistance, with the authority to
delegate decision making to designees.
SBA is also amending the regulation to
allow the Administrator, solely within
their discretion, to review these matters
and make the final agency decision on
reconsideration. Such discretionary
authority of the Administrator would
not create additional rights of appeal on
the part of an applicant not otherwise
specified in SBA regulations.
Further, SBA is simplifying 13 CFR
121.301, which sets forth the principles
for determining affiliation in the 7(a)
Loan Program, 504 Loan Program,
Microloan Program, ILP Program, SBG
Program, and Business Disaster Loan
Programs (except for the COVID EIDL
Disaster Loan Program). Specifically,
SBA is removing the provisions on
affiliation arising from management and
control, franchise or license agreements,
and identity of interest and to
streamline affiliation determinations
based on ownership. SBA is
streamlining the provisions on
affiliation to remove paragraph (f)(5),
affiliation based on franchise and
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license agreements. Because SBA is
removing the principle of control of one
entity over another from its affiliation
consideration, this paragraph is no
longer needed. Upon the effective date
of this rule, SBA will no longer publish
the SBA Franchise Directory. This final
rule redefines affiliation for all these
programs, thereby simplifying affiliation
determinations.
II. Summary of Comments
SBA received 146 comments on the
proposed rule. Of these, 51 comments
were from lenders, 21 were from
cooperatives, 19 were from individuals
who were making personal comments,
13 were from nonprofit organizations
that were not lenders or trade groups, 11
were from trade groups, eight were from
individuals supporting a trade group or
other entity’s comments, and 23 were
anonymous or did not indicate an
organization type.
SBA received a total of 14 comments
from six trade groups, six lenders or
employees of lenders, and two
comments from individuals or
businesses objecting to the confluence
of the proposed changes in the notice of
proposed rulemaking in the Federal
Register (87 FR 64724 October 26, 2022)
to streamline and modernize the 7(a)
and 504 Loan Program regulations, the
notice of proposed rulemaking
published in the Federal Register (87
FR 66964 November 7, 2022) to lift the
moratorium on licensing new Small
Business Lending Companies (SBLCs),
to add a new type of entity called a
Mission-Based SBLC, and to remove the
requirement for a Loan Authorization
(SBLC Proposed Rule), and SBA’s
announcement of an upcoming revision
to the Standard Operating Procedures
(SOP) 50 10, Lender and Development
Company Loan Programs. The
comments stated the confluence of these
revisions are problematic as proposed
because SBA would immediately invite
additional non-federally regulated
entities to participate as 7(a) Lenders
without first testing whether the
streamlining of provisions such as
lending criteria and hazard insurance
will have an adverse effect on SBA’s
loan portfolio. One trade group
requested the Administrator to
temporarily withdraw both proposed
rules.
SBA received 54 comments requesting
changes to SBA’s regulations and
procedures for loans to ESOPs and
cooperatives. Many of these comments
were based on a template letter that
stated for loans to cooperatives, SBA
should remove SBA’s regulation at
§ 120.160, paragraph (a), which requires
personal guarantees from holders of at
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least 20 percent ownership interest in
the small business concern that receives
SBA funding. SBA requires a personal
guaranty from owners of 20 percent or
more of the borrower as a prudent and
reasonable risk mitigation measure. SBA
applies the requirements for personal
guarantees at § 120.160 to all SBA
business loans unless otherwise
prohibited by law. Because the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) prohibits ESOPs
from guarantying a loan, SBA does not
require ESOPs to provide guarantees for
SBA loans. There is no legal prohibition
on requiring a guaranty of repayment
from a business organized as a
cooperative. Further, eliminating the
requirement for a guaranty of repayment
for loans to cooperatives would unfairly
transfer the burden of the increased risk
from these loans to the rest of the SBA
portfolio. Comments also requested that
SBA eliminate the requirement for
sellers to guaranty a loan made to a
cooperative that is buying a business
from the seller. The only time SBA
requires a seller to provide a repayment
guaranty is in a change of ownership
when the seller will retain an ownership
interest in the business after the sale.
Under SBA’s current rules, it is only
possible for a seller to retain ownership
in a business after a change of
ownership when the purchaser is an
ESOP or equivalent trust. SBA requires
a personal guaranty from a seller that
retains an ownership interest in the
business after a change of ownership to
prevent unjust enrichment to the selling
owner such as when the selling owner
personally benefits from the SBA loan
proceeds and retains ownership in the
business without providing any
repayment guaranty on the loan.
Changes to the personal guaranty
requirements at 120.160 advanced by
these comments are outside the scope of
the changes in the proposed rule and
will not be addressed in this final rule.
Comments also requested that SBA
reduce equity or equity injection
requirements for loans to ESOPs and
cooperatives. The proposed revisions to
the equity requirements in § 120.150,
‘‘What are SBA’s lending criteria?’’ are
sufficient to provide SBA and lenders
with the flexibility to underwrite loans
to ESOPs and cooperatives in a
reasonable and prudent manner,
including determining what equity or
equity injection requirements should be
placed on a loan for risk mitigation.
SBA will provide further guidance in its
Loan Program Requirements.
SBA has addressed in detail the
comments received on specific
proposed regulatory changes within the
section-by-section analysis below.
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III. Section-by-Section Analysis
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Section 120.130—Restrictions on Uses
of Proceeds
Current § 120.130 details restrictions
on uses of loan proceeds. Paragraph (g)
refers to § 120.202 regarding restrictions
on borrowers from using loan proceeds
to purchase a portion of a business or
another owner’s interest in a business.
Because SBA is revising § 120.202, as
described below, to allow 7(a) loan
proceeds to fund partial changes of
ownership, SBA is also revising
§ 120.130, paragraph (g), to remove the
reference to section 120.202 so that 7(a)
loan proceeds may be used for partial
changes of ownership. Because the
revisions to § 120.130 are being made to
support the revisions at § 120.202 that
will allow partial changes of ownership,
the comments on this section are
discussed below in the section-bysection analysis for § 120.202.
Several comments stated that
§ 120.130(a) currently prohibits
payments, distributions, or loans to
associates (as defined in § 120.10) of the
applicant (except for ordinary
compensation for services rendered),
and this paragraph would also need to
be modified to permit payments,
distributions, or loans to associates of
the applicant to facilitate partial
changes of ownership. SBA had already
addressed the prohibition in
§ 120.130(a) that prohibits payments,
distributions, or loans to associates of
the applicant by the proposed revision
to § 120.202, which, as proposed, would
state: ‘‘Notwithstanding § 120.130(a), a
borrower may use 7(a) loan proceeds to
purchase a portion of or the entirety of
an owner’s interest in a business, or a
partial or full purchase of a business
itself.’’ However, the comments infer
that there would be some confusion in
interpreting the proposed revisions to
§§ 120.130 and 120.202 regarding
restrictions on uses of proceeds for
partial changes of ownership.
Accordingly, SBA is revising § 120.130,
paragraph (a) for clarity to state that
payments, distributions, or loans to
associates of the applicant are restricted
except for ordinary compensation for
services rendered or to facilitate changes
of ownership in accordance with
§ 120.202. SBA is revising § 120.202 as
stated below. SBA is also revising
§ 120.130(g) to remove the reference to
section 120.202 to permit partial
changes of ownership to assist small
businesses and provide a path of
ownership for employees.
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Section 120.150—What are SBA’s
lending criteria?
Current § 120.150 states that SBA’s
lending criteria for 7(a) and 504 loans
requires that the applicant (including
the Operating Company) must be
creditworthy; loans must be so sound as
to reasonably assure repayment; and
SBA will consider nine specific factors
in its lending criteria. The factors
consist of: (a) Character, reputation, and
credit history of the applicant (and the
Operating Company, if applicable), its
associates, and guarantors; (b)
Experience and depth of management;
(c) Strength of the business; (d) Past
earnings, projected cash flow, and
future prospects; (e) Ability to repay the
loan with earnings from the business; (f)
Sufficient invested equity to operate on
a sound financial basis; (g) Potential for
long-term success; (h) Nature and value
of collateral (although inadequate
collateral will not be the sole reason for
denial of a loan request); and (i) The
effect any affiliates (as defined in part
121 of this chapter) may have on the
ultimate repayment ability of the
applicant. SBA is revising this
regulation as discussed below. In
revising § 120.150, SBA retains the
requirement that the applicant
(including an Operating Company) must
be creditworthy and that loans must be
so sound as to reasonably assure
repayment, consistent with section
7(a)(6) of the Small Business Act.
SBA is streamlining its lending
criteria by reducing the number of
factors that are required to be applied in
determining creditworthiness and
reasonable assurance of repayment. SBA
is revising this section to state that, as
part of considering whether the
applicant (including an Operating
Company) is creditworthy and the loan
is so sound as to reasonably assure
repayment, SBA, Lenders (as defined in
§ 120.10), and Certified Development
Companies (CDC) may consider (as
applicable) any of the three specific
criteria individually or any combination
of the three specific criteria when
approving loans: (a) The credit score or
credit history of the applicant (and the
Operating Company, if applicable), its
associates and any guarantors; (b) The
earnings or cashflow of the applicant; or
(c) Where applicable, any equity or
collateral of the applicant.
First, SBA is incorporating into the
regulation a new requirement that SBA
Lenders must use appropriate and
prudent generally acceptable
commercial credit analysis processes
and procedures consistent with those
used for their similarly-sized, non-SBA
guaranteed commercial loans. In using
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such appropriate and prudent processes
and procedures, SBA Lenders will be
required to underwrite SBA loans in the
same manner in which the SBA Lenders
underwrite their similarly-sized, nonSBA guaranteed commercial loans.
SBA received 48 comments on this
amendment. Twenty-seven of the
comments supported the proposed
changes as-is or that expressed support
and requested modifications; twenty
comments expressed opposition; and
one comment sought clarification on the
changes without offering a position of
support or opposition. Some comments,
including one from a trade group,
expressed concern that, where SBA
requires SBA Lenders to underwrite
SBA loans in the same manner in which
they underwrite their similarly-sized,
non-SBA guaranteed loans, SBA
Supervised Lenders and CDCs will not
have processes and procedures for
underwriting non-SBA guaranteed
commercial loans because they only
make SBA guaranteed loans. The trade
group expressed concern that, if the
SBLC Proposed Rule is adopted, the
number of SBA Supervised Lenders
could be greatly expanded at the same
time SBA’s requirements for a
consistent underwriting framework are
abandoned. The trade group expressed
concern that SBA Supervised Lenders
will be able to decide individual loan
applications based completely on their
own credit policies and practices that
would result in the deterioration of the
7(a) loan portfolio’s credit quality and
adverse impacts to borrower and 7(a)
Lender fees while possibly creating the
need for Congress to provide
appropriations to cover the increased
costs of 7(a) loans. Other comments
argued that allowing SBA Supervised
Lenders and CDCs that only make SBAguaranteed loans to set their own
policies would create an unfair playing
field for these lenders over federallyregulated lenders that must apply credit
policies in accordance with their federal
regulator’s standards. SBA Supervised
Lenders and CDCs (as defined in 13 CFR
120.10) that do not make non-SBA
guaranteed commercial loans will
continue as they do now, to submit their
credit policies, including credit scoring
models, for review by SBA prior to
approval to participate in the
program(s), during lender oversight and
review processes, when proposing any
changes to their policies or practices, in
accordance with Loan Program
Requirements as defined in 13 CFR part
120. SBA may at its discretion review
the policies of any participating SBA
Lender to ensure appropriate use of the
policies and procedures.
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Some comments argued against the
elimination of the review of ‘‘character
and reputation’’ in lending criteria,
fearing past bankruptcies will not be
adequately captured in underwriting, or
that people with a past background of
criminal behavior are likely to lapse
back into criminal activities that could
place the loan repayment at risk. Some
comments expressed concern that an
error by a lender or credit reporting
agency could unfairly negatively impact
an individual’s or entity’s credit history,
and without consideration of character
or reputation, the individual or entity
may be denied a loan that they would
have otherwise received. For SBA,
‘‘character’’ is used to determine
whether an individual may have past
criminal history or activities that may
pose a risk to repayment ability.
However, the lending industry uses
character and credit history
interchangeably, which creates
confusion as to which factor is more
relevant. In order to provide an
objective rationale for credit review, the
credit history has clearer meaning and
relevance in loan underwriting. The use
of reputational risk is subject to
individual interpretation where an
objective measure such as credit history,
as a component of loan underwriting
and credit review results in less
variability. SBA’s regulations set a
minimum standard, beyond which SBA
Lenders may take additional steps in
underwriting a loan, including
considering mitigating factors for
negative credit histories, such as a
reporting error by a credit reporting
agency. SBA currently has a regulation
at § 120.110 that addresses criminal
background. Additionally, SBA Lenders
may continue to make their own credit
decisions based on the criminal
background of an applicant and its
associates.
Some comments, including one from
a trade group, opposed allowing lenders
to use their own business credit scoring
models for 7(a) loans of all sizes.
However, SBA will only permit those
business credit scoring models that are
predictive of the borrower’s ability to
repay the loan at the proposed loan
sizes, and SBA Lenders may continue to
underwrite loans without using credit
scoring models. Additionally, SBA will
provide guidance in Loan Program
Requirements stating the maximum loan
sizes that may be underwritten using
credit scoring and what other credit
factors must be addressed in addition to
documenting a satisfactory credit score.
One trade group and several
comments expressed concern that SBA
may impose a minimum credit score
requirement and argued that traditional
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underwriting can overcome the reasons
that an applicant or individual may
have a low credit score. Other
comments stated that lenders who
continue to fully underwrite their loans
will be on an uneven playing ground
versus those lenders that rely on credit
scoring models. These commenters
stated that traditional comprehensive
credit underwriting is more reliable
than credit scoring models. Some of the
comments in support of the revisions
stated the proposed rule will allow SBA
to fully leverage the process, skillset and
experience of participating lenders
without constraining them with SBAspecific lending criteria and will align
lender processes for guaranteed and
non-guaranteed loans. SBA did not
propose to include a requirement for a
minimum credit score in the proposed
rule.
SBA has historically provided lenders
with an alternative underwriting path
that may be used to fully underwrite a
loan where the applicant has an
unacceptable credit score, see for
example, the 7(a) Small Loan delivery
method and the Community Advantage
Pilot Program. SBA considered the
comments regarding traditional credit
underwriting being more reliable;
however, technological advances and
modeling are providing more accurate
methods of calculating risk, and lenders
employing these measures are better
able to provide small businesses access
to capital, especially those businesses
owned by underserved communities.
The revisions provide options to SBA
Lenders that incorporate the use of
modern underwriting tools currently
employed in the lending industry.
Section 120.160—Loan Conditions
Current § 120.160(c) states that for
7(a) and 504 loans SBA requires hazard
insurance on all collateral and does not
distinguish this requirement by loan
size. SBA has determined that the
hazard insurance requirement can be
burdensome for the smallest businesses
borrowing the smallest amount of
money. SBA proposed to modify the
requirement for hazard insurance for all
7(a) and 504 loans $150,000 and under
to create flexibility for SBA Lenders.
SBA proposed to include guidance in
the Loan Program Requirements for
loans of $150,000 or under that SBA
Lenders must follow the hazard
insurance policies and procedures they
have established and implemented for
their similarly-sized, non-SBAguaranteed commercial loans. For all
loans greater than $150,000, SBA stated
it will continue to require hazard
insurance on all collateral. SBA Lenders
must continue ensuring that borrowers
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21077
obtain flood insurance per § 120.170
when required under the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (Sec. 205(b) of
Pub. L. 93–234; 87 Stat. 983 (42 U.S.C.
4000 et seq.)).
SBA received 43 comments on the
proposed revision. Thirty-eight
comments supported the proposed
change as-is or supported the change
with some modifications, and five
comments opposed the proposed
change. Some comments stated that
regardless of loan amount, hazard
insurance should be required to mitigate
risk for all loans, or for all loans where
real estate or improved real estate is
collateral, or for all loans where
equipment is being purchased with loan
proceeds. Other comments stated that
$150,000 as a threshold is too low, and
suggested the threshold should be set at
$500,000, because even with hazard
insurance in place, the lender and/or
SBA’s recovery on assets in this dollar
range is minimal after the costs of
liquidation and litigation are
considered. SBA agrees with the
comments that state the threshold for
requiring hazard insurance should be
set at a higher level. Therefore, SBA is
revising the rule to require hazard
insurance for collateral on 7(a) loans
greater than $500,000 and 504 projects
greater than $500,000. SBA will include
guidance in the Loan Program
Requirements for loans of $500,000 or
under that SBA Lenders must follow the
hazard insurance policies and
procedures they have established and
implemented for their similarly sized,
non-SBA-guaranteed commercial loans.
Some comments expressed concern
that SBA would not honor a guaranty
purchase request if an event such as a
fire caused a borrower to default on a
loan. SBA would not cite lack of hazard
insurance as a reason to deny a guaranty
purchase request if the SBA Lender was
acting in accordance with Loan Program
Requirements. For example, in the
scenario where a loan is $500,000 or
under and the use of proceeds is for
working capital, and the lender’s policy
for similarly-sized, non-SBA guaranteed
loans is that it does not require hazard
insurance for working capital loans, if a
calamitous event such as a fire occurs
and the borrower defaults on the loan
because it is unable to resume business
due to a lack of hazard insurance, SBA
would not cite lack of hazard insurance
as a reason to deny the guaranty
purchase request. Other comments
supported requiring lenders to follow
their own hazard insurance policy on
similarly-sized, non-SBA guaranteed
commercial loans, with one comment
stating the revision will align lender
processes for guaranteed and non-
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guaranteed loans. For the reasons stated
above, SBA is moving forward with the
rule applying the $500,000 threshold.
Some comments, including one from
a trade group representing hazard
insurance providers, requested that SBA
clarify whether the amendment would
apply to loans that are already in
existence and whether lenders could
apply the amendment to a loan once the
outstanding balance is paid down to the
$150,000 threshold. SBA will provide
further guidance in its Loan Program
Requirements. Some of these comments
requested that SBA make further
changes to its requirements for flood
insurance, which is outside the scope of
the rule.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES1
Section 120.193—Reconsideration After
Denial
Under current § 120.193, the process
for reconsideration after denial of a loan
application or loan modification request
in the 7(a) and 504 Loan Programs states
that final reconsideration is made by the
Director of the Office of Financial
Assistance. To facilitate fair and
expeditious reconsiderations, SBA is
revising this regulation to state that the
Director of the Office of Financial
Assistance or the Director’s designee(s)
may make the final decision on
reconsideration. From time to time, SBA
may change the designee(s) and would
do so in accordance with published
Delegations of Authority. Further, SBA
is revising this regulation to provide the
Administrator with the authority, solely
within the Administrator’s discretion, to
review a reconsideration request and
make the final Agency decision. Finally,
SBA is revising this regulation to state
that the Administrator’s discretionary
authority does not create any additional
appeal rights for the applicant that are
not otherwise specified in regulation.
SBA received 34 comments on the
proposed rule change. Twenty-one
comments supported the proposed rule
as-is, and eight comments supported the
rule but requested modifications. Most
of the comments requesting
modification supported allowing the
Director to designate a career employee
(such as the Chiefs of 7(a) or 504 Loan
Policy) to make the final Agency
decision but opposed allowing the
Administrator to make the final Agency
decision for fear that this would
politicize decision making. Five
comments opposed any delegation
because they stated the decision-making
authority should stay with the Director.
Other comments stated SBA should
expand the delegation of authority to
include servicing actions. For the
reasons stated above, SBA is moving
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forward with the rule to permit the
delegation of Authorities.
Section 120.202—Restrictions on Loans
for Changes of Ownership
Current § 120.202 restricts borrowers
from using 7(a) loan proceeds to
purchase a portion of a business or a
portion of another owner’s interest. SBA
is revising this section to allow
borrowers to use 7(a) loan proceeds to
fund partial changes of ownership in
addition to full changes of ownership.
The revision will allow a borrower to
purchase a portion of the business or a
portion of an owner’s interest in a
business, or to purchase the entire
business or an owner’s entire interest. A
borrower could also purchase the partial
or entire interests of multiple owners.
This revision will allow borrowers to
use 7(a) loan proceeds to fund partial
changes of ownership and will help
provide employees a path to ownership.
SBA received 48 comments regarding
the proposed changes to §§ 120.130 and
120.202 to permit partial changes of
ownership, including 15 comments
supporting the proposal as-is and
another 17 comments, including one
from a trade group, supporting the
proposal and requesting that the 504
Loan Program also be permitted to fund
partial changes of ownership. The 504
Loan Program only permits loans for a
change of ownership when the 504
project finances only the costs
associated with eligible long-term fixed
assets. As stated in §§ 120.801(c) and
120.934, generally, permanent financing
of the Project consists of a loan made
with the proceeds of a CDC Debenture
for up to 40 percent of the Project costs
collateralized by a second lien on the
Project Property, and a Third Party Loan
with a first lien position. The
debentures are then sold to investors
that expect the debenture to be secured
by a second lien position on collateral.
The success of the 504 Loan Program is
dependent on investors being willing to
purchase these debentures. Loans for
partial changes of ownership will
generally have collateral and collateral
lien positions that are incompatible
with the debenture sale process.
Amending the 504 Loan Program to
permit 504 loans to fund partial changes
of ownership is outside the scope of the
rule.
One trade group appeared to be
neutral as to whether SBA should
implement the proposed change, but
stated if SBA moves forward with this
proposal, SBA should state clearly that
7(a) funds may not be used for
investment purposes. It should be noted
that SBA already has a regulation at
§ 120.130(d) that states SBA will not
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authorize nor may a borrower use loan
proceeds for the purpose (including the
replacement of funds used for any such
purpose) of investments in real or
personal property acquired and held
primarily for sale, lease, or investment
(except for a loan to an Eligible Passive
Company or to a small contractor under
§ 120.310).
The remaining 15 comments opposed
the amendment. One trade group stated
the principle underlying the current
prohibition against distributing
proceeds of a 7(a) loan to an associate
of the applicant business protects
against sham transactions where an
individual personally receives 7(a) loan
proceeds while continuing to play a key
role in the operations of the business.
One comment expressed opposition to
the rule, stating that a loan for the
purpose of a partial change of
ownership is by its very nature a
personal loan, not a business loan. One
of the examples provided in one of the
comments was a business with three
owners, where one of the owners wishes
to retire and only one of the remaining
owners wishes to purchase the outgoing
owner’s portion of the business. The
comment stated there is no benefit to
the third owner that was remaining on
as owner of the business but that was
not purchasing the outgoing owner’s
portion of the business. However, since
SBA’s Standard Operating Procedure 50
10 6 went into effect on October 1, 2020,
SBA has permitted one or more current
owners to purchase the entire interest of
another current owner, resulting in 100
percent ownership of the business by
the remaining owners; in this type of
change of ownership, the small business
and the individual owner(s) who is
acquiring the ownership interest must
be co-borrowers while the remaining
owner(s) remain unaffected. The same
comment expressed the concern that the
lien may not be properly perfected.
SBA’s Loan Program Requirements
currently address adequacy of collateral,
including loans for changes of
ownership between existing owners,
working capital, purchase of stock, and
intangible assets such as good will. SBA
will provide guidance on adequacy of
collateral for loans for partial changes of
ownership in its Loan Program
Requirements and lender outreach
activities. The same comment provided
alternative solutions for ensuring the
success of changes of ownership,
including some already under
consideration in the proposed rule, such
as allowing greater flexibility in equity
requirements in § 120.150.
Several comments requested
clarifying information that SBA will
include in Loan Program Requirements
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and in lender outreach, including
training events. For example, several
comments asked whether sellers would
be allowed to remain as employees in a
complete or partial change of
ownership. Some of these comments
stated that allowing the seller to remain
in place, either as a part owner or
employee, will allow the seller to
provide guidance and expertise to
ensure the success of the business. For
a complete change of ownership, SBA’s
Loan Program Requirements currently
permit the seller to remain as an officer,
director, stockholder or Key Employee
of the business for a period not to
exceed 12 months, and SBA also
currently permits a seller to remain as
an employee indefinitely in the rare
circumstance when the seller will not be
an officer, director, stockholder or Key
Employee of the business. For partial
changes of ownership, SBA intends to
allow the selling owner to remain as an
owner and involved in the day to day
business, including as an officer,
director, Key Employee, or employee.
Some comments inquired whether the
partial change of ownership would be
treated similarly to a stock purchase
transaction where both the individual
purchasing ownership and the business
entity are required to be co-borrowers
on the loan. SBA will require the
business to be the borrower or coborrower with any entity purchasing a
partial interest. SBA will provide
further guidance on these and other
questions in its Loan Program
Requirements and lender outreach
activities.
As described above, SBA received
comments on section 120.130(a), which
currently prohibits payments,
distributions, or loans to associates of
the applicant (except for ordinary
compensation for services rendered).
These comments pointed out that in
order to facilitate the use of 7(a) loan
proceeds to be used for partial changes
of ownership, section 120.130 paragraph
(a) would also need to be modified to
permit payments, distributions, or loans
to associates of the applicant. SBA had
already addressed the prohibition in
§ 120.130(a) that prohibits payments,
distributions, or loans to associates of
the applicant by the proposed revision
to § 120.202, which, as proposed, would
state: ‘‘Notwithstanding § 120.130(a), a
Borrower may use 7(a) loan proceeds to
purchase a portion of or the entirety of
an owner’s interest in a business, or a
partial or full purchase of a business
itself.’’ However, the comments make it
clear that there would be some
confusion in interpreting the proposed
revisions to §§ 120.130 and 120.202
regarding restrictions on uses of
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proceeds for partial changes of
ownership. Accordingly, SBA is
revising § 120.130, paragraph (a) for
clarity as stated above, and is revising
the proposed revision to § 120.202 to
delete the introductory phrase
‘‘Notwithstanding § 120.130(a)’’.
Section 121.301—What size standards
and affiliation principles are applicable
to financial assistance programs?
Section 121.301 states the size
standards and affiliation principles that
are applicable to SBA’s financial
assistance programs. Paragraph (f)
details how affiliation principles are
applied for the 7(a) Loan Program, the
504 Loan Program, the Microloan
Program, the ILP Program, the Business
Disaster Loan Programs (except for the
COVID EIDL Disaster Loan Program),1
and the SBG Program. This paragraph
currently has seven sub-paragraphs,
each of which details a separate
affiliation principle that must be
applied to the applicant and other
entities to determine whether the
entities are affiliated. The determination
of affiliation is necessary to ensure that
an applicant is ‘‘small’’ for purposes of
eligibility for SBA financial assistance
and to ensure that the applicant
(including affiliates) does not exceed the
maximum guaranty amount available.
Currently, paragraphs (f)(1) through
(f)(7) consider: (1) affiliation based on
ownership, including the principle of
control of one entity over another; (2)
affiliation arising under stock options,
convertible securities, and agreements
to merge, including the principle of
control of one entity over another; (3)
affiliation based on management,
including the principle of control of one
entity over another; (4) affiliation based
on identity of interest between close
relatives; (5) affiliation based on
franchise and license agreements,
including the principle of control of one
entity over another; (6) determining the
concern’s size; and (7) exceptions to
affiliation.
SBA is revising § 121.301 affiliation
provisions to simplify the program
requirements, streamline the application
process for SBA’s programs, and
facilitate the review of such
applications. SBA is specifically
removing the principle of control of one
entity over another as a separate basis
for finding affiliation because the
concept of control as it exists requires
understanding and expert consideration
of business entity relationships well
beyond what is owned by the applicant
1 The affiliation principles for the COVID EIDL
Disaster Loan Program are contained in paragraph
(g) of Section 121.301.
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business or its owners. These
considerations are complex and require
judgement calls that confuse and
unnecessarily burden small business
applicants and lenders, and ultimately
result in inconsistent application of this
concept. For example, determining
whether an entity has control over
another requires in-depth analyses of
the contractual relationships an
applicant may have, including
relationships established by franchise,
license, and management agreements
deemed necessary and appropriate by
an independent small business owner to
operate. The determination of whether
one or more managers hired to assist the
applicant small business have control
over the business, and further requiring
review of the business type and
business ownership of family members
who may be deemed affiliates based on
NAICS code and proximity to the
applicant increases costs, delays
application processing, and/or prevents
an otherwise eligible small business
from receiving support. SBA instead
believes that affiliation based on
ownership is the customary basis for
considering who is deemed to control a
business. Accordingly, SBA has
determined that issues of control and
familial relationships as separate bases
for finding affiliation are not necessary.
SBA is revising § 121.301 to add an
introductory paragraph at the beginning
to include the Small Business Act
definition of a small business concern as
one which is independently owned and
operated, and which is not dominant in
its field of operation. SBA interprets this
statutory definition to require, in certain
circumstances, the inclusion of other
entities (‘‘Affiliates’’) owned by the
applicant or an owner of the applicant
in determining the size of the applicant.
SBA is revising § 121.301(f)(1),
‘‘Ownership,’’ to remove the principle
of control of one entity over another
absent ownership over that entity when
determining affiliation. SBA is
expanding upon the definition of
‘‘ownership’’ under paragraph (f)(1) to
clarify the thresholds of ownership at
which SBA considers an applicant to be
affiliated with an individual or another
business. SBA is also clarifying that
certain instances of affiliation by
ownership will only arise if the
applicant and another business operate
in the same three-digit NAICS subsector
to restrict affiliates to businesses in the
same field. Paragraph (f)(1)(i) will state
that businesses in which the applicant
is a majority owner are affiliates of the
applicant. Paragraph (f)(1)(ii) describes
affiliation with businesses that own a
majority of the applicant as well as
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businesses in the same three-digit
NAICS subsector that are majorityowned by the applicant’s owner.
Paragraph (f)(1)(iii) describes affiliation
with another business when the
applicant and the other business are
both majority-owned by the same
individual and operate in the same
three-digit NAICS subsector. Paragraph
(f)(1)(iv) describes a 20 percent
threshold of ownership for affiliation
with the applicant when the applicant
does not have a majority owner if a 20
percent owner also operates in the same
three-digit NAICS subsector as the
applicant. Paragraph (f)(1)(v) will state
that if the applicant does not have a
majority owner and an individual owns
20 percent or more of the applicant,
businesses that are majority-owned by
that owner and operate in the same
three-digit NAICS subsector will be
affiliates of the applicant. Paragraph
(f)(1)(vi) will state that ownership
interests of spouses and minor children
will be combined when determining
ownership interest (as interests may be
held in trust by parents for minors).
Finally, SBA is revising Paragraph
(f)(1)(vii) to state that SBA will analyze
the pro rata ownership of entities to
determine affiliation and provide an
example of the combined interest of an
individual and an entity that is whollyowned by the same individual.
Because SBA is revising its regulation
generally by removing the principle of
control of one entity over another as a
separate basis for finding affiliation,
SBA is also revising § 121.301(f)(2),
‘‘Stock options, convertible securities,
and agreements to merge,’’ paragraphs
(f)(2)(i) and (iv). Where paragraph
(f)(2)(i) currently states that SBA
considers stock options, convertible
securities, and agreements to merge
(including agreements in principle) to
have a present effect on the power to
control a concern, the revised paragraph
(f)(2)(i) will state that, for purposes of
that paragraph, the items will have a
present effect on ownership of the
entity. SBA is revising paragraph
(f)(2)(iv) by deleting the first sentence
where SBA currently states SBA will
consider whether an individual,
concern or other entity that controls one
or more other concerns cannot use
options, convertible securities, or
agreements to appear to terminate such
control before actually doing so. SBA is
removing the first sentence of paragraph
(f)(2)(iv) because it is unnecessary; the
remaining sentence of the paragraph
clearly states that SBA will not give
present effect to the ability of an entity
to divest in the future to avoid a finding
of ownership.
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SBA is removing paragraph (f)(3),
affiliation based on management,
because SBA is revising its regulation
generally by removing the principle of
control of one entity over another
without ownership from consideration
of affiliation. SBA believes it should not
interfere in a business owner’s right to
enter into a service agreement with a
management company. The decision to
hire a management company is the sole
responsibility of the independent
business owner(s).
SBA is also removing paragraph (f)(4),
affiliation based on identity of interest,
because SBA believes it is inherently
unfair and inappropriate to require close
relatives that do not have an ownership
interest in the applicant to provide
financial statements for review by a
lender and by SBA in determining the
size of the applicant business. For
example, the current rule requires a sole
proprietor who is requesting an SBA
direct or guaranteed loan to provide
their sibling’s business’s financial
statements for review when the sibling
is in the same or similar industry in the
same geographic area. SBA believes this
requirement imposes a chilling effect on
applicants that may be forced to
consider alternative predatory lending
sources because relatives bear no legal
responsibility to disclose their business
financial statements for transactions in
which they have no ownership interest.
However, as stated above, SBA is
combining the ownership interests of
spouses and minor children when
determining affiliation by ownership.
SBA is removing paragraph (f)(5),
affiliation based on franchise and
license agreements. Because SBA is
removing the principle of control of one
entity over another from its affiliation
consideration, this paragraph is no
longer needed. Upon the effective date
of this rule, SBA will no longer publish
the SBA Franchise Directory.
As is the requirement for all loans,
SBA Lenders will continue to be
required to examine Franchised
businesses for affiliation based on
ownership. For example, when lending
to a Franchised business, the SBA
Lender must determine who owns the
applicant business and any businesses
the applicant owns in accordance with
these regulations. However, neither the
SBA Lender nor SBA will review the
applicant Franchised business for
affiliation with other entities beyond
ownership; the applicant business will
not be considered affiliated with the
Franchisor or other Franchised
businesses except by ownership.
SBA received 54 comments on the
proposed revisions of § 121.301,
paragraph (f). Twelve comments
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expressed overall support for the
proposed rule. Thirty-four comments
requested modifications to the proposed
rule, with the most frequent comment
expressing opposition to no longer
publishing an SBA Franchise Directory.
The remaining eight comments
expressed general opposition.
One comment expressed support of
all proposed affiliation changes, but
asked how lenders would determine if
a business is dominant in its field of
operation. This comment is referencing
the introductory paragraph that SBA is
adding to § 121.301 that includes the
Small Business Act definition of a small
business concern as one which is
independently owned and operated, and
not dominant in its field of operation.
This introductory paragraph was added
to help frame the requirements at
§ 121.301(f). SBA interprets the
statutory definition of a small business
concern as requiring, in certain
circumstances, the inclusion of other
entities known as Affiliates that are
owned by the applicant or an owner of
the applicant in determining the size of
the applicant.
Several comments stated support of
the overall revisions to § 121.301 but
objected to the inclusion of NAICS
codes in the proposed rule for
§ 121.301(f)(1)(ii) through (v). One
comment stated that SBA Lenders use
affiliation as a guide to determine which
entities to analyze for credit purposes
and that removing industries outside of
an applicant’s NAICs code will skew the
SBA Lender’s analysis. However, SBA
provides the criteria for lenders to
underwrite loans in § 120.150. SBA
Lenders have historically and will
continue to be required to follow the
regulation at § 120.150 when analyzing
a loan for credit purposes.
A trade group expressed concerns that
the proposed amendments may result in
larger, more complex, and more
sophisticated business structures
qualifying for multiple SBA-guaranteed
loans. The trade group stated that it
does not oppose the proposed change
regarding ownership thresholds.
However, the trade group also stated it
does not concur with removing control
as part of the consideration of whether
two entities are affiliated. The comment
stated the existing regulatory
requirements for control should
continue because they believe both
common ownership and common
control are essential factors in
determining whether a small business
operates on an independent basis.
Regarding the proposed change to
paragraph (f)(1)(vii), one comment
stated that when multiple business
entities own an applicant business, and
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when the entity owners are owned by
entity owners, it can be difficult to trace
back to the natural person to determine
percentage of ownership. Currently,
SBA requires this disclosure of the
applicant owners to identify which
owners are required under the 20
percent ownership rule to guarantee a
loan. The inclusion of this information
in the Final Rule merely codifies what
is currently a program requirement. The
vast majority of SBA loans are made to
businesses with a simple ownership
structure, and the existence of a very
small percentage of applicants with a
complex ownership structure as
compared to SBA’s overall business
loan portfolio is not a compelling reason
to remove the requirement from this
final rule.
One comment stated that the revisions
will cause all Eligible Passive
Companies (EPCs) and Operating
Companies (OCs) to be unaffiliated.
While the ownership of an EPC may be
different from the OC, the EPC’s sole
purpose is to hold assets for the benefit
of an eligible OC that is the qualifying
entity on which cash flow and
repayment of the loan is based. The OC
is required to be a co-borrower or
guarantor on any loan to an EPC.
Regarding the proposed change to
paragraph (f)(3), affiliation based on
management, SBA received ten
comments, with six comments
supporting the change as-is, three
comments opposing the change, and one
comment requesting clarification. Those
that opposed the change, including a
trade group, stated that this would allow
SBA loan proceeds to fund investors
that would passively manage
businesses. However, as stated above,
SBA already has a regulatory
prohibition on funding investors at
§ 120.130, which states SBA will not
authorize nor may a borrower use loan
proceeds for the purposes (including the
replacement of funds used for any such
purpose) of investments in real or
personal property acquired and held
primarily for sale, lease, or investment.
Regarding the proposed change at
§ 121.301(f)(4), affiliation based on
identity of interest, there was nearly
universal support for this change,
except for one comment that opposed
the proposed revision, stating repeal of
the identity of interest rule is an
overcompensation by SBA that will
open the program to abuse by
unscrupulous borrowers and unwitting
lenders. SBA does not agree with this
concern.
Most of the comments that opposed
the revisions to § 121.301 were focused
on the removal of paragraph(f)(5),
affiliation based on franchise and
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license agreements and specifically
opposed SBA’s intention to no longer
publish an SBA Franchise Directory
while requiring SBA Lenders to retain
the responsibility for ensuring that the
applicant meets all Loan Program
Requirements, including but not limited
to obtaining proper lien position on
collateral and ensuring the applicant
does not have discriminatory hiring
practices. Of the 53 comments that
directly addressed the proposed changes
to § 121.301(f)(5), only four comments
supported the proposal as-is with the
remainder expressing opposition to the
proposed change mainly on the grounds
that they opposed discontinuance of an
SBA Franchise Directory.
The general concern was that lenders
would be required to determine
franchise eligibility. If SBA were to
discontinue publishing a franchise
directory without modifying the current
affiliation rules, SBA agrees that SBA
would be transferring the responsibility
for determining affiliation based on
control to lenders. However, the
comments did not take into
consideration the fact that SBA is
removing as part of this rule the concept
of affiliation based on control, including
control by a Franchisor of a franchisee’s
business. In point of fact, as a result of
this rule, SBA will update Standard
Operating Procedure 50 10, Lender and
Development Company Loan Programs,
by deleting Part 2, Section A, Chapter 1,
Paragraph D. 6, Affiliation Based on
Franchise, License, Dealer, Jobber, and
Similar Agreements, and eliminate
SBA’s Addendum to Franchise
Agreement and its process identified
therein. SBA has determined that
franchise business models would not be
made ineligible for SBA business loans
based on § 120.110, which states the
businesses that are ineligible for SBA
business loans. For example, ineligible
businesses include, among others, nonprofit organizations, life insurance
companies, government entities,
speculative businesses (such as
wildcatting), use of proceeds for stock
and real estate speculation, passive
businesses, and prurient businesses.
SBA Lenders must evaluate all
applicants for eligibility and must
ensure proper lien position on all loans,
regardless of whether the applicant is a
franchise or non-franchise business.
Under the current rules, if SBA
determines the franchisor exercises
excess control over the franchisee, SBA
will consider the franchisor and
franchisee to be affiliated, which in
most cases would mean the applicant
would not be eligible for an SBA loan
because it would not meet SBA’s size
standards. The purpose for publishing
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an SBA Franchise Directory was to
prevent SBA Lenders and SBA from
repeatedly reviewing the same franchise
documents for the issue of excessive
control. Because SBA was already
reviewing the franchise documents for
the issue of excessive control, SBA also
reviewed the franchise documents for
other business model eligibility
requirements that apply to all
applicants, including non-franchisee
applicants, such as non-discriminatory
hiring practices and providing the
applicant purchaser the right to
encumber the applicant’s property with
liens. These revisions remove the
principle of control of one entity over
another from consideration of
affiliation; therefore, the mere fact that
an applicant may be a franchisee is not
in itself a reason that would render the
applicant ineligible for an SBA loan,
and thus there is no longer a compelling
reason to maintain the SBA Franchise
Directory. Additionally, the mere fact
that a franchise is listed on the SBA
Franchise Directory does not, under
current policies nor under the proposed
policies, relieve the SBA Lender from
determining whether the applicant
meets all eligibility and other Loan
Program Requirements, including but
not limited to; certifying that the
applicant does not have the ability to
obtain some or all of the requested loan
funds on reasonable terms from nonFederal, non-State, or non-local
government sources, ensuring that
applicants are U.S. citizens or Legal
Permanent Residents and that the
applicant business is located in the
United States, obtaining personal and
corporate guaranties, confirming that
the applicant business has the ability to
repay the loan through cash flow of the
business, has eligible uses of proceeds,
verifying financial information,
obtaining proper collateral and lien
position, determining whether there is a
direct or indirect impact on historic
properties, compliance with
environmental policies and procedures,
and closing the loan in accordance with
SBA program requirements.
One comment stated that SBA’s
review of franchise documents for
excess control by the franchisor has led
to indirect benefits for franchisees,
which ‘‘resulted in significant
improvements in franchise lending’’
providing greater assurance that the
franchisee has the right to profit from
their efforts and that the franchisor
would not impose objectionable terms
such as approvals on changes of
ownership, forced sale of assets,
restrictive covenants on real estate, and
control of employees. While SBA
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appreciates this perceived indirect
benefit, SBA maintains that it is solely
an applicant’s business decision
whether it wishes to operate as a
franchise or non-franchise business. All
purchase agreements, even purchase
agreements of non-franchise businesses,
may potentially include these terms that
the comment describes as objectionable,
and it is incumbent on all parties to
fully understand the terms of any
contract they sign. Further, SBA does
not have the statutory authority to act as
a regulator of franchises, only
guarantees a small percentage of loans
to franchisees relative to the number of
franchise businesses that are started and
operate in the U.S., and only uses the
Federal Trade Commission definition of
franchise in SBA’s policies and
procedures. For the reasons stated
above, SBA is moving forward with the
rule as proposed.
Compliance With Executive Orders
12866, 12988, 13132, and 13563, the
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.,
Ch. 35), the Congressional Review Act
(5 U.S.C. 801–808), and the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601–612)
Executive Order 12866
The Office of Management and Budget
has determined that this rule is a
‘‘significant regulatory action’’ under
Executive Order 12866. SBA performed
a comprehensive Regulatory Impact
Analysis in the proposed rule for the
public’s information. Because SBA is
not substantially changing any of the
proposed amendments, the final
analysis is unchanged and is synopsized
below. Each section begins with a core
question.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES1
A. Regulatory Objective of the Proposal
Is there a need for this regulatory
action?
SBA performed a comprehensive cost
benefit analysis in the proposed rule.
SBA is moving forward with only minor
adjustments that will not have a
significant impact on the cost benefit
analysis that was published in the
proposed rule; therefore, the cost benefit
analysis is updated where appropriate
or synopsized below.
The Agency believes it needs to
streamline and reduce regulatory
burdens to facilitate robust participation
in the business loan programs that assist
small and underserved U.S. businesses
and the disaster loan programs that
assist businesses of all sizes with
recovery from disasters.
Regarding modernization of lending
criteria, as a result of the emergency
lending programs mandated to address
economic impacts of the pandemic, SBA
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significantly leveraged the use of
technology in loan delivery to capture
efficiencies that can be applied across
programs to increase access and lower
costs for both participating lenders and
the public. SBA also understands that
lenders are currently leveraging data
analytics tools and machine learning
modelling in their conventional lending
criteria models, particularly for small
dollar loans, and that by modernizing
SBA’s lending criteria to match lending
practices already being implemented by
its participating lenders, SBA will
encourage more lender participation in
its programs. For these reasons, among
others, SBA is moving forward with the
changes to SBA’s lending criteria rules
at 13 CFR 120.150.
By dispensing with the requirement
for hazard insurance for all 7(a) and 504
loans of $500,000 or less, SBA will
eliminate a burdensome regulatory
requirement for small loans while
providing SBA Lenders with the
flexibility to use their own policies for
similarly-sized non-SBA guaranteed
loans regarding hazard insurance on
these loans.
By permitting the Director, Office of
Financial Assistance, to delegate
reconsideration requests to a designee,
SBA will facilitate fair and expeditious
review of reconsideration requests and
provide finality to applicants that are in
the process of making important
financial decisions.
SBA is revising its affiliation
regulations in response to continuing
requests by SBA’s participating lenders
and the public. SBA believes that
revising its affiliation regulations will
result in expansion of credit to those
who cannot obtain credit elsewhere and
increased understanding of and
compliance with program rules while
decreasing time spent reviewing an
applicant for eligibility.
There is also a need for SBA to
address financing for changes of
ownership. Orderly transitions of
business ownership are beneficial both
to the small business and its employees.
Employees acquiring partial ownership
interest in small businesses assists with
transitions of ownership, especially
when there is more than one current
owner and one of the current owners
intends to sell their equity stake in the
small business to one or more
employees who may not have an equity
ownership interest at that time. The
small business benefits by remaining in
operation when it might otherwise be
forced to close, and the employees
benefit by having a path to ownership
in a small business that remains in
operation. Partial changes of ownership
among existing owners of a small
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business permit such businesses to
attract new employees as partial owners.
Financing for changes of ownership also
allows family members to purchase
partial ownership in a family-run small
business to ensure continuation of the
small business after the retirement or
death of an owner. Currently, SBA does
not fully meet the financing needs of
small businesses regarding partial
changes of ownership due to current
restrictions, necessitating this rule.
Historically, SBA has permitted loan
proceeds for use only in three situations
involving a change of ownership: (1) A
complete change of ownership; (2) a
Partner Buyout; and (3) where an ESOP
purchases a controlling interest (51
percent or more) in the employer small
business from the current owner(s).
Outside of loans to ESOPs, SBA’s
current regulations do not permit 7(a)
loan proceeds to be used for partial
changes of ownership.
Over the past 4 completed fiscal years
(FY 2018 through FY 2021), SBA
approved 31,940 7(a) loans where loan
proceeds were used to affect a change of
ownership. ESOP loans (loans to assist
an ESOP trust in acquiring 51 percent or
more of the equity ownership in the
small business concern) accounted for
only 17 of the 31,940 loans used for a
change of ownership in the four years
between FY 2018 and FY 2021, or fewer
than five loans per year. Therefore,
ESOP loans have not made the
anticipated impact in transitioning
small businesses to employee
ownership as originally intended by the
Agency. For these reasons, SBA is
moving forward with lifting the
prohibition on partial changes of
ownership. SBA will include detailed
guidance in the Loan Program
Requirements to accomplish partial
changes of ownership.
The changes will reduce regulatory
burdens, modernize program delivery
using data analytics tools and machine
learning modelling, reduce the number
of hours spent processing an application
to deliver a loan for both SBA and
lenders and increase access to capital.
B. Benefits and Costs of the Rule
What are the potential benefits and
costs of this regulatory action?
SBA does not anticipate significant
additional costs or impact on the
subsidy to operate the 7(a), 504,
Microloan, ILP, SBG and Business
Disaster Loan Programs under these
revisions to the regulations.
SBA anticipates a minor impact to the
subsidy as a result of approximately 800
new loans per year in 7(a) loan activity
for loans involving a partial change of
ownership. In revising SBA’s lending
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criteria at 13 CFR 120.150, SBA
anticipates that modernizing SBA’s
lending criteria to include credit scoring
will not compromise the credit quality
of the overall 7(a) and 504 portfolios.
When using a credit scoring model other
than the FICO® Small Business Scoring
ServiceSM (SBSS) model, SBA Lenders
must be able to validate the credit
scoring model and must document that
their credit analysis procedures are
predictive of loan performance;
therefore, no reduction in credit quality
is anticipated as a result of using credit
scoring models. Streamlining the
number of criteria lenders consider
when approving loans, and for regulated
lenders, using the same commercial
credit analysis processes and
procedures consistent with those used
for their similarly-sized, non-SBA
guaranteed commercial loans will not
negatively impact the credit quality of
the 7(a) and 504 Loan Program
portfolios and will provide a time
saving ranging from zero to several
hours per loan depending on the size
and complexity of the loan. SBA
anticipates that modernizing SBA’s
lending criteria and allowing SBA
Lenders to use their own processes and
procedures will result in an increase in
the number of participating lenders and
loans in both programs, which would
mean increased access to capital for
small businesses.
The primary goal driving the revisions
to 13 CFR 120.150 is to encourage and
facilitate more lenders to make more
small dollar loans. SBA believes these
streamlined rules will result in
increased lender participation,
particularly for community banks, credit
unions and other mission-based lenders
that generally serve more rural
communities and underserved
populations with smaller dollar loans.
By revising 13 CFR 120.160 to state
that SBA requires hazard insurance only
for loans greater than $500,000, SBA
anticipates a de minimis impact on
annual subsidy calculation for the 7(a)
and 504 Loan Programs. The primary
benefit to removing the requirement for
hazard insurance on these small loans is
to increase the speed with which
lenders can disburse loan proceeds after
loan approval. Hazard insurance is only
impactful when it is protecting
collateral. Currently, SBA does not
require collateral for loans $25,000 or
less, so these loans are not impacted by
the revision to hazard insurance
requirements. Further, lenders will
continue to require hazard insurance for
loans of $500,000 and under when
tangible assets such as real estate or
equipment are financed with the loan in
accordance with their non-SBA
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guaranteed policies and federal
regulators. As such, although lenders
will continue to require hazard
insurance in accordance with their
similarly-sized non-SBA guaranteed
policies, they will experience a time
savings by no longer providing SBA
with documentation of proof of hazard
insurance as part of SBA’s loan
origination and monitoring
requirements. Further, even with hazard
insurance in place, the lender and/or
SBA’s recovery on assets in this dollar
range is minimal after the costs of
liquidation and litigation are
considered. The benefit to SBA for
requiring hazard insurance at this
amount is minimal, while lenders will
save time and be able to disburse loan
proceeds more quickly after loan
approval by using their own procedures
and not having to provide additional
documentation evidencing insurance to
SBA.
Revising 13 CFR 120.193 will allow
the Director of the Office of Financial
Assistance to delegate to a designee the
authority to make final decisions on
reconsideration after denial of a loan
application or loan modification request
in the 7(a) and 504 Loan Programs. SBA
does not anticipate any additional costs
or impact on the subsidy to operate the
7(a) and 504 Loan Programs under this
final rule. Additionally, the number of
loans impacted by this change is very
low in comparison to the number of
loans processed in both loan programs.
On average, the 7(a) Loan Program
accounts for 10 to 12 reconsideration
requests per year, and the 504 Loan
Program accounts for 28 to 41 requests
per year. For comparison, in fiscal year
2021, the 7(a) Loan Program approved
51,856 loans, and the 504 Loan Program
approved 9,676 loans. SBA Lenders and
applicants will benefit in a faster turn
time for decision-making.
SBA does not anticipate significant
additional costs or impact on the
subsidy to operate the 7(a), 504,
Microloan, ILP, SBG and Business
Disaster Loan Programs under the
revised regulations at 13 CFR 121.301
regarding affiliation. Complex affiliation
rules limit accessibility to SBA’s
business loan programs, with an
outsized impact on underserved
borrowers who may struggle to access
traditional capital or other resources
such as attorneys and certified public
accountants. SBA anticipates that
providing clear and streamlined
regulatory guidance for its affiliation
rules will result in an increase in the
number of participating lenders and
loans and will encourage more
businesses to apply. SBA anticipates
that participating lenders will spend
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less time screening applicants for
eligibility under SBA Size Standards
because lenders and applicants will
readily be able to determine which
entities they are affiliated with, and
lenders will have fewer documents to
examine.
C. Alternatives
What alternatives have been
considered?
SBA considered eliminating even
more regulatory burdens and
determined the final rule strikes the
right balance in responsibly
streamlining regulations without
substantially increasing the risk of
waste, fraud, or abuse of the programs
or otherwise threatening the integrity of
the business loan programs or taxpayer
dollars. Regarding affiliation, SBA has
implemented several variations of its
affiliation rules as discussed above, and
SBA has determined the simplest
affiliation rules were the least
burdensome.
SBA also considered limiting partial
changes of ownership to employees of
the business; however, the Agency
believes this may restrict small
businesses in need of additional
expertise from providing a percentage of
ownership as an incentive to recruit and
retain new highly skilled employees.
For example, an existing dental practice
may recruit a new dentist by offering the
dentist an equity ownership in the
business as a hiring incentive. For this
reason, SBA determined that partial
changes of ownership should not be
exclusive to existing employees of the
business.
Executive Order 12988
This action meets applicable
standards set forth in sections 3(a) and
3(b)(2) of Executive Order 12988, Civil
Justice Reform, to minimize litigation,
eliminate ambiguity, and reduce
burden. The action does not have
preemptive effect or retroactive effect.
Executive Order 13132
This rule does not have federalism
implications as defined in Executive
Order 13132. It will not have substantial
direct effects on the States, on the
relationship between the national
government and the States, or on the
distribution of power and
responsibilities among the various
levels of government, as specified in the
Executive Order. As such it does not
warrant the preparation of a Federalism
Assessment.
Executive Order 13563
A description of the need for this
regulatory action and benefits and costs
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associated with this action, including
possible distributional impacts that
relate to Executive Order 13563, are
included above in the Regulatory Impact
Analysis under Executive Order 12866.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES1
Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C.
Ch. 35
SBA has determined that this rule
will require that the following forms be
revised: SBA Form 1919, ‘‘Borrower
Information Form,’’ SBA Form 1920,
‘‘Lender’s Application for Loan
Guaranty for all 7(a) Loan Programs,’’
SBA Form 1244, ‘‘Application for
Section 504 Loans,’’ SBA Form 5—
Disaster Business Loan Application, and
SBA Form 5C—Disaster Home/Sole
Proprietor Loan Application.
SBA Forms 1919 and 1920 are
approved under OMB Control number
3245–0348. SBA Form 1244 is approved
under OMB Control number 3245–0071.
SBA Form 5 is approved under OMB
Control number 3245–0017 and SBA
Form 5C is approved under OMB
Control number 3245–0018.
SBA will revise SBA Form 1919, SBA
Form 1920, and SBA Form 1244 to
conform to the lending criteria changes
at 13 CFR 120.150. When lenders
choose to use a credit scoring model in
accordance with 13 CFR 120.150, the
estimated hour burden for lenders will
decrease when the credit score
incorporates consideration of certain
lending criteria (e.g., the earnings and
cashflow of an applicant), in which case
those factors would not necessarily be
separately considered by a lender unless
otherwise specified by Loan Program
Requirements. However, SBA expects
that SBA Lenders will make more small
dollar loans due to the ability to use
credit scoring models, which increase
the estimated overall burden hours due
to the increase in number of loans. This
reporting requirement will be included
in the OMB information collection
submissions for the affected forms. The
other revisions to 120.150 (i.e.,
requirement that SBA Lenders use
appropriate and prudent generally
acceptable commercial credit analysis
processes and procedures consistent
with those used for their similarly-sized,
non-SBA guaranteed commercial loans,
and criteria that may be considered in
lending criteria), will have a de minimis
impact on the estimated hour burden
because regulated lenders must comply
with more rigorous lending criteria
requirements from their federal
regulators, and SBA-Supervised Lenders
and CDCs must continue to comply with
the credit policies submitted to OCRM.
SBA will revise SBA Form 1920 to
conform to revisions at 13 CFR 120.130
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and 13 CFR 120.202 to permit partial
changes of ownership.
SBA will revise SBA Form 1919, SBA
Form 1920, SBA Form 1244, and SBA
Form 5 to conform to the affiliation rule
changes at 13 CFR 121.301, which will
reduce the estimated hour burden for
applicants and lenders because SBA
anticipates fewer entities will fall under
the definition of ‘‘affiliate.’’
SBA will submit these revisions to
OMB and provide public notice of such
revisions at a later date.
Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C.
Ch. 8
Subtitle E of the Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of
1996, also known as the Congressional
Review Act or CRA, generally provides
that before a rule may take effect, the
agency promulgating the rule must
submit a rule report, which includes a
copy of the rule, to each House of the
Congress and to the Comptroller General
of the United States. SBA will submit a
report containing this rule and other
required information to the U.S. Senate,
the U.S. House of Representatives, and
the Comptroller General of the United
States. A major rule under the CRA
cannot take effect until 60 days after it
is published in the Federal Register.
The Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs has determined that
this rule is not a ‘‘major rule’’ as defined
by 5 U.S.C. 804(2). Therefore, this rule
is not subject to the 60-day restriction.
Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601–
612
When an agency issues a rulemaking
proposal, the Regulatory Flexibility Act
(RFA), 5 U.S.C. 601–612, requires the
agency to ‘‘prepare and make available
for public comment a final regulatory
analysis’’ which will ‘‘describe the
impact of the final rule on small
entities.’’ SBA published a complete
regulatory analysis in the proposed rule.
The regulatory analysis is synopsized
here. For the reasons stated below, SBA
certifies that this rulemaking will not
have a significant economic impact on
a substantial number of small entities.
Although the rulemaking will impact all
of the 2,897 7(a) Lenders, all of the 216
CDCs, all of the 150 Microloan
Intermediaries, all of the 35 ILP
Intermediaries, and all of the 44 Sureties
that participate in the SBG Program,
SBA does not believe the impact will be
significant because this final rule
modifies and streamlines existing
regulations and procedures. However,
there may be impacts due to increased
7(a) loans for partial changes of
ownership.
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The estimated burden for completing
the SBA Form 1919, including time for
reviewing instructions, gathering data
needed, and completing and reviewing
the form remains unchanged at 15
minutes per response. SBA anticipates
the revised rules will result in an
increase to loan volume by a potential
800 loans per year 2 representing 800
unique small business applicants.
An applicant completing the SBA
Form 1919 will spend approximately
fifteen minutes per response in
completing the form, at a cost of $23.55
per loan application.3 The final rules
will not change the time costs of
completing the revised SBA Form 1919
as the rule changes will not require the
applicant small business to provide any
additional responses in completing SBA
Form 1919 other than those already
required.
In revising 13 CFR 120.130 and
120.202 to permit partial change of
ownership, SBA will update the SBA
Form 1920, ‘‘Lender’s Application for
Loan Guaranty for all 7(a) Loan
Programs’’, in Section ‘‘O’’, to add a
question for the 7(a) Lender to indicate
that the change of ownership is a partial
change of ownership, and to revise or
combine the second bulleted question in
Section O with the new partial
ownership question. The current
estimated burden for the 7(a) Lender in
completing SBA Form 1920, including
time for reviewing instructions,
gathering data needed, and completing
and reviewing the form is 25 minutes
per response. Section ‘‘O’’ of SBA Form
1920 is required to be completed in
cases involving a change of ownership
using the loan proceeds. SBA Form
1920 currently requires the 7(a) Lender
to check an ‘‘N/A’’ box if the loan does
not finance a change of ownership and
answer an additional six ‘‘Yes’’ or ‘‘No’’
questions about the circumstances for
the change of ownership. It is
anticipated the additional language will
be similar in length to the existing
questions of approximately 30 words
per question, which should add
approximately 10 seconds per
application to read and respond to the
question by checking the yes or no box,4
2 The 800 additional loans are due to the
revisions allowing for partial changes of ownership.
3 This estimate was derived from using the
median hourly rate for General and Operations
Managers from the May 2021 Occupational
Employment and Wage Statistics for the United
States of $47.10 per hour, adding 100 percent for
overhead and benefits, for a total hourly cost to
complete SBA Form 1919 per applicant of $94.20
per hour. Data available at https://www.bls.gov/oes/
current/oes_nat.htm#11-0000.
4 The average silent reading rate for adults in
English is 238 words per minute, based on an
analysis of 190 studies with 18,573 participants by
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which represents a cost increase to
lenders of approximately 11 cents per
application.5
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13 CFR 120.150, ‘‘What are SBA’s
lending criteria?’’
Based on industry feedback, SBA
estimates SBA Lenders will save
anywhere from zero to 2 hours per loan
under the revision of 13 CFR 120.150 to
require that SBA Lenders must use
appropriate and prudent generally
acceptable commercial credit analysis
processes and procedures consistent
with those used for their similarly-sized,
non-SBA guaranteed commercial loans.
The range in time saving is due to the
size and complexity of the loan and
federally regulated lenders continuing
to underwrite loans in accordance with
their own procedures. Based on the
average of the most recent 3 fiscal years,
each year the 7(a) Loan Program
approves 48,687 loans and the 504 Loan
Program approves 7,631 loans, for a
total of 56,318 loans approved per year.
The mean hourly wage of a loan officer
is $36.99 according to the May 2020
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. SBA
estimates a cost saving ranging from $0
to $2,083,215 per year for SBA Lenders,
calculated by multiplying 56,318 (total
loans approved per year) by $36.99
(mean hourly wage of a loan officer).
This revision will have no direct impact
on applicants and possibly an indirect
impact due to faster processing times
that could lead to faster loan approval.
SBA anticipates the final rule will
allow SBA Lenders to use a credit
scoring model will increase the number
of small loans approved while generally
decreasing the length of time required to
process a loan. Not all lenders will use
credit scoring, and those that do will
limit credit scoring to small loans. SBA
estimates lenders will save from 2 to 4
hours per loan when they elect to use
a credit scoring model.
13 CFR 120.160, ‘‘Loan Conditions’’
SBA estimates SBA Lenders will save
anywhere from 0.25 to 6 hours per loan
over the life of the loan under the
revision of 13 CFR 120.160 to eliminate
the requirement for hazard insurance on
loans $500,000 or less. The range in
time saving is due to whether lenders
require hazard insurance on similarlysized non-SBA guaranteed loans in
accordance with their own procedures.
Brysbaert, Marc (April 12, 2019) How many words
do we read per minute? A review and meta-analysis
of reading rate, page 2, at https://psyarxiv.com/
xynwg/.
5 Based on the mean hourly wage of $38.74 per
hour for Loan Officers as of May 2021 U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics at https://www.bls.gov/oes/
current/oes_nat.htm#13-0000.
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Lenders that do not require hazard
insurance may save up to 6 hours over
the life of the loan when including the
time required to monitor whether the
policy remains in place each year.
Lenders that continue requiring
insurance will experience a time savings
by no longer documenting proof of
insurance for SBA.
13 CFR 120.193, ‘‘Reconsideration After
Denial’’
The Director of the Office of Financial
Assistance processes an average of 10 to
12 reconsideration requests for the 7(a)
Loan Program and 28 to 41
reconsideration requests for the 504
Loan Program each year. Revising this
rule will have a minimal impact on the
overall portfolio; however, to the
individual applicants that are impacted
by reconsideration requests, a faster
decision will allow the applicants to
quickly move forward with financing
with a positive decision or pursue other
financing options with a negative
decision.
Section 121.301, ‘‘What size standards
and affiliation principles are applicable
to financial assistance programs?’’
The revisions to 13 CFR 121.301 will
impact all of the approximately 1,738
7(a) Lenders and 186 CDCs that make an
SBA loan annually (based on FY 2021
data), all of the approximately 150
Microloan Intermediaries, all of the
approximately 44 Sureties that
participate in the SBG Program, and all
of the applicants for each of these
programs and SBA’s Disaster programs.
SBA’s revisions to streamline its
affiliation rules will increase the overall
number of loans made while
simultaneously reducing the time
required to process each loan.
List of Subjects
13 CFR Part 120
Loan programs—business,
Community development, Reporting
and recordkeeping requirements, Small
businesses.
13 CFR Part 121
Loan programs—business, Reporting
and recordkeeping requirements, Small
businesses.
For the reasons stated in the
preamble, SBA is amending 13 CFR
parts 120 and 121 as follows:
PART 120—BUSINESS LOANS
1. The authority citation for 13 CFR
part 120 continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 634(b)(6), (b)(7),
(b)(14), (h), and note, 636(a), (h) and (m), and
note, 636m, 650, 657t, and note, 657u, and
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note, 687(f), 696(3), and (7), and note, and
697, 697a and e, and note; Public Law 116–
260, 134 Stat. 1182.
2. Amend § 120.130 by revising
paragraphs (a) and (g) to read as follows:
■
§ 120.130 Restrictions on uses of
proceeds.
*
*
*
*
*
(a) Payments, distributions, or loans
to Associates of the applicant (except for
ordinary compensation for services
rendered or to facilitate changes of
ownership in accordance with
§ 120.202);
*
*
*
*
*
(g) Any use restricted by §§ 120.201
and 120.884 (specific to 7(a) loans and
504 loans respectively).
■ 3. Revise § 120.150 to read as follows:
§ 120.150
What are SBA’s lending criteria?
The applicant (including an Operating
Company) must be creditworthy. Loans
must be so sound as to reasonably
assure repayment. Lenders and CDCs
must use appropriate and prudent
generally acceptable commercial credit
analysis processes and procedures
consistent with those used for their
similarly-sized, non-SBA guaranteed
commercial loans. Lenders, CDCs, and
SBA may use a business credit scoring
model. When approving direct or
guaranteed loans, Lenders, CDCs, and
SBA may consider (as applicable) the
following criteria: credit score or credit
history of the applicant (and the
Operating Company, if applicable), its
Associates and any guarantors; the
earnings or cashflow of applicant; or
where applicable any equity or
collateral of the applicant.
§ 120.160
[Amended]
4. In § 120.160 amend paragraph (c)
by adding the phrase ‘‘for 7(a) loans
greater than $500,000 and for 504
projects greater than $500,000,’’ after the
words ‘‘SBA requires hazard
insurance.’’
■ 5. Amend § 120.193 by adding the
words ‘‘or designee(s),’’ after the words
‘‘Director, Office of Financial Assistance
(D/FA)’’ and by adding two sentences at
the end of the section to read as follows:
■
§ 120.193
Reconsideration after denial.
* * * If the reconsideration is denied,
a second and final reconsideration may
be considered by the Director, Office of
Financial Assistance (D/FA) or
designee(s), whose decision is final. The
SBA Administrator, solely within the
Administrator’s discretion, may choose
to review the matter and make the final
decision. Such discretionary authority
of the Administrator does not create
additional rights of appeal on the part
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 68 / Monday, April 10, 2023 / Rules and Regulations
of an applicant not otherwise specified
in SBA regulations.
■ 6. Revise § 120.202 to read as follows:
§ 120.202
Loans for changes of ownership.
A Borrower may use 7(a) loan
proceeds to purchase a portion of or the
entirety of an owner’s interest in a
business, or a portion of or the entirety
of a business itself.
PART 121—SMALL BUSINESS SIZE
REGULATIONS
7. The authority citation for 13 CFR
part 121 is revised to read as follows:
■
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 632, 634(b)(6),
636(a)(36), 662, 694a(9), and 9012.
8. Amend § 121.301 by adding
introductory text and by revising
paragraph (f) to read as follows:
■
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES1
§ 121.301 What size standards and
affiliation principles are applicable to
financial assistance programs?
The Small Business Act defines a
small business concern as one which is
independently owned and operated, and
which is not dominant in its field of
operation. SBA interprets this statutory
definition to require, in certain
circumstances, the inclusion of other
entities (‘‘Affiliates’’) owned by the
applicant or an owner of the applicant
in determining the size of the applicant.
*
*
*
*
*
(f) Affiliation. Any of the
circumstances described below
establishes affiliation for applicants of
SBA’s Business Loan, Disaster Loan,
and Surety Bond Programs. For this
rule, the Business Loan Programs
consist of the 7(a) Loan Program (Direct
and Guaranteed Loans), the Microloan
Program, the Intermediary Lending Pilot
Program, and the Development
Company Loan Program (‘‘504 Loan
Program’’). The Disaster Loan Programs
consist of Physical Disaster Business
Loans, Economic Injury Disaster Loans,
Military Reservist Economic Injury
Disaster Loans, and Immediate Disaster
Assistance Program loans. The
following principles apply for the
Business Loan, Disaster Loan, and
Surety Bond Guarantee Programs:
(1) Ownership. (i) When the Applicant
owns more than 50 percent of another
business, the Applicant and the other
business are affiliated.
(ii) When a business owns more than
50 percent of an Applicant, the business
that owns the Applicant is affiliated
with the Applicant. Additionally, if the
business entity owner that owns more
than 50 percent of the Applicant also
owns more than 50 percent of another
business that operates in the same 3digit NAICS subsector as the Applicant,
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:14 Apr 07, 2023
Jkt 259001
then the business entity owner, the
other business and the Applicant are all
affiliated.
(iii) When an individual owns more
than 50 percent of the Applicant and the
individual also owns more than 50
percent of another business entity that
operates in the same 3-digit NAICS
subsector as the Applicant, the
Applicant and the individual owner’s
other business entity are affiliated.
(iv) When the Applicant does not
have an owner that owns more than 50
percent of the Applicant, if an owner of
20 percent or more of the Applicant is
a business that operates in the same 3digit NAICS subsector as the Applicant,
the Applicant and the owner are
affiliated.
(v) When the Applicant does not have
an owner that owns more than 50
percent of the Applicant, if an owner of
20 percent or more of the Applicant also
owns more than 50 percent of another
business entity that operates in the same
3-digit NAICS subsector as the
Applicant, the Applicant and the
owner’s other business entity are
affiliated.
(vi) Ownership interests of spouses
and minor children must be combined
when determining amount of ownership
interest.
(vii) When determining the
percentage of ownership that an
individual owns in a business, SBA
considers the pro rata ownership of
entities. For example, John Smith, Jane
Doe, and Jane Doe, Inc., each own an
interest in the Applicant. Jane Doe owns
15 percent of the Applicant, and she
also owns 100 percent of Jane Doe, Inc.
Jane Doe, Inc. owns 50 percent of the
Applicant. SBA considers Jane Doe to
own 65 percent of the Applicant.
(2) Stock options, convertible
securities, and agreements to merge. (i)
For purposes of this subparagraph, SBA
considers stock options, convertible
securities, and agreements to merge
(including agreements in principle) to
have a present effect on the ownership
of the entity. SBA treats such options,
convertible securities, and agreements
as though the rights granted have been
exercised.
(ii) Agreements to open or continue
negotiations towards the possibility of a
merger or a sale of stock at a later date
are not considered ‘‘agreements in
principle’’ and are thus not given
present effect.
(iii) Options, convertible securities,
and agreements that are subject to
conditions precedent which are
incapable of fulfillment, speculative,
conjectural, or unenforceable under
state or Federal law, or where the
probability of the transaction (or
PO 00000
Frm 00028
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
exercise of the rights) occurring is
shown to be extremely remote, are not
given present effect.
(iv) SBA will not give present effect
to individuals’, concerns’, or other
entities’ ability to divest all or part of
their ownership interest to avoid a
finding of affiliation.
(3) Determining the concern’s size. In
determining the concern’s size, SBA
counts the receipts, employees (see
§ 121.201), or the alternate size standard
(if applicable) of the concern whose size
is at issue and all of its domestic and
foreign affiliates, regardless of whether
the affiliates are organized for profit.
(4) Exceptions to affiliation. For
exceptions to affiliation, see
§ 121.103(b).
*
*
*
*
*
Isabella Casillas Guzman,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2023–07173 Filed 4–7–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8026–03–P
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
13 CFR Parts 126 and 134
RIN 3245–AH88
HUBZone Appeal Process
U.S. Small Business
Administration.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA) is amending its
regulations to implement a provision of
the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2022. This final rule
provides procedures for SBA’s Office of
Hearings and Appeals to hear appeals
from protest determinations regarding
the status of a concern as a certified
HUBZone small business concern.
DATES: This rule is effective on May 10,
2023. It applies to all appeals filed on
or after that date.
SUMMARY:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Laura Maas, HUBZone Program,
laura.maas@sba.gov, 202–205–7341.
This phone number may also be reached
by individuals who are deaf or hard of
hearing, or who have speech
disabilities, through the Federal
Communications Commission’s TTYBased Telecommunications Relay
Service teletype service at 711.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section
864 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022
(NDAA 2022) authorized the U.S. Small
Business Administration’s (SBA) Office
of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) to
decide all appeals from HUBZone status
E:\FR\FM\10APR1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 68 (Monday, April 10, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 21074-21086]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07173]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
13 CFR Parts 120 and 121
RIN 3245-AH87
Affiliation and Lending Criteria for the SBA Business Loan
Programs
AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration.
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) is
amending various regulations governing SBA's 7(a) Loan Program and 504
Loan Program, including regulations on use of proceeds for partial
changes of ownership, lending criteria, loan conditions,
reconsiderations, and affiliation standards, to expand access to
capital to small businesses and drive economic recovery. The amendments
to affiliation standards will also apply to the Microloan Program,
Intermediary Lending Pilot Program, Surety Bond Guarantee Program, and
the Disaster Loan programs (except for the COVID Economic Injury
Disaster Loan (EIDL) Disaster Loan Program).
DATES: This rule is effective May 11, 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dianna Seaborn, Director, Office of
Financial Assistance, Office of Capital Access, Small Business
Administration, at (202) 205-3645 or [email protected]. The phone
number above may also be reached by individuals who are deaf or hard of
hearing, or who have speech disabilities, through the Federal
Communications Commission's TTY-Based Telecommunications Relay Service
teletype service at 711.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background Information
The mission of SBA is to ``aid, counsel, assist and protect the
interests of small business concerns in order to preserve free
competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall
economy of our nation.'' 15 U.S.C. 631(a). SBA accomplishes this
mission, in part, through Capital Access programs that bridge the
financing gap in the private market to help small businesses start and
grow; and help businesses of all sizes to recover from disasters. 15
U.S.C. 636(a) and (b). SBA determined that changing conditions in the
American economy, technological developments, and a constantly evolving
small business community necessitate the need to revise regulations to
improve program efficiency and the customer experience for the 7(a) and
504 Loan Programs. Additionally, SBA determined that revisions for
similar purposes to SBA regulations on affiliation determinations
should also apply to the Microloan Program, the Intermediary Lending
Pilot Program (ILP Program), the Surety Bond Guarantee Program (SBG
Program), and the Business Disaster Loan Programs, which consist of
Physical Disaster Business Loans, Economic Injury Disaster Loans
(EIDL), and Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loans (MREIDL)
(but do not include COVID EIDL Disaster Loans).
Accordingly, on October 26, 2022, SBA published a notice of
proposed rulemaking with a request for comments in the Federal Register
(87 FR 64724) to streamline and modernize the 7(a) and 504 Loan Program
regulations setting forth use of proceeds regarding partial changes of
ownership, lending criteria, hazard insurance requirements, and
reconsiderations. Specifically, SBA is amending 13 CFR 120.130 on
``Restrictions on uses of proceeds''; 13 CFR 120.150 on ``What are
SBA's lending criteria?''; 13 CFR 120.160 on ``Loan conditions''; 13
CFR 120.193 on ``Reconsideration after denial''; 13 CFR
[[Page 21075]]
120.202 on ``Restrictions on loans for changes of ownership''.
Regarding 13 CFR 120.130 on ``Restrictions on uses of proceeds''
and 13 CFR 120.202 ``Restrictions on loans for changes of ownership''
except for where an employee stock ownership plan or Qualified Employee
Trust (ESOP) purchases a controlling interest (51 percent or more) in
the employer small business from the current owner(s), SBA's current
regulations do not permit 7(a) loan proceeds to be used for partial
changes of ownership. Therefore, SBA is amending restrictions on
borrowers using 7(a) loan proceeds to effect partial changes of
ownership to assist small businesses and to expand pathways to
ownership.
Regarding 13 CFR 120.150 on ``What are SBA's lending criteria?''
SBA stated that streamlining and modernizing regulations on lending
criteria and loan conditions for its 7(a) and 504 Loan Programs can
better position the Agency and participating lenders to meet the needs
of America's small businesses, create jobs, assist with recovery from
the COVID-19 pandemic, and grow the economy, fueling American
entrepreneurship. SBA is amending this section to provide capital in
the form of 7(a) and 504 loans to more small businesses.
Regarding 13 CFR 120.193 on ``Reconsideration after denial'' SBA is
amending the process for reconsideration after denial of a loan
application or loan modification request in its 7(a) and 504 Loan
Programs to provide the Director, Office of Financial Assistance, with
the authority to delegate decision making to designees. SBA is also
amending the regulation to allow the Administrator, solely within their
discretion, to review these matters and make the final agency decision
on reconsideration. Such discretionary authority of the Administrator
would not create additional rights of appeal on the part of an
applicant not otherwise specified in SBA regulations.
Further, SBA is simplifying 13 CFR 121.301, which sets forth the
principles for determining affiliation in the 7(a) Loan Program, 504
Loan Program, Microloan Program, ILP Program, SBG Program, and Business
Disaster Loan Programs (except for the COVID EIDL Disaster Loan
Program). Specifically, SBA is removing the provisions on affiliation
arising from management and control, franchise or license agreements,
and identity of interest and to streamline affiliation determinations
based on ownership. SBA is streamlining the provisions on affiliation
to remove paragraph (f)(5), affiliation based on franchise and license
agreements. Because SBA is removing the principle of control of one
entity over another from its affiliation consideration, this paragraph
is no longer needed. Upon the effective date of this rule, SBA will no
longer publish the SBA Franchise Directory. This final rule redefines
affiliation for all these programs, thereby simplifying affiliation
determinations.
II. Summary of Comments
SBA received 146 comments on the proposed rule. Of these, 51
comments were from lenders, 21 were from cooperatives, 19 were from
individuals who were making personal comments, 13 were from nonprofit
organizations that were not lenders or trade groups, 11 were from trade
groups, eight were from individuals supporting a trade group or other
entity's comments, and 23 were anonymous or did not indicate an
organization type.
SBA received a total of 14 comments from six trade groups, six
lenders or employees of lenders, and two comments from individuals or
businesses objecting to the confluence of the proposed changes in the
notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register (87 FR 64724
October 26, 2022) to streamline and modernize the 7(a) and 504 Loan
Program regulations, the notice of proposed rulemaking published in the
Federal Register (87 FR 66964 November 7, 2022) to lift the moratorium
on licensing new Small Business Lending Companies (SBLCs), to add a new
type of entity called a Mission-Based SBLC, and to remove the
requirement for a Loan Authorization (SBLC Proposed Rule), and SBA's
announcement of an upcoming revision to the Standard Operating
Procedures (SOP) 50 10, Lender and Development Company Loan Programs.
The comments stated the confluence of these revisions are problematic
as proposed because SBA would immediately invite additional non-
federally regulated entities to participate as 7(a) Lenders without
first testing whether the streamlining of provisions such as lending
criteria and hazard insurance will have an adverse effect on SBA's loan
portfolio. One trade group requested the Administrator to temporarily
withdraw both proposed rules.
SBA received 54 comments requesting changes to SBA's regulations
and procedures for loans to ESOPs and cooperatives. Many of these
comments were based on a template letter that stated for loans to
cooperatives, SBA should remove SBA's regulation at Sec. 120.160,
paragraph (a), which requires personal guarantees from holders of at
least 20 percent ownership interest in the small business concern that
receives SBA funding. SBA requires a personal guaranty from owners of
20 percent or more of the borrower as a prudent and reasonable risk
mitigation measure. SBA applies the requirements for personal
guarantees at Sec. 120.160 to all SBA business loans unless otherwise
prohibited by law. Because the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) prohibits
ESOPs from guarantying a loan, SBA does not require ESOPs to provide
guarantees for SBA loans. There is no legal prohibition on requiring a
guaranty of repayment from a business organized as a cooperative.
Further, eliminating the requirement for a guaranty of repayment for
loans to cooperatives would unfairly transfer the burden of the
increased risk from these loans to the rest of the SBA portfolio.
Comments also requested that SBA eliminate the requirement for sellers
to guaranty a loan made to a cooperative that is buying a business from
the seller. The only time SBA requires a seller to provide a repayment
guaranty is in a change of ownership when the seller will retain an
ownership interest in the business after the sale. Under SBA's current
rules, it is only possible for a seller to retain ownership in a
business after a change of ownership when the purchaser is an ESOP or
equivalent trust. SBA requires a personal guaranty from a seller that
retains an ownership interest in the business after a change of
ownership to prevent unjust enrichment to the selling owner such as
when the selling owner personally benefits from the SBA loan proceeds
and retains ownership in the business without providing any repayment
guaranty on the loan. Changes to the personal guaranty requirements at
120.160 advanced by these comments are outside the scope of the changes
in the proposed rule and will not be addressed in this final rule.
Comments also requested that SBA reduce equity or equity injection
requirements for loans to ESOPs and cooperatives. The proposed
revisions to the equity requirements in Sec. 120.150, ``What are SBA's
lending criteria?'' are sufficient to provide SBA and lenders with the
flexibility to underwrite loans to ESOPs and cooperatives in a
reasonable and prudent manner, including determining what equity or
equity injection requirements should be placed on a loan for risk
mitigation. SBA will provide further guidance in its Loan Program
Requirements.
SBA has addressed in detail the comments received on specific
proposed regulatory changes within the section-by-section analysis
below.
[[Page 21076]]
III. Section-by-Section Analysis
Section 120.130--Restrictions on Uses of Proceeds
Current Sec. 120.130 details restrictions on uses of loan
proceeds. Paragraph (g) refers to Sec. 120.202 regarding restrictions
on borrowers from using loan proceeds to purchase a portion of a
business or another owner's interest in a business. Because SBA is
revising Sec. 120.202, as described below, to allow 7(a) loan proceeds
to fund partial changes of ownership, SBA is also revising Sec.
120.130, paragraph (g), to remove the reference to section 120.202 so
that 7(a) loan proceeds may be used for partial changes of ownership.
Because the revisions to Sec. 120.130 are being made to support the
revisions at Sec. 120.202 that will allow partial changes of
ownership, the comments on this section are discussed below in the
section-by-section analysis for Sec. 120.202.
Several comments stated that Sec. 120.130(a) currently prohibits
payments, distributions, or loans to associates (as defined in Sec.
120.10) of the applicant (except for ordinary compensation for services
rendered), and this paragraph would also need to be modified to permit
payments, distributions, or loans to associates of the applicant to
facilitate partial changes of ownership. SBA had already addressed the
prohibition in Sec. 120.130(a) that prohibits payments, distributions,
or loans to associates of the applicant by the proposed revision to
Sec. 120.202, which, as proposed, would state: ``Notwithstanding Sec.
120.130(a), a borrower may use 7(a) loan proceeds to purchase a portion
of or the entirety of an owner's interest in a business, or a partial
or full purchase of a business itself.'' However, the comments infer
that there would be some confusion in interpreting the proposed
revisions to Sec. Sec. 120.130 and 120.202 regarding restrictions on
uses of proceeds for partial changes of ownership. Accordingly, SBA is
revising Sec. 120.130, paragraph (a) for clarity to state that
payments, distributions, or loans to associates of the applicant are
restricted except for ordinary compensation for services rendered or to
facilitate changes of ownership in accordance with Sec. 120.202. SBA
is revising Sec. 120.202 as stated below. SBA is also revising Sec.
120.130(g) to remove the reference to section 120.202 to permit partial
changes of ownership to assist small businesses and provide a path of
ownership for employees.
Section 120.150--What are SBA's lending criteria?
Current Sec. 120.150 states that SBA's lending criteria for 7(a)
and 504 loans requires that the applicant (including the Operating
Company) must be creditworthy; loans must be so sound as to reasonably
assure repayment; and SBA will consider nine specific factors in its
lending criteria. The factors consist of: (a) Character, reputation,
and credit history of the applicant (and the Operating Company, if
applicable), its associates, and guarantors; (b) Experience and depth
of management; (c) Strength of the business; (d) Past earnings,
projected cash flow, and future prospects; (e) Ability to repay the
loan with earnings from the business; (f) Sufficient invested equity to
operate on a sound financial basis; (g) Potential for long-term
success; (h) Nature and value of collateral (although inadequate
collateral will not be the sole reason for denial of a loan request);
and (i) The effect any affiliates (as defined in part 121 of this
chapter) may have on the ultimate repayment ability of the applicant.
SBA is revising this regulation as discussed below. In revising Sec.
120.150, SBA retains the requirement that the applicant (including an
Operating Company) must be creditworthy and that loans must be so sound
as to reasonably assure repayment, consistent with section 7(a)(6) of
the Small Business Act.
SBA is streamlining its lending criteria by reducing the number of
factors that are required to be applied in determining creditworthiness
and reasonable assurance of repayment. SBA is revising this section to
state that, as part of considering whether the applicant (including an
Operating Company) is creditworthy and the loan is so sound as to
reasonably assure repayment, SBA, Lenders (as defined in Sec. 120.10),
and Certified Development Companies (CDC) may consider (as applicable)
any of the three specific criteria individually or any combination of
the three specific criteria when approving loans: (a) The credit score
or credit history of the applicant (and the Operating Company, if
applicable), its associates and any guarantors; (b) The earnings or
cashflow of the applicant; or (c) Where applicable, any equity or
collateral of the applicant.
First, SBA is incorporating into the regulation a new requirement
that SBA Lenders must use appropriate and prudent generally acceptable
commercial credit analysis processes and procedures consistent with
those used for their similarly-sized, non-SBA guaranteed commercial
loans. In using such appropriate and prudent processes and procedures,
SBA Lenders will be required to underwrite SBA loans in the same manner
in which the SBA Lenders underwrite their similarly-sized, non-SBA
guaranteed commercial loans.
SBA received 48 comments on this amendment. Twenty-seven of the
comments supported the proposed changes as-is or that expressed support
and requested modifications; twenty comments expressed opposition; and
one comment sought clarification on the changes without offering a
position of support or opposition. Some comments, including one from a
trade group, expressed concern that, where SBA requires SBA Lenders to
underwrite SBA loans in the same manner in which they underwrite their
similarly-sized, non-SBA guaranteed loans, SBA Supervised Lenders and
CDCs will not have processes and procedures for underwriting non-SBA
guaranteed commercial loans because they only make SBA guaranteed
loans. The trade group expressed concern that, if the SBLC Proposed
Rule is adopted, the number of SBA Supervised Lenders could be greatly
expanded at the same time SBA's requirements for a consistent
underwriting framework are abandoned. The trade group expressed concern
that SBA Supervised Lenders will be able to decide individual loan
applications based completely on their own credit policies and
practices that would result in the deterioration of the 7(a) loan
portfolio's credit quality and adverse impacts to borrower and 7(a)
Lender fees while possibly creating the need for Congress to provide
appropriations to cover the increased costs of 7(a) loans. Other
comments argued that allowing SBA Supervised Lenders and CDCs that only
make SBA-guaranteed loans to set their own policies would create an
unfair playing field for these lenders over federally-regulated lenders
that must apply credit policies in accordance with their federal
regulator's standards. SBA Supervised Lenders and CDCs (as defined in
13 CFR 120.10) that do not make non-SBA guaranteed commercial loans
will continue as they do now, to submit their credit policies,
including credit scoring models, for review by SBA prior to approval to
participate in the program(s), during lender oversight and review
processes, when proposing any changes to their policies or practices,
in accordance with Loan Program Requirements as defined in 13 CFR part
120. SBA may at its discretion review the policies of any participating
SBA Lender to ensure appropriate use of the policies and procedures.
[[Page 21077]]
Some comments argued against the elimination of the review of
``character and reputation'' in lending criteria, fearing past
bankruptcies will not be adequately captured in underwriting, or that
people with a past background of criminal behavior are likely to lapse
back into criminal activities that could place the loan repayment at
risk. Some comments expressed concern that an error by a lender or
credit reporting agency could unfairly negatively impact an
individual's or entity's credit history, and without consideration of
character or reputation, the individual or entity may be denied a loan
that they would have otherwise received. For SBA, ``character'' is used
to determine whether an individual may have past criminal history or
activities that may pose a risk to repayment ability. However, the
lending industry uses character and credit history interchangeably,
which creates confusion as to which factor is more relevant. In order
to provide an objective rationale for credit review, the credit history
has clearer meaning and relevance in loan underwriting. The use of
reputational risk is subject to individual interpretation where an
objective measure such as credit history, as a component of loan
underwriting and credit review results in less variability. SBA's
regulations set a minimum standard, beyond which SBA Lenders may take
additional steps in underwriting a loan, including considering
mitigating factors for negative credit histories, such as a reporting
error by a credit reporting agency. SBA currently has a regulation at
Sec. 120.110 that addresses criminal background. Additionally, SBA
Lenders may continue to make their own credit decisions based on the
criminal background of an applicant and its associates.
Some comments, including one from a trade group, opposed allowing
lenders to use their own business credit scoring models for 7(a) loans
of all sizes. However, SBA will only permit those business credit
scoring models that are predictive of the borrower's ability to repay
the loan at the proposed loan sizes, and SBA Lenders may continue to
underwrite loans without using credit scoring models. Additionally, SBA
will provide guidance in Loan Program Requirements stating the maximum
loan sizes that may be underwritten using credit scoring and what other
credit factors must be addressed in addition to documenting a
satisfactory credit score.
One trade group and several comments expressed concern that SBA may
impose a minimum credit score requirement and argued that traditional
underwriting can overcome the reasons that an applicant or individual
may have a low credit score. Other comments stated that lenders who
continue to fully underwrite their loans will be on an uneven playing
ground versus those lenders that rely on credit scoring models. These
commenters stated that traditional comprehensive credit underwriting is
more reliable than credit scoring models. Some of the comments in
support of the revisions stated the proposed rule will allow SBA to
fully leverage the process, skillset and experience of participating
lenders without constraining them with SBA-specific lending criteria
and will align lender processes for guaranteed and non-guaranteed
loans. SBA did not propose to include a requirement for a minimum
credit score in the proposed rule.
SBA has historically provided lenders with an alternative
underwriting path that may be used to fully underwrite a loan where the
applicant has an unacceptable credit score, see for example, the 7(a)
Small Loan delivery method and the Community Advantage Pilot Program.
SBA considered the comments regarding traditional credit underwriting
being more reliable; however, technological advances and modeling are
providing more accurate methods of calculating risk, and lenders
employing these measures are better able to provide small businesses
access to capital, especially those businesses owned by underserved
communities. The revisions provide options to SBA Lenders that
incorporate the use of modern underwriting tools currently employed in
the lending industry.
Section 120.160--Loan Conditions
Current Sec. 120.160(c) states that for 7(a) and 504 loans SBA
requires hazard insurance on all collateral and does not distinguish
this requirement by loan size. SBA has determined that the hazard
insurance requirement can be burdensome for the smallest businesses
borrowing the smallest amount of money. SBA proposed to modify the
requirement for hazard insurance for all 7(a) and 504 loans $150,000
and under to create flexibility for SBA Lenders. SBA proposed to
include guidance in the Loan Program Requirements for loans of $150,000
or under that SBA Lenders must follow the hazard insurance policies and
procedures they have established and implemented for their similarly-
sized, non-SBA-guaranteed commercial loans. For all loans greater than
$150,000, SBA stated it will continue to require hazard insurance on
all collateral. SBA Lenders must continue ensuring that borrowers
obtain flood insurance per Sec. 120.170 when required under the Flood
Disaster Protection Act of 1973 (Sec. 205(b) of Pub. L. 93-234; 87
Stat. 983 (42 U.S.C. 4000 et seq.)).
SBA received 43 comments on the proposed revision. Thirty-eight
comments supported the proposed change as-is or supported the change
with some modifications, and five comments opposed the proposed change.
Some comments stated that regardless of loan amount, hazard insurance
should be required to mitigate risk for all loans, or for all loans
where real estate or improved real estate is collateral, or for all
loans where equipment is being purchased with loan proceeds. Other
comments stated that $150,000 as a threshold is too low, and suggested
the threshold should be set at $500,000, because even with hazard
insurance in place, the lender and/or SBA's recovery on assets in this
dollar range is minimal after the costs of liquidation and litigation
are considered. SBA agrees with the comments that state the threshold
for requiring hazard insurance should be set at a higher level.
Therefore, SBA is revising the rule to require hazard insurance for
collateral on 7(a) loans greater than $500,000 and 504 projects greater
than $500,000. SBA will include guidance in the Loan Program
Requirements for loans of $500,000 or under that SBA Lenders must
follow the hazard insurance policies and procedures they have
established and implemented for their similarly sized, non-SBA-
guaranteed commercial loans.
Some comments expressed concern that SBA would not honor a guaranty
purchase request if an event such as a fire caused a borrower to
default on a loan. SBA would not cite lack of hazard insurance as a
reason to deny a guaranty purchase request if the SBA Lender was acting
in accordance with Loan Program Requirements. For example, in the
scenario where a loan is $500,000 or under and the use of proceeds is
for working capital, and the lender's policy for similarly-sized, non-
SBA guaranteed loans is that it does not require hazard insurance for
working capital loans, if a calamitous event such as a fire occurs and
the borrower defaults on the loan because it is unable to resume
business due to a lack of hazard insurance, SBA would not cite lack of
hazard insurance as a reason to deny the guaranty purchase request.
Other comments supported requiring lenders to follow their own hazard
insurance policy on similarly-sized, non-SBA guaranteed commercial
loans, with one comment stating the revision will align lender
processes for guaranteed and non-
[[Page 21078]]
guaranteed loans. For the reasons stated above, SBA is moving forward
with the rule applying the $500,000 threshold.
Some comments, including one from a trade group representing hazard
insurance providers, requested that SBA clarify whether the amendment
would apply to loans that are already in existence and whether lenders
could apply the amendment to a loan once the outstanding balance is
paid down to the $150,000 threshold. SBA will provide further guidance
in its Loan Program Requirements. Some of these comments requested that
SBA make further changes to its requirements for flood insurance, which
is outside the scope of the rule.
Section 120.193--Reconsideration After Denial
Under current Sec. 120.193, the process for reconsideration after
denial of a loan application or loan modification request in the 7(a)
and 504 Loan Programs states that final reconsideration is made by the
Director of the Office of Financial Assistance. To facilitate fair and
expeditious reconsiderations, SBA is revising this regulation to state
that the Director of the Office of Financial Assistance or the
Director's designee(s) may make the final decision on reconsideration.
From time to time, SBA may change the designee(s) and would do so in
accordance with published Delegations of Authority. Further, SBA is
revising this regulation to provide the Administrator with the
authority, solely within the Administrator's discretion, to review a
reconsideration request and make the final Agency decision. Finally,
SBA is revising this regulation to state that the Administrator's
discretionary authority does not create any additional appeal rights
for the applicant that are not otherwise specified in regulation.
SBA received 34 comments on the proposed rule change. Twenty-one
comments supported the proposed rule as-is, and eight comments
supported the rule but requested modifications. Most of the comments
requesting modification supported allowing the Director to designate a
career employee (such as the Chiefs of 7(a) or 504 Loan Policy) to make
the final Agency decision but opposed allowing the Administrator to
make the final Agency decision for fear that this would politicize
decision making. Five comments opposed any delegation because they
stated the decision-making authority should stay with the Director.
Other comments stated SBA should expand the delegation of authority to
include servicing actions. For the reasons stated above, SBA is moving
forward with the rule to permit the delegation of Authorities.
Section 120.202--Restrictions on Loans for Changes of Ownership
Current Sec. 120.202 restricts borrowers from using 7(a) loan
proceeds to purchase a portion of a business or a portion of another
owner's interest. SBA is revising this section to allow borrowers to
use 7(a) loan proceeds to fund partial changes of ownership in addition
to full changes of ownership. The revision will allow a borrower to
purchase a portion of the business or a portion of an owner's interest
in a business, or to purchase the entire business or an owner's entire
interest. A borrower could also purchase the partial or entire
interests of multiple owners. This revision will allow borrowers to use
7(a) loan proceeds to fund partial changes of ownership and will help
provide employees a path to ownership.
SBA received 48 comments regarding the proposed changes to
Sec. Sec. 120.130 and 120.202 to permit partial changes of ownership,
including 15 comments supporting the proposal as-is and another 17
comments, including one from a trade group, supporting the proposal and
requesting that the 504 Loan Program also be permitted to fund partial
changes of ownership. The 504 Loan Program only permits loans for a
change of ownership when the 504 project finances only the costs
associated with eligible long-term fixed assets. As stated in
Sec. Sec. 120.801(c) and 120.934, generally, permanent financing of
the Project consists of a loan made with the proceeds of a CDC
Debenture for up to 40 percent of the Project costs collateralized by a
second lien on the Project Property, and a Third Party Loan with a
first lien position. The debentures are then sold to investors that
expect the debenture to be secured by a second lien position on
collateral. The success of the 504 Loan Program is dependent on
investors being willing to purchase these debentures. Loans for partial
changes of ownership will generally have collateral and collateral lien
positions that are incompatible with the debenture sale process.
Amending the 504 Loan Program to permit 504 loans to fund partial
changes of ownership is outside the scope of the rule.
One trade group appeared to be neutral as to whether SBA should
implement the proposed change, but stated if SBA moves forward with
this proposal, SBA should state clearly that 7(a) funds may not be used
for investment purposes. It should be noted that SBA already has a
regulation at Sec. 120.130(d) that states SBA will not authorize nor
may a borrower use loan proceeds for the purpose (including the
replacement of funds used for any such purpose) of investments in real
or personal property acquired and held primarily for sale, lease, or
investment (except for a loan to an Eligible Passive Company or to a
small contractor under Sec. 120.310).
The remaining 15 comments opposed the amendment. One trade group
stated the principle underlying the current prohibition against
distributing proceeds of a 7(a) loan to an associate of the applicant
business protects against sham transactions where an individual
personally receives 7(a) loan proceeds while continuing to play a key
role in the operations of the business. One comment expressed
opposition to the rule, stating that a loan for the purpose of a
partial change of ownership is by its very nature a personal loan, not
a business loan. One of the examples provided in one of the comments
was a business with three owners, where one of the owners wishes to
retire and only one of the remaining owners wishes to purchase the
outgoing owner's portion of the business. The comment stated there is
no benefit to the third owner that was remaining on as owner of the
business but that was not purchasing the outgoing owner's portion of
the business. However, since SBA's Standard Operating Procedure 50 10 6
went into effect on October 1, 2020, SBA has permitted one or more
current owners to purchase the entire interest of another current
owner, resulting in 100 percent ownership of the business by the
remaining owners; in this type of change of ownership, the small
business and the individual owner(s) who is acquiring the ownership
interest must be co-borrowers while the remaining owner(s) remain
unaffected. The same comment expressed the concern that the lien may
not be properly perfected. SBA's Loan Program Requirements currently
address adequacy of collateral, including loans for changes of
ownership between existing owners, working capital, purchase of stock,
and intangible assets such as good will. SBA will provide guidance on
adequacy of collateral for loans for partial changes of ownership in
its Loan Program Requirements and lender outreach activities. The same
comment provided alternative solutions for ensuring the success of
changes of ownership, including some already under consideration in the
proposed rule, such as allowing greater flexibility in equity
requirements in Sec. 120.150.
Several comments requested clarifying information that SBA will
include in Loan Program Requirements
[[Page 21079]]
and in lender outreach, including training events. For example, several
comments asked whether sellers would be allowed to remain as employees
in a complete or partial change of ownership. Some of these comments
stated that allowing the seller to remain in place, either as a part
owner or employee, will allow the seller to provide guidance and
expertise to ensure the success of the business. For a complete change
of ownership, SBA's Loan Program Requirements currently permit the
seller to remain as an officer, director, stockholder or Key Employee
of the business for a period not to exceed 12 months, and SBA also
currently permits a seller to remain as an employee indefinitely in the
rare circumstance when the seller will not be an officer, director,
stockholder or Key Employee of the business. For partial changes of
ownership, SBA intends to allow the selling owner to remain as an owner
and involved in the day to day business, including as an officer,
director, Key Employee, or employee.
Some comments inquired whether the partial change of ownership
would be treated similarly to a stock purchase transaction where both
the individual purchasing ownership and the business entity are
required to be co-borrowers on the loan. SBA will require the business
to be the borrower or co-borrower with any entity purchasing a partial
interest. SBA will provide further guidance on these and other
questions in its Loan Program Requirements and lender outreach
activities.
As described above, SBA received comments on section 120.130(a),
which currently prohibits payments, distributions, or loans to
associates of the applicant (except for ordinary compensation for
services rendered). These comments pointed out that in order to
facilitate the use of 7(a) loan proceeds to be used for partial changes
of ownership, section 120.130 paragraph (a) would also need to be
modified to permit payments, distributions, or loans to associates of
the applicant. SBA had already addressed the prohibition in Sec.
120.130(a) that prohibits payments, distributions, or loans to
associates of the applicant by the proposed revision to Sec. 120.202,
which, as proposed, would state: ``Notwithstanding Sec. 120.130(a), a
Borrower may use 7(a) loan proceeds to purchase a portion of or the
entirety of an owner's interest in a business, or a partial or full
purchase of a business itself.'' However, the comments make it clear
that there would be some confusion in interpreting the proposed
revisions to Sec. Sec. 120.130 and 120.202 regarding restrictions on
uses of proceeds for partial changes of ownership. Accordingly, SBA is
revising Sec. 120.130, paragraph (a) for clarity as stated above, and
is revising the proposed revision to Sec. 120.202 to delete the
introductory phrase ``Notwithstanding Sec. 120.130(a)''.
Section 121.301--What size standards and affiliation principles are
applicable to financial assistance programs?
Section 121.301 states the size standards and affiliation
principles that are applicable to SBA's financial assistance programs.
Paragraph (f) details how affiliation principles are applied for the
7(a) Loan Program, the 504 Loan Program, the Microloan Program, the ILP
Program, the Business Disaster Loan Programs (except for the COVID EIDL
Disaster Loan Program),\1\ and the SBG Program. This paragraph
currently has seven sub-paragraphs, each of which details a separate
affiliation principle that must be applied to the applicant and other
entities to determine whether the entities are affiliated. The
determination of affiliation is necessary to ensure that an applicant
is ``small'' for purposes of eligibility for SBA financial assistance
and to ensure that the applicant (including affiliates) does not exceed
the maximum guaranty amount available. Currently, paragraphs (f)(1)
through (f)(7) consider: (1) affiliation based on ownership, including
the principle of control of one entity over another; (2) affiliation
arising under stock options, convertible securities, and agreements to
merge, including the principle of control of one entity over another;
(3) affiliation based on management, including the principle of control
of one entity over another; (4) affiliation based on identity of
interest between close relatives; (5) affiliation based on franchise
and license agreements, including the principle of control of one
entity over another; (6) determining the concern's size; and (7)
exceptions to affiliation.
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\1\ The affiliation principles for the COVID EIDL Disaster Loan
Program are contained in paragraph (g) of Section 121.301.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SBA is revising Sec. 121.301 affiliation provisions to simplify
the program requirements, streamline the application process for SBA's
programs, and facilitate the review of such applications. SBA is
specifically removing the principle of control of one entity over
another as a separate basis for finding affiliation because the concept
of control as it exists requires understanding and expert consideration
of business entity relationships well beyond what is owned by the
applicant business or its owners. These considerations are complex and
require judgement calls that confuse and unnecessarily burden small
business applicants and lenders, and ultimately result in inconsistent
application of this concept. For example, determining whether an entity
has control over another requires in-depth analyses of the contractual
relationships an applicant may have, including relationships
established by franchise, license, and management agreements deemed
necessary and appropriate by an independent small business owner to
operate. The determination of whether one or more managers hired to
assist the applicant small business have control over the business, and
further requiring review of the business type and business ownership of
family members who may be deemed affiliates based on NAICS code and
proximity to the applicant increases costs, delays application
processing, and/or prevents an otherwise eligible small business from
receiving support. SBA instead believes that affiliation based on
ownership is the customary basis for considering who is deemed to
control a business. Accordingly, SBA has determined that issues of
control and familial relationships as separate bases for finding
affiliation are not necessary.
SBA is revising Sec. 121.301 to add an introductory paragraph at
the beginning to include the Small Business Act definition of a small
business concern as one which is independently owned and operated, and
which is not dominant in its field of operation. SBA interprets this
statutory definition to require, in certain circumstances, the
inclusion of other entities (``Affiliates'') owned by the applicant or
an owner of the applicant in determining the size of the applicant. SBA
is revising Sec. 121.301(f)(1), ``Ownership,'' to remove the principle
of control of one entity over another absent ownership over that entity
when determining affiliation. SBA is expanding upon the definition of
``ownership'' under paragraph (f)(1) to clarify the thresholds of
ownership at which SBA considers an applicant to be affiliated with an
individual or another business. SBA is also clarifying that certain
instances of affiliation by ownership will only arise if the applicant
and another business operate in the same three-digit NAICS subsector to
restrict affiliates to businesses in the same field. Paragraph
(f)(1)(i) will state that businesses in which the applicant is a
majority owner are affiliates of the applicant. Paragraph (f)(1)(ii)
describes affiliation with businesses that own a majority of the
applicant as well as
[[Page 21080]]
businesses in the same three-digit NAICS subsector that are majority-
owned by the applicant's owner. Paragraph (f)(1)(iii) describes
affiliation with another business when the applicant and the other
business are both majority-owned by the same individual and operate in
the same three-digit NAICS subsector. Paragraph (f)(1)(iv) describes a
20 percent threshold of ownership for affiliation with the applicant
when the applicant does not have a majority owner if a 20 percent owner
also operates in the same three-digit NAICS subsector as the applicant.
Paragraph (f)(1)(v) will state that if the applicant does not have a
majority owner and an individual owns 20 percent or more of the
applicant, businesses that are majority-owned by that owner and operate
in the same three-digit NAICS subsector will be affiliates of the
applicant. Paragraph (f)(1)(vi) will state that ownership interests of
spouses and minor children will be combined when determining ownership
interest (as interests may be held in trust by parents for minors).
Finally, SBA is revising Paragraph (f)(1)(vii) to state that SBA will
analyze the pro rata ownership of entities to determine affiliation and
provide an example of the combined interest of an individual and an
entity that is wholly-owned by the same individual.
Because SBA is revising its regulation generally by removing the
principle of control of one entity over another as a separate basis for
finding affiliation, SBA is also revising Sec. 121.301(f)(2), ``Stock
options, convertible securities, and agreements to merge,'' paragraphs
(f)(2)(i) and (iv). Where paragraph (f)(2)(i) currently states that SBA
considers stock options, convertible securities, and agreements to
merge (including agreements in principle) to have a present effect on
the power to control a concern, the revised paragraph (f)(2)(i) will
state that, for purposes of that paragraph, the items will have a
present effect on ownership of the entity. SBA is revising paragraph
(f)(2)(iv) by deleting the first sentence where SBA currently states
SBA will consider whether an individual, concern or other entity that
controls one or more other concerns cannot use options, convertible
securities, or agreements to appear to terminate such control before
actually doing so. SBA is removing the first sentence of paragraph
(f)(2)(iv) because it is unnecessary; the remaining sentence of the
paragraph clearly states that SBA will not give present effect to the
ability of an entity to divest in the future to avoid a finding of
ownership.
SBA is removing paragraph (f)(3), affiliation based on management,
because SBA is revising its regulation generally by removing the
principle of control of one entity over another without ownership from
consideration of affiliation. SBA believes it should not interfere in a
business owner's right to enter into a service agreement with a
management company. The decision to hire a management company is the
sole responsibility of the independent business owner(s).
SBA is also removing paragraph (f)(4), affiliation based on
identity of interest, because SBA believes it is inherently unfair and
inappropriate to require close relatives that do not have an ownership
interest in the applicant to provide financial statements for review by
a lender and by SBA in determining the size of the applicant business.
For example, the current rule requires a sole proprietor who is
requesting an SBA direct or guaranteed loan to provide their sibling's
business's financial statements for review when the sibling is in the
same or similar industry in the same geographic area. SBA believes this
requirement imposes a chilling effect on applicants that may be forced
to consider alternative predatory lending sources because relatives
bear no legal responsibility to disclose their business financial
statements for transactions in which they have no ownership interest.
However, as stated above, SBA is combining the ownership interests of
spouses and minor children when determining affiliation by ownership.
SBA is removing paragraph (f)(5), affiliation based on franchise
and license agreements. Because SBA is removing the principle of
control of one entity over another from its affiliation consideration,
this paragraph is no longer needed. Upon the effective date of this
rule, SBA will no longer publish the SBA Franchise Directory.
As is the requirement for all loans, SBA Lenders will continue to
be required to examine Franchised businesses for affiliation based on
ownership. For example, when lending to a Franchised business, the SBA
Lender must determine who owns the applicant business and any
businesses the applicant owns in accordance with these regulations.
However, neither the SBA Lender nor SBA will review the applicant
Franchised business for affiliation with other entities beyond
ownership; the applicant business will not be considered affiliated
with the Franchisor or other Franchised businesses except by ownership.
SBA received 54 comments on the proposed revisions of Sec.
121.301, paragraph (f). Twelve comments expressed overall support for
the proposed rule. Thirty-four comments requested modifications to the
proposed rule, with the most frequent comment expressing opposition to
no longer publishing an SBA Franchise Directory. The remaining eight
comments expressed general opposition.
One comment expressed support of all proposed affiliation changes,
but asked how lenders would determine if a business is dominant in its
field of operation. This comment is referencing the introductory
paragraph that SBA is adding to Sec. 121.301 that includes the Small
Business Act definition of a small business concern as one which is
independently owned and operated, and not dominant in its field of
operation. This introductory paragraph was added to help frame the
requirements at Sec. 121.301(f). SBA interprets the statutory
definition of a small business concern as requiring, in certain
circumstances, the inclusion of other entities known as Affiliates that
are owned by the applicant or an owner of the applicant in determining
the size of the applicant.
Several comments stated support of the overall revisions to Sec.
121.301 but objected to the inclusion of NAICS codes in the proposed
rule for Sec. 121.301(f)(1)(ii) through (v). One comment stated that
SBA Lenders use affiliation as a guide to determine which entities to
analyze for credit purposes and that removing industries outside of an
applicant's NAICs code will skew the SBA Lender's analysis. However,
SBA provides the criteria for lenders to underwrite loans in Sec.
120.150. SBA Lenders have historically and will continue to be required
to follow the regulation at Sec. 120.150 when analyzing a loan for
credit purposes.
A trade group expressed concerns that the proposed amendments may
result in larger, more complex, and more sophisticated business
structures qualifying for multiple SBA-guaranteed loans. The trade
group stated that it does not oppose the proposed change regarding
ownership thresholds. However, the trade group also stated it does not
concur with removing control as part of the consideration of whether
two entities are affiliated. The comment stated the existing regulatory
requirements for control should continue because they believe both
common ownership and common control are essential factors in
determining whether a small business operates on an independent basis.
Regarding the proposed change to paragraph (f)(1)(vii), one comment
stated that when multiple business entities own an applicant business,
and
[[Page 21081]]
when the entity owners are owned by entity owners, it can be difficult
to trace back to the natural person to determine percentage of
ownership. Currently, SBA requires this disclosure of the applicant
owners to identify which owners are required under the 20 percent
ownership rule to guarantee a loan. The inclusion of this information
in the Final Rule merely codifies what is currently a program
requirement. The vast majority of SBA loans are made to businesses with
a simple ownership structure, and the existence of a very small
percentage of applicants with a complex ownership structure as compared
to SBA's overall business loan portfolio is not a compelling reason to
remove the requirement from this final rule.
One comment stated that the revisions will cause all Eligible
Passive Companies (EPCs) and Operating Companies (OCs) to be
unaffiliated. While the ownership of an EPC may be different from the
OC, the EPC's sole purpose is to hold assets for the benefit of an
eligible OC that is the qualifying entity on which cash flow and
repayment of the loan is based. The OC is required to be a co-borrower
or guarantor on any loan to an EPC.
Regarding the proposed change to paragraph (f)(3), affiliation
based on management, SBA received ten comments, with six comments
supporting the change as-is, three comments opposing the change, and
one comment requesting clarification. Those that opposed the change,
including a trade group, stated that this would allow SBA loan proceeds
to fund investors that would passively manage businesses. However, as
stated above, SBA already has a regulatory prohibition on funding
investors at Sec. 120.130, which states SBA will not authorize nor may
a borrower use loan proceeds for the purposes (including the
replacement of funds used for any such purpose) of investments in real
or personal property acquired and held primarily for sale, lease, or
investment.
Regarding the proposed change at Sec. 121.301(f)(4), affiliation
based on identity of interest, there was nearly universal support for
this change, except for one comment that opposed the proposed revision,
stating repeal of the identity of interest rule is an overcompensation
by SBA that will open the program to abuse by unscrupulous borrowers
and unwitting lenders. SBA does not agree with this concern.
Most of the comments that opposed the revisions to Sec. 121.301
were focused on the removal of paragraph(f)(5), affiliation based on
franchise and license agreements and specifically opposed SBA's
intention to no longer publish an SBA Franchise Directory while
requiring SBA Lenders to retain the responsibility for ensuring that
the applicant meets all Loan Program Requirements, including but not
limited to obtaining proper lien position on collateral and ensuring
the applicant does not have discriminatory hiring practices. Of the 53
comments that directly addressed the proposed changes to Sec.
121.301(f)(5), only four comments supported the proposal as-is with the
remainder expressing opposition to the proposed change mainly on the
grounds that they opposed discontinuance of an SBA Franchise Directory.
The general concern was that lenders would be required to determine
franchise eligibility. If SBA were to discontinue publishing a
franchise directory without modifying the current affiliation rules,
SBA agrees that SBA would be transferring the responsibility for
determining affiliation based on control to lenders. However, the
comments did not take into consideration the fact that SBA is removing
as part of this rule the concept of affiliation based on control,
including control by a Franchisor of a franchisee's business. In point
of fact, as a result of this rule, SBA will update Standard Operating
Procedure 50 10, Lender and Development Company Loan Programs, by
deleting Part 2, Section A, Chapter 1, Paragraph D. 6, Affiliation
Based on Franchise, License, Dealer, Jobber, and Similar Agreements,
and eliminate SBA's Addendum to Franchise Agreement and its process
identified therein. SBA has determined that franchise business models
would not be made ineligible for SBA business loans based on Sec.
120.110, which states the businesses that are ineligible for SBA
business loans. For example, ineligible businesses include, among
others, non-profit organizations, life insurance companies, government
entities, speculative businesses (such as wildcatting), use of proceeds
for stock and real estate speculation, passive businesses, and prurient
businesses.
SBA Lenders must evaluate all applicants for eligibility and must
ensure proper lien position on all loans, regardless of whether the
applicant is a franchise or non-franchise business. Under the current
rules, if SBA determines the franchisor exercises excess control over
the franchisee, SBA will consider the franchisor and franchisee to be
affiliated, which in most cases would mean the applicant would not be
eligible for an SBA loan because it would not meet SBA's size
standards. The purpose for publishing an SBA Franchise Directory was to
prevent SBA Lenders and SBA from repeatedly reviewing the same
franchise documents for the issue of excessive control. Because SBA was
already reviewing the franchise documents for the issue of excessive
control, SBA also reviewed the franchise documents for other business
model eligibility requirements that apply to all applicants, including
non-franchisee applicants, such as non-discriminatory hiring practices
and providing the applicant purchaser the right to encumber the
applicant's property with liens. These revisions remove the principle
of control of one entity over another from consideration of
affiliation; therefore, the mere fact that an applicant may be a
franchisee is not in itself a reason that would render the applicant
ineligible for an SBA loan, and thus there is no longer a compelling
reason to maintain the SBA Franchise Directory. Additionally, the mere
fact that a franchise is listed on the SBA Franchise Directory does
not, under current policies nor under the proposed policies, relieve
the SBA Lender from determining whether the applicant meets all
eligibility and other Loan Program Requirements, including but not
limited to; certifying that the applicant does not have the ability to
obtain some or all of the requested loan funds on reasonable terms from
non-Federal, non-State, or non-local government sources, ensuring that
applicants are U.S. citizens or Legal Permanent Residents and that the
applicant business is located in the United States, obtaining personal
and corporate guaranties, confirming that the applicant business has
the ability to repay the loan through cash flow of the business, has
eligible uses of proceeds, verifying financial information, obtaining
proper collateral and lien position, determining whether there is a
direct or indirect impact on historic properties, compliance with
environmental policies and procedures, and closing the loan in
accordance with SBA program requirements.
One comment stated that SBA's review of franchise documents for
excess control by the franchisor has led to indirect benefits for
franchisees, which ``resulted in significant improvements in franchise
lending'' providing greater assurance that the franchisee has the right
to profit from their efforts and that the franchisor would not impose
objectionable terms such as approvals on changes of ownership, forced
sale of assets, restrictive covenants on real estate, and control of
employees. While SBA
[[Page 21082]]
appreciates this perceived indirect benefit, SBA maintains that it is
solely an applicant's business decision whether it wishes to operate as
a franchise or non-franchise business. All purchase agreements, even
purchase agreements of non-franchise businesses, may potentially
include these terms that the comment describes as objectionable, and it
is incumbent on all parties to fully understand the terms of any
contract they sign. Further, SBA does not have the statutory authority
to act as a regulator of franchises, only guarantees a small percentage
of loans to franchisees relative to the number of franchise businesses
that are started and operate in the U.S., and only uses the Federal
Trade Commission definition of franchise in SBA's policies and
procedures. For the reasons stated above, SBA is moving forward with
the rule as proposed.
Compliance With Executive Orders 12866, 12988, 13132, and 13563, the
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C., Ch. 35), the Congressional Review
Act (5 U.S.C. 801-808), and the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C.
601-612)
Executive Order 12866
The Office of Management and Budget has determined that this rule
is a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order 12866. SBA
performed a comprehensive Regulatory Impact Analysis in the proposed
rule for the public's information. Because SBA is not substantially
changing any of the proposed amendments, the final analysis is
unchanged and is synopsized below. Each section begins with a core
question.
A. Regulatory Objective of the Proposal
Is there a need for this regulatory action?
SBA performed a comprehensive cost benefit analysis in the proposed
rule. SBA is moving forward with only minor adjustments that will not
have a significant impact on the cost benefit analysis that was
published in the proposed rule; therefore, the cost benefit analysis is
updated where appropriate or synopsized below.
The Agency believes it needs to streamline and reduce regulatory
burdens to facilitate robust participation in the business loan
programs that assist small and underserved U.S. businesses and the
disaster loan programs that assist businesses of all sizes with
recovery from disasters.
Regarding modernization of lending criteria, as a result of the
emergency lending programs mandated to address economic impacts of the
pandemic, SBA significantly leveraged the use of technology in loan
delivery to capture efficiencies that can be applied across programs to
increase access and lower costs for both participating lenders and the
public. SBA also understands that lenders are currently leveraging data
analytics tools and machine learning modelling in their conventional
lending criteria models, particularly for small dollar loans, and that
by modernizing SBA's lending criteria to match lending practices
already being implemented by its participating lenders, SBA will
encourage more lender participation in its programs. For these reasons,
among others, SBA is moving forward with the changes to SBA's lending
criteria rules at 13 CFR 120.150.
By dispensing with the requirement for hazard insurance for all
7(a) and 504 loans of $500,000 or less, SBA will eliminate a burdensome
regulatory requirement for small loans while providing SBA Lenders with
the flexibility to use their own policies for similarly-sized non-SBA
guaranteed loans regarding hazard insurance on these loans.
By permitting the Director, Office of Financial Assistance, to
delegate reconsideration requests to a designee, SBA will facilitate
fair and expeditious review of reconsideration requests and provide
finality to applicants that are in the process of making important
financial decisions.
SBA is revising its affiliation regulations in response to
continuing requests by SBA's participating lenders and the public. SBA
believes that revising its affiliation regulations will result in
expansion of credit to those who cannot obtain credit elsewhere and
increased understanding of and compliance with program rules while
decreasing time spent reviewing an applicant for eligibility.
There is also a need for SBA to address financing for changes of
ownership. Orderly transitions of business ownership are beneficial
both to the small business and its employees. Employees acquiring
partial ownership interest in small businesses assists with transitions
of ownership, especially when there is more than one current owner and
one of the current owners intends to sell their equity stake in the
small business to one or more employees who may not have an equity
ownership interest at that time. The small business benefits by
remaining in operation when it might otherwise be forced to close, and
the employees benefit by having a path to ownership in a small business
that remains in operation. Partial changes of ownership among existing
owners of a small business permit such businesses to attract new
employees as partial owners. Financing for changes of ownership also
allows family members to purchase partial ownership in a family-run
small business to ensure continuation of the small business after the
retirement or death of an owner. Currently, SBA does not fully meet the
financing needs of small businesses regarding partial changes of
ownership due to current restrictions, necessitating this rule.
Historically, SBA has permitted loan proceeds for use only in three
situations involving a change of ownership: (1) A complete change of
ownership; (2) a Partner Buyout; and (3) where an ESOP purchases a
controlling interest (51 percent or more) in the employer small
business from the current owner(s). Outside of loans to ESOPs, SBA's
current regulations do not permit 7(a) loan proceeds to be used for
partial changes of ownership.
Over the past 4 completed fiscal years (FY 2018 through FY 2021),
SBA approved 31,940 7(a) loans where loan proceeds were used to affect
a change of ownership. ESOP loans (loans to assist an ESOP trust in
acquiring 51 percent or more of the equity ownership in the small
business concern) accounted for only 17 of the 31,940 loans used for a
change of ownership in the four years between FY 2018 and FY 2021, or
fewer than five loans per year. Therefore, ESOP loans have not made the
anticipated impact in transitioning small businesses to employee
ownership as originally intended by the Agency. For these reasons, SBA
is moving forward with lifting the prohibition on partial changes of
ownership. SBA will include detailed guidance in the Loan Program
Requirements to accomplish partial changes of ownership.
The changes will reduce regulatory burdens, modernize program
delivery using data analytics tools and machine learning modelling,
reduce the number of hours spent processing an application to deliver a
loan for both SBA and lenders and increase access to capital.
B. Benefits and Costs of the Rule
What are the potential benefits and costs of this regulatory
action?
SBA does not anticipate significant additional costs or impact on
the subsidy to operate the 7(a), 504, Microloan, ILP, SBG and Business
Disaster Loan Programs under these revisions to the regulations.
SBA anticipates a minor impact to the subsidy as a result of
approximately 800 new loans per year in 7(a) loan activity for loans
involving a partial change of ownership. In revising SBA's lending
[[Page 21083]]
criteria at 13 CFR 120.150, SBA anticipates that modernizing SBA's
lending criteria to include credit scoring will not compromise the
credit quality of the overall 7(a) and 504 portfolios. When using a
credit scoring model other than the FICO[supreg] Small Business Scoring
Service\SM\ (SBSS) model, SBA Lenders must be able to validate the
credit scoring model and must document that their credit analysis
procedures are predictive of loan performance; therefore, no reduction
in credit quality is anticipated as a result of using credit scoring
models. Streamlining the number of criteria lenders consider when
approving loans, and for regulated lenders, using the same commercial
credit analysis processes and procedures consistent with those used for
their similarly-sized, non-SBA guaranteed commercial loans will not
negatively impact the credit quality of the 7(a) and 504 Loan Program
portfolios and will provide a time saving ranging from zero to several
hours per loan depending on the size and complexity of the loan. SBA
anticipates that modernizing SBA's lending criteria and allowing SBA
Lenders to use their own processes and procedures will result in an
increase in the number of participating lenders and loans in both
programs, which would mean increased access to capital for small
businesses.
The primary goal driving the revisions to 13 CFR 120.150 is to
encourage and facilitate more lenders to make more small dollar loans.
SBA believes these streamlined rules will result in increased lender
participation, particularly for community banks, credit unions and
other mission-based lenders that generally serve more rural communities
and underserved populations with smaller dollar loans.
By revising 13 CFR 120.160 to state that SBA requires hazard
insurance only for loans greater than $500,000, SBA anticipates a de
minimis impact on annual subsidy calculation for the 7(a) and 504 Loan
Programs. The primary benefit to removing the requirement for hazard
insurance on these small loans is to increase the speed with which
lenders can disburse loan proceeds after loan approval. Hazard
insurance is only impactful when it is protecting collateral.
Currently, SBA does not require collateral for loans $25,000 or less,
so these loans are not impacted by the revision to hazard insurance
requirements. Further, lenders will continue to require hazard
insurance for loans of $500,000 and under when tangible assets such as
real estate or equipment are financed with the loan in accordance with
their non-SBA guaranteed policies and federal regulators. As such,
although lenders will continue to require hazard insurance in
accordance with their similarly-sized non-SBA guaranteed policies, they
will experience a time savings by no longer providing SBA with
documentation of proof of hazard insurance as part of SBA's loan
origination and monitoring requirements. Further, even with hazard
insurance in place, the lender and/or SBA's recovery on assets in this
dollar range is minimal after the costs of liquidation and litigation
are considered. The benefit to SBA for requiring hazard insurance at
this amount is minimal, while lenders will save time and be able to
disburse loan proceeds more quickly after loan approval by using their
own procedures and not having to provide additional documentation
evidencing insurance to SBA.
Revising 13 CFR 120.193 will allow the Director of the Office of
Financial Assistance to delegate to a designee the authority to make
final decisions on reconsideration after denial of a loan application
or loan modification request in the 7(a) and 504 Loan Programs. SBA
does not anticipate any additional costs or impact on the subsidy to
operate the 7(a) and 504 Loan Programs under this final rule.
Additionally, the number of loans impacted by this change is very low
in comparison to the number of loans processed in both loan programs.
On average, the 7(a) Loan Program accounts for 10 to 12 reconsideration
requests per year, and the 504 Loan Program accounts for 28 to 41
requests per year. For comparison, in fiscal year 2021, the 7(a) Loan
Program approved 51,856 loans, and the 504 Loan Program approved 9,676
loans. SBA Lenders and applicants will benefit in a faster turn time
for decision-making.
SBA does not anticipate significant additional costs or impact on
the subsidy to operate the 7(a), 504, Microloan, ILP, SBG and Business
Disaster Loan Programs under the revised regulations at 13 CFR 121.301
regarding affiliation. Complex affiliation rules limit accessibility to
SBA's business loan programs, with an outsized impact on underserved
borrowers who may struggle to access traditional capital or other
resources such as attorneys and certified public accountants. SBA
anticipates that providing clear and streamlined regulatory guidance
for its affiliation rules will result in an increase in the number of
participating lenders and loans and will encourage more businesses to
apply. SBA anticipates that participating lenders will spend less time
screening applicants for eligibility under SBA Size Standards because
lenders and applicants will readily be able to determine which entities
they are affiliated with, and lenders will have fewer documents to
examine.
C. Alternatives
What alternatives have been considered?
SBA considered eliminating even more regulatory burdens and
determined the final rule strikes the right balance in responsibly
streamlining regulations without substantially increasing the risk of
waste, fraud, or abuse of the programs or otherwise threatening the
integrity of the business loan programs or taxpayer dollars. Regarding
affiliation, SBA has implemented several variations of its affiliation
rules as discussed above, and SBA has determined the simplest
affiliation rules were the least burdensome.
SBA also considered limiting partial changes of ownership to
employees of the business; however, the Agency believes this may
restrict small businesses in need of additional expertise from
providing a percentage of ownership as an incentive to recruit and
retain new highly skilled employees. For example, an existing dental
practice may recruit a new dentist by offering the dentist an equity
ownership in the business as a hiring incentive. For this reason, SBA
determined that partial changes of ownership should not be exclusive to
existing employees of the business.
Executive Order 12988
This action meets applicable standards set forth in sections 3(a)
and 3(b)(2) of Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice Reform, to minimize
litigation, eliminate ambiguity, and reduce burden. The action does not
have preemptive effect or retroactive effect.
Executive Order 13132
This rule does not have federalism implications as defined in
Executive Order 13132. It will not have substantial direct effects on
the States, on the relationship between the national government and the
States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the
various levels of government, as specified in the Executive Order. As
such it does not warrant the preparation of a Federalism Assessment.
Executive Order 13563
A description of the need for this regulatory action and benefits
and costs
[[Page 21084]]
associated with this action, including possible distributional impacts
that relate to Executive Order 13563, are included above in the
Regulatory Impact Analysis under Executive Order 12866.
Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. Ch. 35
SBA has determined that this rule will require that the following
forms be revised: SBA Form 1919, ``Borrower Information Form,'' SBA
Form 1920, ``Lender's Application for Loan Guaranty for all 7(a) Loan
Programs,'' SBA Form 1244, ``Application for Section 504 Loans,'' SBA
Form 5--Disaster Business Loan Application, and SBA Form 5C--Disaster
Home/Sole Proprietor Loan Application.
SBA Forms 1919 and 1920 are approved under OMB Control number 3245-
0348. SBA Form 1244 is approved under OMB Control number 3245-0071. SBA
Form 5 is approved under OMB Control number 3245-0017 and SBA Form 5C
is approved under OMB Control number 3245-0018.
SBA will revise SBA Form 1919, SBA Form 1920, and SBA Form 1244 to
conform to the lending criteria changes at 13 CFR 120.150. When lenders
choose to use a credit scoring model in accordance with 13 CFR 120.150,
the estimated hour burden for lenders will decrease when the credit
score incorporates consideration of certain lending criteria (e.g., the
earnings and cashflow of an applicant), in which case those factors
would not necessarily be separately considered by a lender unless
otherwise specified by Loan Program Requirements. However, SBA expects
that SBA Lenders will make more small dollar loans due to the ability
to use credit scoring models, which increase the estimated overall
burden hours due to the increase in number of loans. This reporting
requirement will be included in the OMB information collection
submissions for the affected forms. The other revisions to 120.150
(i.e., requirement that SBA Lenders use appropriate and prudent
generally acceptable commercial credit analysis processes and
procedures consistent with those used for their similarly-sized, non-
SBA guaranteed commercial loans, and criteria that may be considered in
lending criteria), will have a de minimis impact on the estimated hour
burden because regulated lenders must comply with more rigorous lending
criteria requirements from their federal regulators, and SBA-Supervised
Lenders and CDCs must continue to comply with the credit policies
submitted to OCRM.
SBA will revise SBA Form 1920 to conform to revisions at 13 CFR
120.130 and 13 CFR 120.202 to permit partial changes of ownership.
SBA will revise SBA Form 1919, SBA Form 1920, SBA Form 1244, and
SBA Form 5 to conform to the affiliation rule changes at 13 CFR
121.301, which will reduce the estimated hour burden for applicants and
lenders because SBA anticipates fewer entities will fall under the
definition of ``affiliate.''
SBA will submit these revisions to OMB and provide public notice of
such revisions at a later date.
Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. Ch. 8
Subtitle E of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness
Act of 1996, also known as the Congressional Review Act or CRA,
generally provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency
promulgating the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy
of the rule, to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller
General of the United States. SBA will submit a report containing this
rule and other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House
of Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States. A
major rule under the CRA cannot take effect until 60 days after it is
published in the Federal Register. The Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs has determined that this rule is not a ``major
rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2). Therefore, this rule is not
subject to the 60-day restriction.
Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601-612
When an agency issues a rulemaking proposal, the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (RFA), 5 U.S.C. 601-612, requires the agency to
``prepare and make available for public comment a final regulatory
analysis'' which will ``describe the impact of the final rule on small
entities.'' SBA published a complete regulatory analysis in the
proposed rule. The regulatory analysis is synopsized here. For the
reasons stated below, SBA certifies that this rulemaking will not have
a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small
entities. Although the rulemaking will impact all of the 2,897 7(a)
Lenders, all of the 216 CDCs, all of the 150 Microloan Intermediaries,
all of the 35 ILP Intermediaries, and all of the 44 Sureties that
participate in the SBG Program, SBA does not believe the impact will be
significant because this final rule modifies and streamlines existing
regulations and procedures. However, there may be impacts due to
increased 7(a) loans for partial changes of ownership.
The estimated burden for completing the SBA Form 1919, including
time for reviewing instructions, gathering data needed, and completing
and reviewing the form remains unchanged at 15 minutes per response.
SBA anticipates the revised rules will result in an increase to loan
volume by a potential 800 loans per year \2\ representing 800 unique
small business applicants.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ The 800 additional loans are due to the revisions allowing
for partial changes of ownership.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
An applicant completing the SBA Form 1919 will spend approximately
fifteen minutes per response in completing the form, at a cost of
$23.55 per loan application.\3\ The final rules will not change the
time costs of completing the revised SBA Form 1919 as the rule changes
will not require the applicant small business to provide any additional
responses in completing SBA Form 1919 other than those already
required.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ This estimate was derived from using the median hourly rate
for General and Operations Managers from the May 2021 Occupational
Employment and Wage Statistics for the United States of $47.10 per
hour, adding 100 percent for overhead and benefits, for a total
hourly cost to complete SBA Form 1919 per applicant of $94.20 per
hour. Data available at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#11-0000.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In revising 13 CFR 120.130 and 120.202 to permit partial change of
ownership, SBA will update the SBA Form 1920, ``Lender's Application
for Loan Guaranty for all 7(a) Loan Programs'', in Section ``O'', to
add a question for the 7(a) Lender to indicate that the change of
ownership is a partial change of ownership, and to revise or combine
the second bulleted question in Section O with the new partial
ownership question. The current estimated burden for the 7(a) Lender in
completing SBA Form 1920, including time for reviewing instructions,
gathering data needed, and completing and reviewing the form is 25
minutes per response. Section ``O'' of SBA Form 1920 is required to be
completed in cases involving a change of ownership using the loan
proceeds. SBA Form 1920 currently requires the 7(a) Lender to check an
``N/A'' box if the loan does not finance a change of ownership and
answer an additional six ``Yes'' or ``No'' questions about the
circumstances for the change of ownership. It is anticipated the
additional language will be similar in length to the existing questions
of approximately 30 words per question, which should add approximately
10 seconds per application to read and respond to the question by
checking the yes or no box,\4\
[[Page 21085]]
which represents a cost increase to lenders of approximately 11 cents
per application.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ The average silent reading rate for adults in English is 238
words per minute, based on an analysis of 190 studies with 18,573
participants by Brysbaert, Marc (April 12, 2019) How many words do
we read per minute? A review and meta-analysis of reading rate, page
2, at https://psyarxiv.com/xynwg/.
\5\ Based on the mean hourly wage of $38.74 per hour for Loan
Officers as of May 2021 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#13-0000.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
13 CFR 120.150, ``What are SBA's lending criteria?''
Based on industry feedback, SBA estimates SBA Lenders will save
anywhere from zero to 2 hours per loan under the revision of 13 CFR
120.150 to require that SBA Lenders must use appropriate and prudent
generally acceptable commercial credit analysis processes and
procedures consistent with those used for their similarly-sized, non-
SBA guaranteed commercial loans. The range in time saving is due to the
size and complexity of the loan and federally regulated lenders
continuing to underwrite loans in accordance with their own procedures.
Based on the average of the most recent 3 fiscal years, each year the
7(a) Loan Program approves 48,687 loans and the 504 Loan Program
approves 7,631 loans, for a total of 56,318 loans approved per year.
The mean hourly wage of a loan officer is $36.99 according to the May
2020 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. SBA estimates a cost saving
ranging from $0 to $2,083,215 per year for SBA Lenders, calculated by
multiplying 56,318 (total loans approved per year) by $36.99 (mean
hourly wage of a loan officer). This revision will have no direct
impact on applicants and possibly an indirect impact due to faster
processing times that could lead to faster loan approval.
SBA anticipates the final rule will allow SBA Lenders to use a
credit scoring model will increase the number of small loans approved
while generally decreasing the length of time required to process a
loan. Not all lenders will use credit scoring, and those that do will
limit credit scoring to small loans. SBA estimates lenders will save
from 2 to 4 hours per loan when they elect to use a credit scoring
model.
13 CFR 120.160, ``Loan Conditions''
SBA estimates SBA Lenders will save anywhere from 0.25 to 6 hours
per loan over the life of the loan under the revision of 13 CFR 120.160
to eliminate the requirement for hazard insurance on loans $500,000 or
less. The range in time saving is due to whether lenders require hazard
insurance on similarly-sized non-SBA guaranteed loans in accordance
with their own procedures. Lenders that do not require hazard insurance
may save up to 6 hours over the life of the loan when including the
time required to monitor whether the policy remains in place each year.
Lenders that continue requiring insurance will experience a time
savings by no longer documenting proof of insurance for SBA.
13 CFR 120.193, ``Reconsideration After Denial''
The Director of the Office of Financial Assistance processes an
average of 10 to 12 reconsideration requests for the 7(a) Loan Program
and 28 to 41 reconsideration requests for the 504 Loan Program each
year. Revising this rule will have a minimal impact on the overall
portfolio; however, to the individual applicants that are impacted by
reconsideration requests, a faster decision will allow the applicants
to quickly move forward with financing with a positive decision or
pursue other financing options with a negative decision.
Section 121.301, ``What size standards and affiliation principles are
applicable to financial assistance programs?''
The revisions to 13 CFR 121.301 will impact all of the
approximately 1,738 7(a) Lenders and 186 CDCs that make an SBA loan
annually (based on FY 2021 data), all of the approximately 150
Microloan Intermediaries, all of the approximately 44 Sureties that
participate in the SBG Program, and all of the applicants for each of
these programs and SBA's Disaster programs. SBA's revisions to
streamline its affiliation rules will increase the overall number of
loans made while simultaneously reducing the time required to process
each loan.
List of Subjects
13 CFR Part 120
Loan programs--business, Community development, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Small businesses.
13 CFR Part 121
Loan programs--business, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements,
Small businesses.
For the reasons stated in the preamble, SBA is amending 13 CFR
parts 120 and 121 as follows:
PART 120--BUSINESS LOANS
0
1. The authority citation for 13 CFR part 120 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 634(b)(6), (b)(7), (b)(14), (h), and note,
636(a), (h) and (m), and note, 636m, 650, 657t, and note, 657u, and
note, 687(f), 696(3), and (7), and note, and 697, 697a and e, and
note; Public Law 116-260, 134 Stat. 1182.
0
2. Amend Sec. 120.130 by revising paragraphs (a) and (g) to read as
follows:
Sec. 120.130 Restrictions on uses of proceeds.
* * * * *
(a) Payments, distributions, or loans to Associates of the
applicant (except for ordinary compensation for services rendered or to
facilitate changes of ownership in accordance with Sec. 120.202);
* * * * *
(g) Any use restricted by Sec. Sec. 120.201 and 120.884 (specific
to 7(a) loans and 504 loans respectively).
0
3. Revise Sec. 120.150 to read as follows:
Sec. 120.150 What are SBA's lending criteria?
The applicant (including an Operating Company) must be
creditworthy. Loans must be so sound as to reasonably assure repayment.
Lenders and CDCs must use appropriate and prudent generally acceptable
commercial credit analysis processes and procedures consistent with
those used for their similarly-sized, non-SBA guaranteed commercial
loans. Lenders, CDCs, and SBA may use a business credit scoring model.
When approving direct or guaranteed loans, Lenders, CDCs, and SBA may
consider (as applicable) the following criteria: credit score or credit
history of the applicant (and the Operating Company, if applicable),
its Associates and any guarantors; the earnings or cashflow of
applicant; or where applicable any equity or collateral of the
applicant.
Sec. 120.160 [Amended]
0
4. In Sec. 120.160 amend paragraph (c) by adding the phrase ``for 7(a)
loans greater than $500,000 and for 504 projects greater than
$500,000,'' after the words ``SBA requires hazard insurance.''
0
5. Amend Sec. 120.193 by adding the words ``or designee(s),'' after
the words ``Director, Office of Financial Assistance (D/FA)'' and by
adding two sentences at the end of the section to read as follows:
Sec. 120.193 Reconsideration after denial.
* * * If the reconsideration is denied, a second and final
reconsideration may be considered by the Director, Office of Financial
Assistance (D/FA) or designee(s), whose decision is final. The SBA
Administrator, solely within the Administrator's discretion, may choose
to review the matter and make the final decision. Such discretionary
authority of the Administrator does not create additional rights of
appeal on the part
[[Page 21086]]
of an applicant not otherwise specified in SBA regulations.
0
6. Revise Sec. 120.202 to read as follows:
Sec. 120.202 Loans for changes of ownership.
A Borrower may use 7(a) loan proceeds to purchase a portion of or
the entirety of an owner's interest in a business, or a portion of or
the entirety of a business itself.
PART 121--SMALL BUSINESS SIZE REGULATIONS
0
7. The authority citation for 13 CFR part 121 is revised to read as
follows:
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 632, 634(b)(6), 636(a)(36), 662, 694a(9),
and 9012.
0
8. Amend Sec. 121.301 by adding introductory text and by revising
paragraph (f) to read as follows:
Sec. 121.301 What size standards and affiliation principles are
applicable to financial assistance programs?
The Small Business Act defines a small business concern as one
which is independently owned and operated, and which is not dominant in
its field of operation. SBA interprets this statutory definition to
require, in certain circumstances, the inclusion of other entities
(``Affiliates'') owned by the applicant or an owner of the applicant in
determining the size of the applicant.
* * * * *
(f) Affiliation. Any of the circumstances described below
establishes affiliation for applicants of SBA's Business Loan, Disaster
Loan, and Surety Bond Programs. For this rule, the Business Loan
Programs consist of the 7(a) Loan Program (Direct and Guaranteed
Loans), the Microloan Program, the Intermediary Lending Pilot Program,
and the Development Company Loan Program (``504 Loan Program''). The
Disaster Loan Programs consist of Physical Disaster Business Loans,
Economic Injury Disaster Loans, Military Reservist Economic Injury
Disaster Loans, and Immediate Disaster Assistance Program loans. The
following principles apply for the Business Loan, Disaster Loan, and
Surety Bond Guarantee Programs:
(1) Ownership. (i) When the Applicant owns more than 50 percent of
another business, the Applicant and the other business are affiliated.
(ii) When a business owns more than 50 percent of an Applicant, the
business that owns the Applicant is affiliated with the Applicant.
Additionally, if the business entity owner that owns more than 50
percent of the Applicant also owns more than 50 percent of another
business that operates in the same 3-digit NAICS subsector as the
Applicant, then the business entity owner, the other business and the
Applicant are all affiliated.
(iii) When an individual owns more than 50 percent of the Applicant
and the individual also owns more than 50 percent of another business
entity that operates in the same 3-digit NAICS subsector as the
Applicant, the Applicant and the individual owner's other business
entity are affiliated.
(iv) When the Applicant does not have an owner that owns more than
50 percent of the Applicant, if an owner of 20 percent or more of the
Applicant is a business that operates in the same 3-digit NAICS
subsector as the Applicant, the Applicant and the owner are affiliated.
(v) When the Applicant does not have an owner that owns more than
50 percent of the Applicant, if an owner of 20 percent or more of the
Applicant also owns more than 50 percent of another business entity
that operates in the same 3-digit NAICS subsector as the Applicant, the
Applicant and the owner's other business entity are affiliated.
(vi) Ownership interests of spouses and minor children must be
combined when determining amount of ownership interest.
(vii) When determining the percentage of ownership that an
individual owns in a business, SBA considers the pro rata ownership of
entities. For example, John Smith, Jane Doe, and Jane Doe, Inc., each
own an interest in the Applicant. Jane Doe owns 15 percent of the
Applicant, and she also owns 100 percent of Jane Doe, Inc. Jane Doe,
Inc. owns 50 percent of the Applicant. SBA considers Jane Doe to own 65
percent of the Applicant.
(2) Stock options, convertible securities, and agreements to merge.
(i) For purposes of this subparagraph, SBA considers stock options,
convertible securities, and agreements to merge (including agreements
in principle) to have a present effect on the ownership of the entity.
SBA treats such options, convertible securities, and agreements as
though the rights granted have been exercised.
(ii) Agreements to open or continue negotiations towards the
possibility of a merger or a sale of stock at a later date are not
considered ``agreements in principle'' and are thus not given present
effect.
(iii) Options, convertible securities, and agreements that are
subject to conditions precedent which are incapable of fulfillment,
speculative, conjectural, or unenforceable under state or Federal law,
or where the probability of the transaction (or exercise of the rights)
occurring is shown to be extremely remote, are not given present
effect.
(iv) SBA will not give present effect to individuals', concerns',
or other entities' ability to divest all or part of their ownership
interest to avoid a finding of affiliation.
(3) Determining the concern's size. In determining the concern's
size, SBA counts the receipts, employees (see Sec. 121.201), or the
alternate size standard (if applicable) of the concern whose size is at
issue and all of its domestic and foreign affiliates, regardless of
whether the affiliates are organized for profit.
(4) Exceptions to affiliation. For exceptions to affiliation, see
Sec. 121.103(b).
* * * * *
Isabella Casillas Guzman,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2023-07173 Filed 4-7-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8026-03-P