Senate Passes Bill to Extend PPP Loan Application Deadline
On Tuesday, the United States Senate passed by unanimous consent a bill to extend from June 30, 2020, to August 8, 2020, the deadline for businesses to apply for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan administered by the federal Small Business Administration.
PPP loans were created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, targeted to businesses with no more than 500 employees. The purpose of the program is to assist small employers in retaining employees on their payrolls in a time of financial stress during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. More than $130 billion of the $669 billion appropriated for the program had not been applied for as the June 30th deadline approached.
If certain conditions are met, PPP loans can be forgiven and treated as a grant. Among the conditions for full forgiveness is a requirement that 60% of loan proceeds be used for payroll expenses. These expenses can include not only wages and salaries, but also employer contributions to defined contribution and defined benefit retirement plans. Expenses can also include providing group health care coverage, including payment of insurance premiums.
As this is reported, the House of Representatives had yet to approve the bill, which is required—in addition to signing by President Trump—for the application deadline to be extended.
