Title 12Banks and BankingRelease 119-73not60

§5703 Approving States for Participation

Title 12 › Chapter 54— STATE SMALL BUSINESS CREDIT INITIATIVE › § 5703

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

States can ask the Secretary to approve them to join the program and get federal money. To be approved, a state must name a specific office or agency to run the program, finish any legal steps needed so that office can act, file the right application for either a State capital access program or another credit-support program within the deadlines in those program rules, and sign an allocation agreement with the Secretary. That agreement must follow the chapter’s rules, make the state follow national standards set by the Secretary, set up internal controls, reporting, and allow audits, require the state program to be ready to provide credit support within 90 days after signing, and include an annual schedule showing how the state will split the federal funds among its programs. A state may hire another approved state’s program or an authorized agent (including for-profit or non-profit entities) to run its program. If a state does not give notice within 60 days after March 11, 2021, or does not file a full application within 9 months after March 11, 2021, the Secretary may let cities or towns in that state apply directly. Those municipalities must file a full application within 12 months after March 11, 2021, may join together, and must meet the same approval rules. If more than three municipalities qualify, funds go to the three largest by population; if three or fewer qualify, each gets funds. Approved municipal applicants share the state’s full allocation based on population from the most recent decennial census, and the Secretary will consider the extra factors listed in section 5705(d) when deciding eligibility.

Full Legal Text

Title 12, §5703

Banks and Banking — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Any State may apply to the Secretary for approval to be a participating State under the Program and to be eligible for an allocation of Federal funds under the Program.
(b)The Secretary shall approve a State to be a participating State, if—
(1)a specific department, agency, or political subdivision of the State has been designated to implement a State program and participate in the Program;
(2)all legal actions necessary to enable such designated department, agency, or political subdivision to implement a State program and participate in the Program have been accomplished;
(3)the State has filed an application with the Secretary for approval of a State capital access program under section 5704 of this title or approval as a State other credit support program under section 5705 of this title, in each case within the time period provided in the respective section; and
(4)the State and the Secretary have executed an allocation agreement that—
(A)conforms to the requirements of this chapter;
(B)ensures that the State program complies with such national standards as are established by the Secretary under section 5708(a)(2) of this title;
(C)sets forth internal control, compliance, and reporting requirements as established by the Secretary, and such other terms and conditions necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter, including an agreement by the State to allow the Secretary to audit State programs;
(D)requires that the State program be fully positioned, within 90 days of the State’s execution of the allocation agreement with the Secretary, to act on providing the kind of credit support that the State program was established to provide; and
(E)includes an agreement by the State to deliver to the Secretary, and update annually, a schedule describing how the State intends to apportion among its State programs the Federal funds allocated to the State.
(c)A State may be approved to be a participating State, and be eligible for an allocation of Federal funds under the Program, if the State has contractual arrangements for the implementation and administration of its State program with—
(1)an existing, approved State program administered by another State; or
(2)an authorized agent of, or entity supervised by, the State, including for-profit and not-for-profit entities.
(d)(1)If a State does not, within 60 days after March 11, 2021, file with the Secretary a notice of its intent to apply for approval by the Secretary of a State program or within 9 months after March 11, 2021, file with the Secretary a complete application for approval of a State program, the Secretary may grant to municipalities of that State a special permission that will allow them to apply directly to the Secretary without the State for approval to be participating municipalities.
(2)To qualify for the special permission, a municipality of a State shall be required, within 12 months after March 11, 2021, to file with the Secretary a complete application for approval by the Secretary of a State program.
(3)A municipality of a State may combine with 1 or more other municipalities of that State to file a joint notice of intent to file and a joint application.
(4)The general approval criteria in paragraphs (2) and (4) shall apply.
(5)(A)If more than 3 municipalities, or combination of municipalities as provided in paragraph (3), of a State apply for approval by the Secretary to be participating municipalities under this subsection, and the applications meet the approval criteria in paragraph (4), the Secretary shall allocate Federal funds to the 3 municipalities with the largest populations.
(B)If 3 or fewer municipalities, or combination of municipalities as provided in paragraph (3), of a State apply for approval by the Secretary to be participating municipalities under this subsection, and the applications meet the approval criteria in paragraph (4), the Secretary shall allocate Federal funds to each applicant municipality or combination of municipalities.
(6)If the Secretary approves municipalities to be participating municipalities under this subsection, the Secretary shall apportion the full amount of the Federal funds that are allocated to that State to municipalities that are approved under this subsection in amounts proportionate to the population of those municipalities, based on the most recent available decennial census.
(7)If the Secretary approves municipalities to be participating municipalities under this subsection, the Secretary shall take into account the additional considerations in section 5705(d) of this title in making the determination under section 5704 or 5705 of this title that the State program or programs to be implemented by the participating municipalities, including a State capital access program, is eligible for Federal contributions to, or for the account of, the State program.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2021—Subsec. (d)(1), (2). Pub. L. 117–2 substituted “
March 11, 2021” for “
September 27, 2010” whenever appearing.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2021 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 117–2 applicable with respect to funds appropriated under section 3301 of Pub. L. 117–2 and funds appropriated on and after Mar. 11, 2021, see section 3301(g) of Pub. L. 117–2, set out as a note under section 5701 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

12 U.S.C. § 5703

Title 12Banks and Banking

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60