13 C.F.R. Subpart E—Pre-Disaster Mitigation Loans
Title 13 - Business Credit and Assistance
Source: 67 FR 62337, Oct. 7, 2002, unless otherwise noted.
The Pre-Disaster Mitigation Loan Program allows SBA to make low interest, fixed rate loans to small businesses for the purpose of implementing mitigation measures to protect their commercial real property (building) or leasehold improvements or contents from disaster related damage. This program supports the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA's) Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program. This pilot program is authorized for 5 fiscal years (October—September), from 2000 through 2004, and has only been approved for limited funding. Therefore, approved loan requests are funded on a first come, first served basis up to the limit of program funds available (see §123.411). To be included in a pre-disaster mitigation loan application, each of your business' mitigation measures must satisfy the following criteria: (a) The mitigation measure, as described in the application, must serve the purpose of protecting your commercial real property (building) or leasehold improvements or contents from damage that may be caused by future disasters; and (b) The mitigation measure must conform to the priorities and goals of the State or local government's mitigation plan for the community in which the business subject to the measure is located. To show that this factor is satisfied your business must submit to SBA, as a part of your complete application, a written statement from a State or local emergency management coordinator confirming this fact (see §123.408). Contact your regional FEMA office for a list of your State's emergency management coordinators or visit the FEMA Web site at http://www.fema.gov. Yes, you may request a pre-disaster mitigation loan for the relocation of your business if: (a) Your commercial real property (building) is located in a SFHA (Special Flood Hazard Area); and (b) Your business relocates outside the SFHA but remains in the same participating pre-disaster mitigation community. Contact your regional FEMA office for a listing of communities participating in the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program and SFHAs or visit the FEMA Web site at http://www.fema.gov. To be eligible to apply for a pre-disaster mitigation loan your business must meet each of the following criteria: (a) Your business, which is the subject of the pre-disaster mitigation measure, must be located in a participating pre-disaster mitigation community. Each State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands have at least one participating pre-disaster mitigation community. Contact your regional FEMA office to find out the locations of participating pre-disaster mitigation communities or visit the FEMA Web site at http://www.fema.gov.; (b) If your business is proposing a mitigation measure that protects against a flood hazard, the location of your business which is the subject of the mitigation measure must be located in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). Contact your FEMA regional office to find out the locations of SFHAs or visit the FEMA Web site at http://www.fema.gov.; (c) As of the date your business submits a complete Pre-Disaster Mitigation Small Business Loan Application to SBA (see §123.408 for what SBA's considers to be a complete application), your business, along with its affiliates, must be a small business concern as defined in part 121 of this chapter. The definition of small business concern encompasses sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, limited liability entities, and other legal entities recognized under State law; (d) Your business, which is the subject of the mitigation measure, must have operated as a business in its present location for at least one year before submitting its application; (e) Your business, along with its affiliates and owners, must not have the financial resources to fund the proposed mitigation measures without undue hardship. SBA makes this determination based on the information your business submits as a part of its application; and (f) If your business is owning and leasing out real property, the mitigation measures must be for protection of a building leased primarily for commercial rather than residential purposes (SBA will determine this based upon a comparative square footage basis). Your business is ineligible to apply for a pre-disaster mitigation loan if your business (including its affiliates) satisfies any of the following conditions: (a) Any of your business' principal owners is presently incarcerated, or on probation or parole following conviction of a serious criminal offense, or has been indicted for a felony or a crime of moral turpitude; (b) Your business' only interest in the business property is in the form of a security interest, mortgage, or deed of trust; (c) The building, which is the subject of the mitigation measure, was newly constructed or substantially improved on or after February 9, 1989, and (without significant business justification) is located seaward of mean high tide or entirely in or over water; (d) Your business is an agricultural enterprise. Agricultural enterprise means a business primarily engaged (see §121.107 of this chapter) in the production of food and fiber, ranching and raising of livestock, aquaculture and all other farming and agriculture-related industries. Sometimes a business is engaged in both agricultural and non-agricultural business activities. If the primary business activity of your business is not an agricultural enterprise, it may apply for a pre-disaster mitigation loan, but loan proceeds may not be used, directly or indirectly, for the benefit of the agricultural activities; (e) Your business is engaged in any illegal activity; (f) Your business is a government owned entity (except for a business owned or controlled by a Native American tribe); (g) Your business presents live performances of a prurient sexual nature or derives directly or indirectly more than de minimis gross revenue through the sale of products or services, or the presentation of any depictions or displays, of a prurient sexual nature; (h) Your business engages in lending, multi-level sales distribution, speculation, or investment (except for real estate investment with property held for commercial rental); (i) Your business is a non-profit or charitable concern; (j) Your business is a consumer or marketing cooperative; (k) Your business derives more than one-third of its gross annual revenue from legal gambling activities; (l) Your business is a loan packager that earns more than one-third of its gross annual revenue from packaging SBA loans; (m) Your business principally engages in teaching, instructing, counseling, or indoctrinating religion or religious beliefs, whether in a religious or secular setting; or (n) Your business is primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities. Your business, together with its affiliates, may borrow up to $50,000 each fiscal year. This loan amount may be used to fund only those projects that were a part of your business' approved loan request. SBA will consider mitigation measures costing more than $50,000 per year if your business can identify, as a part of its Pre-Disaster Mitigation Small Business Loan Application, sources that will fund the cost above $50,000. The interest rate on a pre-disaster mitigation loan will be fixed at 4 percent per annum or less. The exact interest rate will be stated in the SBA will publish a notice in the To apply for a pre-disaster mitigation loan your business must submit a complete Pre-Disaster Mitigation Small Business Loan Application (application) within the announced filing period. Complete applications mailed to SBA and postmarked within the announced filing period will be accepted. The complete application serves as your business' loan request. A complete application supplies all of the filing requirements specified on the application form including a written statement from the local or State coordinator confirming: (a) The business that is the subject of the mitigation measure is located within the participating pre-disaster mitigation community; and (b) The mitigation measure is in accordance with the specific priorities and goals of the local participating pre-disaster mitigation community in which the business is located. (The local or State coordinator's written statement does not constitute an endorsement or technical approval of the project and is not a guarantee that the project will prevent damage in future disasters). (a) SBA will consider a loan request for funding if, after reviewing a complete application, SBA determines that it meets the following selection criteria: (1) Your business satisfies the requirements of §§123.401, 123.402 and 123.403; (2) None of the conditions specified in §123.404 apply to your business, its affiliates, or principal owners; (3) Your business has submitted a reasonable cost estimate for the proposed mitigation measure and has chosen to undertake a mitigation measure that is likely to accomplish the desired mitigation result (SBA's determination of this point is not a guaranty that the project will prevent damage in future disasters); (4) Your business is creditworthy; and (5) There is a reasonable assurance of loan repayment in accordance with the terms of a loan agreement. (b) SBA will notify you in writing if your loan request does not meet the criteria in this section. SBA will date stamp each application (loan request) as it is received. SBA will fund loan requests which meet the selection criteria specified in §123.409 on a first come, first served basis using this date stamp, until it has allocated all available program funds. Multiple applications received on the same day will be ranked by a computer based random selection system to determine their funding order. SBA will notify you in writing of its funding decision. If SBA determines that your business' loan request meets the selection criteria of §123.409 but we are unable to fund it because we have already allocated all available program funds, your request will be given priority status, based on the original acceptance date, once more program funds become available. However, if more than 6 months pass since SBA determined to fund your request, SBA may request updated or additional financial information. If SBA declines your business' loan request, SBA will notify your business in writing giving specific reasons for decline. If your business disagrees with SBA's decision, it may respond in accordance with §123.13. If SBA reverses its decision, SBA will use the date it received your business' last request for reconsideration or appeal as the basis for determining the order of funding.
Title 13: Business Credit and Assistance
PART 123—DISASTER LOAN PROGRAM
Subpart E—Pre-Disaster Mitigation Loans
§ 123.400 What is the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Loan Program?
§ 123.401 What types of mitigation measures can your business include in an application for a pre-disaster mitigation loan?
§ 123.402 Can your business include its relocation as a mitigation measure in an application for a pre-disaster mitigation loan?
§ 123.403 When is your business eligible to apply for a pre-disaster mitigation loan?
§ 123.404 When is your business ineligible to apply for a pre-disaster mitigation loan?
§ 123.405 How much can your business borrow with a pre-disaster mitigation loan?
§ 123.406 What is the interest rate on a pre-disaster mitigation loan?
§ 123.407 When does your business apply for a pre-disaster mitigation loan and where does your business get an application?
§ 123.408 How does your business apply for a pre-disaster mitigation loan?
§ 123.409 Which pre-disaster mitigation loan requests will SBA consider for funding?
§ 123.410 Which loan requests will SBA fund?
§ 123.411 What if SBA determines that your business loan request meets the selection criteria of §123.409 but SBA is unable to fund it because SBA has already allocated all program funds?
§ 123.412 What happens if SBA declines your business' pre-disaster mitigation loan request?
