Economic Development Administration April 17, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) seeks public comment on, how to design and structure loan guarantees for small- and medium-sized manufacturers through its authority under the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 (H.R. 2112, Pub. L. 112-55), which designated up to $5,000,000 from its Economic Adjustment Assistance Program appropriations for loan guarantees under Section 26 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (the Stevenson-Wydler Act) (15 U.S.C. 3721). Specifically, EDA is considering how to implement its statutory authority to establish a loan guarantee program for small- and medium-sized manufactures that encourages projects that re-equip, expand, or establish a manufacturing facility in the United States and that use innovative technology or processes in manufacturing. The loan guarantees should also be used to encourage the manufacture of innovative products, processes, or ideas developed by research funded in whole or in part by grants from the Federal government. EDA requests input from the public, through the specific questions listed below, on ways to structure this program, in order to assess the level of demand for such a program and the level of agency support necessary to institute a loan guarantee program consistent with the provisions of the Stevenson-Wydler Act.