Congress Passes the CARES Act
To help keep small businesses afloat, the CARES Act provides that businesses with fewer than 500 employees, including sole proprietors and nonprofits, will have access to nearly $350 billion in loans through the Small Business Act during the “covered period,” which runs from February 15, 2020 through June 30, 2020. The loans, which are referred to as “paycheck protection loans” and are fully guaranteed by the federal government through December 31, 2020 (returning to an 85% guarantee for loans greater than $150,000 after that date), are generally limited to the LESSER OF:
