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REFERENCE TITLE: small business assistance grants |
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State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-fifth Legislature First Regular Session 2021
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HB 2282 |
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Introduced by Representatives Lieberman: Bolding, Butler, Jermaine, Pawlik, Schwiebert, Shah, Senators Alston, Bowie, Engel
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AN ACT
amending Title 41, chapter 10, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 41-1506.02; appropriating monies; relating to the arizona commerce authority.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 41, chapter 10, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 41-1506.02, to read:
41-1506.02. Small business assistance grant fund; application; exemption; definition
A. The small business assistance grant fund is established consisting of legislative appropriations to provide grants to small businesses that closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The authority shall administer the fund. Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated.
B. Except as provided in subsection F of this section, a small business, including any of the following, may apply to the authority for a small business assistance grant:
1. AN individual who operates as a sole proprietor.
2. An individual who operates as an independent contractor.
3. An individual who is self-employed and who regularly carries on any trade or business.
4. A Tribal small business.
5. A Cooperative and employee owned business.
C. The authority shall award grants in the amount of $5,000. The authority shall allocate at least thirty percent of the monies in the small business assistance grant fund to small businesses that are located in counties with a population of less than nine hundred thousand persons.
D. A small business shall apply to the authority, on a form prescribed by the authority, on or before _______ To receive monies from the small business assistance grant fund. The application must include:
1. The name of the business.
2. The number of employees of the business at the time of application.
3. THe date the business was organized.
4. OTher information required by the authority to determine the financial impact on the business resulting from the COVID‑19 pandemic.
E. THe authority shall review the applications submitted on or before ______ and, when awarding grants, shall give priority to small Businesses that have not received financial assistance from any federal program. If there are monies remaining in the small business assistance grant fund after the authority awards grants to small businesses that applied on or before _____, the authority shall extend the application deadline to allow additional businesses to apply.
F. The following entities are not eligible for a small business assistance grant pursuant to this section:
1. PUblicly held corporations.
2. Real estate investment firms.
3. Banks, credit unions, check cashing companies, financing companies, vehicle title loan companies or other entities that lend monies to consumers.
G. Grants awarded pursuant to this section are exempt from the requirements of chapter 24 of this title.
H. For the purposes of this section, "small business" means a business that meets all of the following:
1. operates in this state.
2. Employs fifty or fewer employees.
3. Has been in operation since January 31, 2020 but closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sec. 2. Exemption from rulemaking
For the purposes of this act, the Arizona commerce authority is exempt from the rulemaking requirements of title 41, chapter 6, Arizona Revised Statutes, for one year after the effective date of this act.
Sec. 3. Legislative intent
The Legislature intends that the small business assistance grant fund established by section 41‑1506.02, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act, provide financial assistance to small businesses that closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic so that those small businesses can reopen.
Sec. 4. Appropriation; small business assistance grant fund; exemption
A. The sum of $20,000,000 is appropriated from the crisis contingency and safety net fund established by section 41-110, Arizona Revised Statutes, in fiscal year 2021-2022 to the small business assistance grant fund established by section 41‑1506.02, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act, to provide financial relief to small businesses that closed as a result of the COVID‑19 pandemic so that those small businesses can reopen.
B. The appropriation made in subsection A of this section is exempt from the provisions of section 35‑190, Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to lapsing of appropriations.