SENATE BILL No. 1248

 

 

April 15, 2008, Introduced by Senators RICHARDVILLE, KAHN, PAPPAGEORGE, VAN WOERKOM and KUIPERS and referred to the Committee on Economic Development and Regulatory Reform.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1984 PA 270, entitled

 

"Michigan strategic fund act,"

 

by amending section 88d (MCL 125.2088d), as added by 2005 PA 225.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 88d. (1) The fund shall create and operate a loan

 

enhancement program.

 

     (2) As a separate and distinct part of the loan enhancement

 

program, the fund may create a loan guarantee program that does all

 

of the following:

 

     (a) Provide a loan guarantee mechanism to financial

 

institutions located in this state that provide commercial loans to

 

qualified businesses, public authorities, and local units of

 

government.


 

     (b) Ensures that participating financial institutions do not

 

refinance prior debt.

 

     (c) Provide that a qualified business is only eligible for a

 

loan guarantee under this section if it has a documented growth

 

opportunity. As used in this subdivision, "documented growth

 

opportunity" means a plant expansion, capital equipment investment,

 

acquisition of intellectual property or technology, or the hiring

 

of new employees to meet or satisfy a new business opportunity.

 

     (d) Provide that a qualified business that engages primarily

 

in retail sales is not eligible for a loan guarantee under this

 

chapter unless the fund board makes a specific finding that the

 

loan guarantee supports a new concept that has significant growth

 

potential.

 

     (e) Provide repayment provisions for a loan or a guarantee

 

given to a qualified business that leaves Michigan within 3 years

 

of the provision of the loan or guarantee or otherwise breaches the

 

terms of an agreement with the fund.

 

     (3) As a separate and distinct part of the loan enhancement

 

program, the fund shall reestablish the small business capital

 

access program that was previously operated by the fund for small

 

businesses in a manner similar to how that program was operated

 

before January 1, 2002. The small business capital access program

 

shall operate on a market-driven basis and provide for premium

 

payments by borrowers into a special reserve fund. The small

 

business capital access program established by the board shall

 

prohibit an officer, director, principal shareholder of a

 

participating financial institution, or his or her immediate family


 

members from receiving a small business capital access program loan

 

from the financial institution. A loan under the small business

 

capital access program shall provide that the proceeds of a loan

 

may only be used for a business purpose within this state and may

 

not be used for any of the following:

 

     (a) The construction or purchase of residential housing.

 

     (b) To finance passive real estate ownership.

 

     (c) To refinance prior debt from the participating financial

 

institution that is not part of the small business capital access

 

program.

 

     (4) As a separate and distinct part of the loan enhancement

 

program, the fund shall establish the choose Michigan

 

entrepreneurial loan fund to invest in loans from the 21st century

 

jobs trust fund and the investment fund to companies eligible for a

 

tax credit under section 441 of the Michigan business tax act, 2007

 

PA 36, MCL 208.1441. A loan issued under this subsection is subject

 

to all of the following requirements:

 

     (a) A loan shall be provided at an interest rate of not less

 

than 1%.

 

     (b) The minimum amount of a loan under this subsection is

 

$50,000.00.

 

     (c) The maximum term of a loan under this subsection is 10

 

years, including up to 3 years of deferred principal payments to

 

align principal payments with receipt of tax credit, as determined

 

by the fund board.

 

     (d) The value of the loan may not exceed the value of the tax

 

credit that the company is eligible to receive over 3 years, as


 

discounted by the fund board. A loan authorized by the fund board

 

may provide for a loan amount equal to a portion or all of the

 

discounted value of the tax credit, as discounted by the fund

 

board.

 

     (e) The company is responsible for repayment of the loan

 

regardless of the actual tax credit amount received.

 

     (f) The company also obtains an additional loan from an

 

accredited financial institution or other approved lending market.

 

     (g) The loan shall be issued consistent with guidelines for

 

the initiation of a loan and the terms of the loan under this

 

subsection approved by the fund board.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless Senate Bill No. 1204 of the 94th Legislature is enacted into

 

law.