15 U.S.C. § 9009 — Emergency EIDL grants

(a) Definitions. In this section, the term "covered period" means January 31, 2020, through December 31, 2021. The term "eligible entity" means: (A) a business with no more than 500 employees; (B) an individual operating a sole proprietorship, with or without employees, or operating as an independent contractor; (C) a cooperative with no more than 500 employees; (D) an ESOP, as defined in section 632 of this title, with no more than 500 employees; (E) a tribal small business concern^* described in section 657a(b)(2)(C) of this title, with no more than 500 employees; or (F) an agricultural enterprise, as defined in section 647(b) of this title, with no more than 500 employees.
(b) Eligible entities. During the covered period, in addition to small business concerns, private nonprofit organizations, and small agricultural cooperatives, an eligible entity is eligible for a loan under section 636(b)(2) of this title.
(c) Terms; credit elsewhere. For a loan under section 636(b)(2) made in response to COVID-19 during the covered period, the Administrator^* must waive: (1) rules about personal guarantees on advances and loans of no more than $200,000 during the covered period, for all applicants; (2) the requirement that the applicant have been in business for the year before the disaster, except that this waiver is unavailable to a business that was not operating on January 31, 2020; and (3) the requirement that the applicant be unable to obtain credit elsewhere, described in the provision following section 636(b)(2)(E) of this title as redesignated by subsection (f) of this section.
(d) Approval and ability to repay for small-dollar loans. For a covered-period COVID-19 loan under section 636(b)(2), the Administrator may: (1) approve an applicant based only on the applicant's credit score, or by another appropriate method for deciding whether the applicant can repay; and (2) use Treasury Department information to confirm that the applicant is eligible for the loan or that the application's information is accurate.
(e) Emergency grant. (1)(A) Advances. During the covered period, an entity eligible under subsection (b), including a small business concern, private nonprofit organization, or small agricultural cooperative, that applies for a COVID-19 loan under section 636(b)(2) may ask the Administrator for an advance in the amount requested, subject to paragraph (3). (B) Timing. Within 21 days after receiving each request, the Administrator must: (i) verify whether the entity is eligible for the loan during the covered period; (ii) if it is eligible, provide the requested advance; and (iii) if the entity is not entitled to an advance, notify it and explain why. (2) Verification. Before paying an amount under this subsection, the Administrator must verify eligibility by accepting the applicant's self-certification under penalty of perjury under section 1746 of title 28. (3) Amount. The advance may not exceed $10,000. (4) Use of funds. The advance may be used for any allowable purpose of a section 636(b)(2) loan, including: (A) paid sick leave for employees unable to work because of COVID-19's direct effects; (B) payroll to retain employees during business disruptions or substantial slowdowns; (C) increased costs of obtaining materials unavailable from the original source because of interrupted supply chains; (D) rent or mortgage payments; and (E) repayment of obligations that cannot be met because of lost revenue. (5) Repayment. The applicant does not have to repay any advance, even if later denied the loan. (6) Repealed. (7) Authorization of appropriations. Congress may appropriate $40,000,000,000 to the Administration^* to carry out this subsection. (8) Termination. The authority to carry out grants under this subsection ends December 31, 2021. (9) Statute of limitations. Despite any other law, a criminal charge or civil enforcement action alleging fraud by a borrower concerning use of an advance must be filed within 10 years after the offense occurred.