§ 697. Development company debentures
(a)
Guarantees; Administration authority; regulatory terms and conditions; full faith and credit; subordination of debentures
(1)
Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the Administration may guarantee the timely payment of all principal and interest as scheduled on any debenture issued by any qualified State or local development company.
(2)
Such guarantees may be made on such terms and conditions as the Administration may be regulation determine to be appropriate: Provided, That the Administration shall not decline to issue such guarantee when the ownership interests of the small business concern and the ownership interests of the property to be financed with the proceeds of a loan made pursuant to subsection (b)(1) of this section are not identical because one or more of the following classes of relatives have an ownership interest in either the small business concern or the property: father, mother, son, daughter, wife, husband, brother, or sister: Provided further, That the Administrator or his designee has determined on a case-by-case basis that such ownership interest, such guarantee, and the proceeds of such loan, will substantially benefit the small business concern.
(b)
Statutory terms and conditions
No guarantee may be made with respect to any debenture under subsection (a) of this section unless—
(1)
such debenture is issued for the purpose of making one or more loans to small business concerns, the proceeds of which shall be used by such concern for the purposes set forth in section
696 of this title;
(2)
necessary funds for making such loans are not available to such company from private sources on reasonable terms;
(3)
the interest rate on such debenture is not less than the rate of interest determined by the Secretary of the Treasury for purposes of section
683
(b) of this title;
(4)
the aggregate amount of such debenture does not exceed the amount of loans to be made from the proceeds of such debenture (other than any excess attributable to the administrative costs of such loans);
(5)
the amount of any loan to be made from such proceeds does not exceed an amount equal to 50 percent of the cost of the project with respect to which such loan is made;
(c)
Commercial loan interest rate
(1)
The purpose of this subsection is to facilitate the orderly and necessary flow of long-term loans from certified development companies to small business concerns.
(2)
Notwithstanding the provisions of the constitution or laws of any State limiting the rate or amount of interest which may be charged, taken, received, or reserved, the maximum legal rate of interest on any commercial loan which funds any portion of the cost of the project financed pursuant to this section or section
697a of this title which is not funded by a debenture guaranteed under this section shall be a rate which is established by the Administrator of the Small Business Administration under the authority of this section.
(3)
The Administrator is authorized and directed to establish and publish quarterly a maximum legal interest rate for any commercial loan which funds any portion of the cost of the project financed pursuant to this section or section
697a of this title which is not funded by a debenture guaranteed under this section.
(d)
Charges for Administration expenses
(1)
Level of charges
The Administration may impose an additional charge for administrative expenses with respect to each debenture for which payment of principal and interest is guaranteed under subsection (a) of this section.
(2)
Participation fee
The Administration shall collect a one-time fee in an amount equal to 50 basis points on the total participation in any project of any institution described in subclause (I), (II), or (III) of section
696
(3)(B)(i) of this title. Such fee shall be imposed only when the participation of the institution will occupy a senior credit position to that of the development company. All proceeds of the fee shall be used to offset the cost (as that term is defined in section
661a of title
2) to the Administration of making guarantees under subsection (a) of this section.
(3)
Development company fee
The Administration shall collect annually from each development company a fee of 0.125 percent of the outstanding principal balance of any guaranteed debenture authorized by the Administration after September 30, 1996. Such fee shall be derived from the servicing fees collected by the development company pursuant to regulation, and shall not be derived from any additional fees imposed on small business concerns. All proceeds of the fee shall be used to offset the cost (as that term is defined in section
661a of title
2) to the Administration of making guarantees under subsection (a) of this section.
(e)
“Qualified State or local development company” defined; exception for rural company; authority
(1)
For purposes of this section, the term “qualified State or local development company” means any State or local development company which, as determined by the Administration, has—
(2)
A company in a rural area shall be deemed to have satisfied the requirements of a full-time professional staff and professional management ability if it contracts with another certified development company which has such staff and management ability and which is located in the same general area to provide such services.
(f)
Effective date
The fees authorized by subsections (b) and (d) of this section shall apply to financings approved by the Administration on or after October 1, 1996.
(g)
Calculation of subsidy rate
All fees, interest, and profits received and retained by the Administration under this section shall be included in the calculations made by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to offset the cost (as that term is defined in section
661a of title
2) to the Administration of purchasing and guaranteeing debentures under this chapter.
(h)
Required actions upon default
(1)
Initial actions
Not later than the 45th day after the date on which a payment on a loan funded through a debenture guaranteed under this section is due and not received, the Administration shall—
(2)
Purchase or acceleration of debenture
Not later than the 65th day after the date on which a payment on a loan described in paragraph (1) is due and not received, and absent a formal written deferral agreement, the administration [1] shall take all necessary steps to purchase or accelerate the debenture.
(3)
Prepayment penalties
With respect to the portion of any project derived from funds set forth in section
696
(3) of this title, the Administration—
(A)
shall negotiate the elimination of any prepayment penalties or late fees on defaulted loans made prior to September 30, 1996;
(i)
Two-year waiver of fees
The Administration may not assess or collect any up front guarantee fee with respect to loans made under this subchapter during the 2-year period beginning on October 1, 2002.
[1] So in original. Probably should be capitalized.