Title 15 › Chapter 116— CORONAVIRUS ECONOMIC STABILIZATION (CARES ACT) › Subchapter I— KEEPING AMERICAN WORKERS PAID AND EMPLOYED › § 9011
The Small Business Administration must pay the principal, interest, and fees on certain SBA-backed loans for set time periods to help borrowers affected by COVID-19. A "covered loan" means an SBA-guaranteed loan under certain SBA programs or a loan made by an intermediary using SBA loan or grant funds. For loans approved before March 27, 2020 that are not on deferment, the SBA pays for 6 months starting with the next payment due, and then may pay additional months starting on or after February 1, 2021: most loans get 3 more months (and an extra 5 months for borrowers with NAICS codes beginning with 61, 71, 72, 213, 315, 448, 451, 481, 485, 487, 511, 512, 515, 532, or 812), while certain other SBA program loans get 8 months. Similar timing rules apply if a loan was on deferment. Loans made between March 27, 2020 and six months later get 6 months of payments starting with their first payment. Loans approved between February 1, 2021 and September 30, 2021 get 6 months starting with their first payment. The SBA must start payments within 30 days of when the first payment is due, and payments relieve the borrower of that amount. Monthly rules and other steps: no late fees can be charged while the SBA is paying a loan, and SBA aims to make payments by the 15th of the month. For certain added payment periods, one monthly payment by the SBA cannot exceed $9,000; any amount over $9,000 in a month may be added by the lender as interest to be repaid at the end of the loan. The SBA will watch fund levels and, if money runs short, make a plan to cut months proportionally and report that plan to Congress. The SBA will work with bank regulators so lenders do not have to increase reserves, may waive maximum loan-term limits when lenders defer and extend loans during the 1-year after March 27, 2020, and may delay site visits to 60 days (or longer at SBA discretion) after adverse events and to 90 days after payment default. A borrower may not get the special assistance for more than one loan of the type made in the March 27, 2020 six-month window. The SBA must publish information within 14 days and guidance within 21 days after the related Act, send lenders NAICS codes by March 1, 2021, mail borrowers an information letter within 30 days, and report to Congress by the 15th of each month. Up to $17,000,000,000 is authorized to carry out these payments.
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Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
15 U.S.C. § 9011
Title 15 — Commerce and Trade
Last Updated
Apr 3, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60