Article 8 - Capital Access Loan Program for Small Businesses

California Health and Safety Code — §§ 44559-44559.14

Sections (6)

Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 915, Sec. 11. Effective January 1, 2001.

(a)The Legislature finds and declares that small businesses are responsible for a significant amount of environmental emissions in the state, but are less able than larger businesses to afford the investment in new equipment or process modifications needed to comply with environmental regulations, with regard to controlling emissions, preventing the creation of pollutants, contaminants, or waste products, and remediating contamination of properties with a reasonable potential for economically beneficial reuse. Additionally, small businesses faced with financial pressures will be likely to reduce expenditures to achieve environmental compliance. Better access to capital will allow small businesses to more easily comply with environmental mandates, and to remediate contamination of properties with a reasonable potential of economically beneficial reuse, and to succeed economically, generating additional revenue to state and local governments that can be used for environmental improvements, all to the benefit of all the residents of the state.

(b)The Legislature also finds and declares that it is in the best interest of the state to expand the Capital Access Loan Program for small business regardless of whether the operations of the small business affect the environment, and to permit business loans to be included in the program for small businesses whose operations do not, necessarily, affect the environment. Small businesses have difficulty gaining access to capital for startup and expansion purposes. Small businesses owned by minorities and women have special capital access difficulties. In addition, small businesses operating in areas affected by military base closures are disadvantaged by limited access to capital. The Legislature finds that improving access to capital for these small businesses will spur investment, create jobs, expand economic opportunities, assist in the recovery of communities affected by defense and aerospace losses, assist in the recovery of neighborhoods and communities affected by contaminated properties that are not being used for economically beneficial purposes but which could be so used if the contamination was remediated, and help sustain and strengthen economic recovery in California.

§ 44559.1

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 710, Sec. 12. (AB 786) Effective January 1, 2026.

As used in this article, unless the context requires otherwise, all of the following terms have the following meanings:

(a)“Authority” means the Capital Programs and Climate Financing Authority.

(b)“California Capital Access Fund” means a fund created within the authority to be used for purposes of the program.

(c)“Executive director” means the Executive Director of the

Capital Programs and Climate Financing Authority.

(d)(1) “Financial institution” means a federal- or state-chartered bank, savings association, credit union, not-for-profit community development financial institution certified under Part 1805 (commencing with Section 1805.100) of Chapter XVIII of Title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations, or a consortium of these entities. A consortium of those entities may include a nonfinancial corporation, if the percentage of capitalization by all nonfinancial corporations in the consortium does not exceed 49 percent.

(2)(A) “Financial institution” also includes a lending institution that has executed a participation agreement with the Small Business Administration under the

guaranteed loan program pursuant to Part 120 (commencing with Section 120.1) of Chapter I of Title 13 of the Code of Federal Regulations and meets the requirements of Section 120.410 of Chapter I of Title 13 of the Code of Federal Regulations, a small business investment company licensed pursuant to Part 107 (commencing with Section 107.20) of Chapter I of Title 13 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and a small business financial development corporation, as defined in Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 5 of Division 3 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code, or microbusiness lender, as defined in Section 12100 of the Government Code, that meets standards that shall be established by the authority. For loans where all or part of the fees and matching contributions are paid by an entity participating in the program pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 44559.2, “financial institution”

also includes financial lenders, as defined in Section 22009 of the Financial Code, making commercial loans, as defined in Section 22502 of the Financial Code.

(B)A financial institution described in this paragraph shall be domiciled or have its principal office in the State of California.

(3)“Financial institution” also includes an insured depository institution, insured credit union, or community development financial institution, as these terms are defined in Section 4702 of Title 12 of the United States Code.

(e)“Loss reserve account” means an account in the State Treasury or any financial institution that is established and maintained by the authority for the benefit of a financial institution participating

in the Capital Access Loan Program established pursuant to this article for the purposes of the following:

(1)Depositing all required fees paid by the participating financial institution and the qualified business.

(2)Depositing contributions made by the state and, if applicable, the federal government or other sources.

(3)Covering losses on enrolled qualified loans sustained by the participating financial institution by disbursing funds accumulated in the loss reserve account.

(f)“Participating financial institution” means a financial institution that has been approved by the authority to enroll qualified loans in the program and has agreed to all terms and conditions

set forth in this article and as may be required by any applicable federal law providing matching funding.

(g)“Passive real estate ownership” means ownership of real estate for the purpose of deriving income from speculation, trade, or rental, but does not include any of the following:

(1)The ownership of that portion of real estate being used or intended to be used for the operation of the business of the owner of the real estate.

(2)The ownership of real estate for the purpose of construction or renovation, until the completion of the construction or renovation phase.

(h)“Program” means the Capital Access Loan Program created pursuant to this

article.

(i)“Qualified business” means a small business concern that meets both of the following criteria, regardless of whether the small business concern has operations that affect the environment:

(1)It is a corporation, partnership, cooperative, or other entity, whether that entity is a nonprofit entity or an entity established for profit, that is authorized to conduct business in the state.

(2)It has its primary business location within the boundaries of the state.

(j)(1) “Qualified loan” means a loan or a portion of a loan made by a participating financial institution to a qualified business for any business activity that has its

primary economic effect in California. A qualified loan may be made in the form of a line of credit, in which case the participating financial institution shall specify the amount of the line of credit to be covered under the program, which may be equal to the maximum commitment under the line of credit or an amount that is less than that maximum commitment. A qualified loan made under the program may be made with the interest rates, fees, and other terms and conditions agreed upon by the participating financial institution and the

borrower.

(2)“Qualified loan” does not include any of the following:

(A)A loan for the construction or purchase of residential housing.

(B)A loan to finance passive real estate ownership.

(C)A loan for the refinancing of an existing loan when and to the extent that the outstanding balance is not increased.

(D)A loan, the proceeds of which will be used in any manner that could cause the interest on any bonds previously issued by the authority to become subject to federal income tax.

(k)“Severely affected community”

means any area classified as an enterprise zone pursuant to the Enterprise Zone Act (Chapter 12.8 (commencing with Section 7070) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code), any area, as designated by the executive director, contiguous to the boundaries of a military base designated for closure pursuant to Section 2687 of Title 10 of the United States Code, as amended, and any other comparable economically distressed geographic area so designated by the executive director from time to time.

(l)“Small Business Assistance Fund” means a fund created within the authority pursuant to Section 44548.

(m)“Small business concern” has the same meaning as in Section 632 of Title 15 of the United States Code, or as otherwise provided in regulations of the

authority.

§ 44559.11

Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 32, Sec. 69. (SB 837) Effective June 27, 2016.

(a)It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that the state, through the authority, may make maximum, efficient use of capital access programs enacted by all federal and state agencies, as well as funding available from any governmental program whose goals may be advanced by providing funding to the Capital Access Loan Program.

(b)In furtherance of this intent, and notwithstanding any other provision of this article, when the contributions required pursuant to Section 44559.4 are entirely funded by a public or quasi-public entity other than the authority’s fee revenue under Sections 44525 and 44548, the authority may, by regulation adopted pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 44520 or subdivision (e) of Section

44559.14, establish alternate provisions as necessary to enable the authority to participate in the alternative funding source program, including implementing loan loss reserve programs to benefit any individual person engaged in qualifying activities in furtherance of the public or quasi-public entity’s policy objectives in the state that require financing.

§ 44559.12

Added by Stats. 2011, Ch. 492, Sec. 2. (SB 225) Effective October 6, 2011.

(a)Consistent with subdivision (b) of Section 44559.11, the authority may establish loss reserve accounts for the purposes of financing terminal rental adjustment clause leasing, if funds are available for contribution into the loss reserve account from any source other than the authority. The authority shall not contribute any funds into a loss reserve account created pursuant to this section. Funds provided by the federal government for the purposes of providing a loan loss reserve program shall not be contributed to an account created pursuant to this section.

(b)The executive director may establish conditions for terminal rental adjustment clause leasing loss reserve accounts created pursuant to

this section.

(c)As used in this section, “terminal rental adjustment clause” means “terminal rental adjustment clause” as defined in Section 7701(h)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code.

§ 44559.13

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 710, Sec. 13. (AB 786) Effective January 1, 2026.

(a)It is the intent of the Legislature in this act to create and fund the California Americans with Disabilities Act Small Business Capital Access Loan Program to assist small businesses in complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is not the intent of the Legislature to assist the physical expansion of small businesses that includes modifications that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The program shall be administered by the Capital Programs and Climate Financing Authority and follow the terms and conditions for the Capital Access Loan Program for Small Businesses in this article with the additional program requirements specified under this section.

(b)For purposes of this section, unless the context requires otherwise, the following words and terms shall have the following meanings:

(1)“Americans with Disabilities Act” means the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12101 et seq.) and amendments thereto.

(2)“California Americans with Disabilities Act Small Business Capital Access Loan Program Fund” or “fund” means a fund established and administered by the authority pursuant to Sections 44548 and 44549 to be used for purposes of this program.

(3)(A) “Eligible cost” means and includes all or any part of the price of construction, purchase price of real or personal property, the price of

demolishing or removing any buildings or structures, the price of all machinery and equipment, the amount of financing charges and interest before, during, and for a period not to exceed the later of one year or one year following completion of construction, as determined by the authority, the price of insurance during construction, the amount of funding or financing noncapital expenses, the amount of reserves for principal and interest and for extensions, enlargements, additions, replacements, renovations, and improvements, the price of engineering, financial, and legal services and other service contracts, the price of plans, specifications, studies, surveys, estimates, administrative expenses, and any other expenses of funding or financing, that are necessary and allocable to the eligible project.

(B)“Eligible cost” shall not include costs not

directly related to physical alterations necessary for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

(4)“Eligible project” means the physical alterations or retrofits to an existing small business facility of less than 10,000 square feet necessary to ensure that facility is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the financing necessary to pay eligible costs of the project.

(5)“Qualified loan” means a loan or portion of a loan as defined in subdivision (j) of Section 44559.1, where the proceeds of the loan or portion of the loan are limited to the eligible costs for an eligible project under this program, and where the loan or portion of the loan does not exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).

(6)“Small business” or “qualified business” means a business that is independently owned and operated and not dominant in its field that meets both of the following additional criteria:

(A)It has 30 or fewer full-time equivalent employees, or it has less than five million dollars ($5,000,000) in total gross annual income from all sources.

(B)It does not provide overnight accommodations.

(c)(1) The California Americans with Disabilities Act Small Business Capital Access Loan Program Fund is established in the State Treasury for, and shall be administered by the authority pursuant to Sections 44548 and 44549 for, this program. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, all money

in the fund is continuously appropriated to the authority for carrying out the purposes of this section. The authority may divide the fund into separate accounts. All moneys accruing to the authority pursuant to this section from any source shall be deposited into the fund.

(2)All moneys in the fund derived from any source shall be held in trust for the life of this program, subject to the program expenditures and costs of administering this section, as follows:

(A)Program expenditures shall include all of the following:

(i)Contributions paid by the authority in support of qualified loans.

(ii) Payments made to borrowers enrolling loans to participate in

the program, to the extent that moneys other than the initial appropriation are deposited into the fund by the authority and are authorized for that use pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (d).

(iii) Reasonable costs to educate the small business community and participating lenders about the program, including travel within the state.

(B) Administrative expenditures shall be limited to 5 percent of the initial appropriation plus 5 percent of all moneys recaptured, and shall include all of the following:

(i)Personnel costs.

(ii) Service and vending contracts necessary to carry out the program.

(iii) Other reasonable direct and indirect administrative costs.

(3)The authority may direct the Treasurer to invest moneys in the fund that are not required for its current needs in the eligible securities specified in Section 16430 of the Government Code as the authority shall designate. The authority may direct the Treasurer to deposit moneys in interest-bearing accounts in state or national banks or other financial institutions having principal offices located in the state. The authority may alternatively require the transfer of moneys in the fund to the Surplus Money Investment Fund for investment pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 16470) of Chapter 3 of Part 2 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code. All interest or other increment resulting from an investment or deposit shall be deposited into the fund,

notwithstanding Section 16305.7 of the Government Code. Moneys in the fund shall not be subject to transfer to any other fund pursuant to any provision of Part 2 (commencing with Section 16300) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code, excepting the Surplus Money Investment Fund.

(d)The authority shall adopt regulations pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 44520 to implement the program, including provisions specific to this program as described in this section and

further including provisions to:

(1)Establish a new loss reserve account for each participating lender enrolling loans in this program.

(2)Obtain a certification from each participating lender and small business upon enrollment of a qualified loan that the proceeds of the loan will be used for the eligible costs of an eligible project.

(3)Contribute an additional incentive from the fund for each loan enrolled for a qualified business located in a severely affected community, or make nonreimbursable payments from other moneys to participating borrowers to offset all or a portion of the reasonable costs of architectural inspections obtained from a person who is certified as an access specialist pursuant to the

program described in Section 4459.5 of the Government Code.

(4)Restrict the enrollment of a qualified loan in any other Capital Access Loan Program for small business offered by the authority as long as funds are available for this program.

(5)Limit the term of loss coverage for each qualified loan to no more than five years.

(6)Recapture from the loss reserve account the authority’s contribution for each enrolled loan upon the maturation of such loan or after five years from the date of enrollment, whichever happens first, to be deposited in the fund and applied to future program and administrative expenditures.

§ 44559.14

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 710, Sec. 14. (AB 786) Effective January 1, 2026.

(a)(1) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting the act adding this section to create and fund a program to assist residential property owners and small business owners in seismically retrofitting residences and small businesses with a priority on soft-story buildings and unreinforced brick and concrete buildings. It is not the intent of the Legislature to assist the physical expansion of small businesses and residences.

(2)The Legislature hereby establishes the California Seismic Safety Capital Access Loan Program. The program shall cover losses on qualified loans by participating lenders to qualified residential property owners or qualified small

businesses for eligible projects, as specified under this section. The program shall

be administered by the

Capital Programs and Climate Financing Authority and follow the terms and conditions for the Capital Access Loan Program in this article with the additional program requirements specified under this section.

(b)For purposes of this section, unless the context requires otherwise, the following words and terms shall have the following meanings:

(1)“Seismic retrofit construction” means alteration performed on or after January 1, 2017, of a qualified building or its components to substantially mitigate seismic damage. “Seismic retrofit construction” includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(A)Anchoring the structure to the foundation.

(B)Bracing cripple walls.

(C)Bracing hot water heaters.

(D)Installing automatic gas shutoff valves.

(E)Repairing or reinforcing the foundation to improve the integrity of the foundation against seismic damage.

(F)Anchoring fuel storage.

(G)Installing an earthquake-resistant bracing system for mobilehomes that are registered with the Department of Housing and Community Development.

(H)Strengthening a building’s lateral load resisting system.

(2)“Eligible costs”

means the costs paid or incurred on or after January 1, 2017, for an eligible project, including any engineering or architectural design work necessary to permit or complete the eligible project less the amount of any grant provided by a public entity for the eligible project. “Eligible costs” do not include costs paid or incurred for any of the following:

(A)Maintenance, including abatement of deferred or inadequate maintenance, and correction of violations unrelated to the seismic retrofit construction.

(B)Repair, including repair of earthquake damage.

(C)Seismic retrofit construction required by local building codes as a result of addition, repair, building relocation, or change of use or occupancy.

(D)Other work or improvement required by local building or planning codes as a result of the intended seismic retrofit construction.

(E)Rent reductions or other associated compensation, compliance actions, or other related coordination involving the qualified residential property owner or qualified small business and any other party, including a tenant, insurer, or lender.

(F)Replacement of existing building components, including equipment, except as needed to complete the seismic retrofit construction.

(G)Bracing or securing nonpermanent building contents.

(H)The offset of costs,

reimbursements, or other costs transferred from the qualified residential property owner or qualified small business to others.

(3)“Eligible project” means seismic retrofit construction that is necessary to ensure that the qualified building is capable of substantially mitigating seismic damage, and the financing necessary to pay eligible costs of the project.

(4)“Qualified building” means a residential or commercial building that is identified by the local building code official for the jurisdiction in which the building is located as a building in need of seismic retrofitting and is either a building of a type that is potentially vulnerable in the event of a catastrophic earthquake or a building constructed before 1981.

(6)“Qualified small business” means a business referred to in subdivisions (i) and (m) of Section 44559.1 that owns a qualified building regardless of owner occupancy, notwithstanding the restriction on passive real estate ownership in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (j) of Section 44559.1.

(7)“Qualified residential property owner” means either an owner of a residential building that is a qualified building or a

qualified small business that owns one or more residential buildings, including a multiunit housing building, that is a qualified building, notwithstanding the restriction on passive real estate ownership in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (j) of Section 44559.1.

(c)(1) The California Seismic Safety Capital Access Loan Program Fund is established in the State Treasury and shall be administered by the authority pursuant to Sections 44548 and 44549 for this program. For purposes of this section, the references in Sections 44548 and 44549 to “small business” shall include “qualified residential property owner,” as defined in this section. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, all moneys in the fund are continuously appropriated to the authority for carrying out this section. The

authority may divide the fund into separate accounts. All moneys accruing to the authority pursuant to this section from any source shall be deposited into the fund.

(2)All moneys in the fund derived from any source shall be held in trust for the life of this program, for program expenditures and costs of administering this section, as follows:

(A)Program expenditures shall include both of the following:

(i)Contributions paid by the authority in support of qualified loans.

(ii) Costs for a qualified expert to validate that the proceeds of the loans are eligible costs, as defined under this section.

(iii) Reasonable costs to educate the small business community, residential property owners, and participating lenders about the program, including travel within the state.

(B) Administrative expenditures shall be limited to 5 percent of the initial appropriation plus 5 percent of all moneys recaptured, and shall include all of the following:

(i)Personnel costs.

(ii) Service and vending contracts, other than program expenditures described in subparagraph (A), that are necessary to carry out the program.

(iii) Other reasonable direct and indirect administrative costs.

(3)The authority may

direct the Treasurer to invest moneys in the fund that are not required for its current needs in the eligible securities specified in Section 16430 of the Government Code as the authority shall designate. The authority may direct the Treasurer to deposit moneys in interest-bearing accounts in state or national banks or other financial institutions having principal offices located in the state. The authority may alternatively require the transfer of moneys in the fund to the Surplus Money Investment Fund for investment pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 16470) of Chapter 3 of Part 2 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code. All interest or other increment resulting from an investment or deposit shall be deposited into the fund, notwithstanding Section 16305.7 of the Government Code. Moneys in the fund shall not be subject to transfer to any other fund pursuant to any provision of

Part 2 (commencing with Section 16300) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code, excepting the Surplus Money Investment Fund.

(d)The authority shall adopt regulations pursuant to Section 44520 to implement the program, including, but not limited to, provisions to:

(1)Establish a new loss reserve account for each participating lender enrolling loans in this program.

(2)Obtain a certification from each participating lender and qualified small business or qualified residential property owner upon enrollment of a qualified loan that the proceeds of the loan will be used for the eligible costs of an eligible project.

(3)Contribute an additional incentive

from the fund for each loan enrolled for a qualified small business or qualified residential property owner located in a severely affected community.

(4)Restrict the enrollment of a qualified loan in any other Capital Access Loan Program for a qualified small business or qualified residential property owner offered by the authority as long as funds are available for this program.

(5)Limit the term of loss coverage for each qualified loan to no more than 10 years.

(6)Recapture from the loss reserve account the authority’s contribution for each enrolled loan upon the maturation of that loan or after 10 years from the date of enrollment, whichever happens first, to be deposited in the fund and applied to future program

and administrative expenditures.

(e)The authority may adopt regulations relating to residential property owner or small business financing as emergency regulations in accordance with Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. For purposes of that Chapter 3.5, including Section 11349.6 of the Government Code, the adoption of the regulations shall be considered by the Office of Administrative Law to be necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, and general welfare. The regulations shall be repealed 180 days after their effective date, unless the adopting authority or agency complies with that Chapter 3.5.