[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 202 (Thursday, October 20, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 63856]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-22786]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY


Request for Information--State Small Business Credit Initiative 
(SSBCI) Technical Assistance Funds

AGENCY: Departmental Offices, Treasury.

ACTION: Request for information; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: On September 20, 2022, Treasury published a request for 
information (RFI) that invited the public to comment on how Treasury 
can use its authorities under the State Small Business Credit 
Initiative (SSBCI) to fund technical assistance (TA) to qualifying 
businesses applying to SSBCI credit and investment programs and other 
jurisdiction and Federal programs that support small businesses. The 
purpose of this notice is to extend the comment period and provide more 
time for interested parties to provide comments.

DATES: The comment period for the notice published September 20, 2022, 
at 87 FR 57558, is extended. Responses must be received by November 3, 
2022 to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Please submit comments electronically through the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. All comments should be 
captioned with ``SSBCI Request for Information Comments.'' Please 
include your name, organization (if applicable), and email addresses. 
Where appropriate, a comment should include a short executive summary. 
In general, comments received will be posted on http://www.regulations.gov without change, including any business or personal 
information provided. Comments received, including attachments and 
other supporting materials, will be part of the public record and 
subject to public disclosure. Do not enclose any information in your 
comment or supporting materials that you consider confidential or 
inappropriate for public disclosure.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey Stout, at (202) 622-2059 or 
[email protected]. Further information may be obtained 
from the SSBCI website, https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/small-business-programs/state-small-business-credit-initiative-ssbci.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) 
reauthorized and amended the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (SSBCI 
statute) to provide $10 billion to fund SSBCI as a response to the 
economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,\1\ including up to $500 
million for TA to qualifying businesses. As further detailed in the 
SSBCI statute (12 U.S.C. 5708(e)), Treasury may generally deploy the 
$500 million for TA in three ways: (1) by providing funds to eligible 
jurisdictions to carry out qualifying TA plans, (2) by transferring 
amounts to the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) so that the 
MBDA may use such amounts in a matter it determines appropriate to 
provide TA to qualifying businesses, or (3) by contracting with legal, 
accounting, and financial advisory firms to provide TA to qualifying 
businesses. Treasury previously allocated $200 of the $500 million in 
TA funding to an SSBCI TA Grant Program to support jurisdictions' TA 
plans and $100 million to the MBDA.\2\
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    \1\ ARPA, Public Law 117-2, sec. 3301, codified at 12 U.S.C. 
5701 et seq. SSBCI was originally established in title III of the 
Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. Information about SSBCI is 
available at: https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/small-business-programs/state-small-business-credit-initiative-ssbci.
    \2\ See Treasury Announces Plans to Deploy $300 Million in 
Technical Assistance to Underserved Entrepreneurs and Very Small 
Businesses through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (April 
28, 2022), https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/SSBCITA-Release-4-28-22.pdf.
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    On September 20, 2022, Treasury published an RFI in the Federal 
Register (87 FR 57558) to request public comment on how Treasury might 
allocate additional TA funding to jurisdictions or contract with TA 
providers. The RFI requested that respondents address certain Key 
Questions and provided that comments must be received by October 20, 
2022 to be assured of consideration. This notice announces the 
extension of the comment period in order to give additional time for 
interested parties to provide comments. Responses must be received by 
November 3, 2022 to be assured of consideration.

Jeffrey Stout,
Director, SSBCI.
[FR Doc. 2022-22786 Filed 10-19-22; 8:45 am]
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