Sec. 4. Emergency grants to nonprofits that support minority business enterprises
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/bill/116/hr/6869/ih/section-4·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The purpose of this section is to make grants to covered entities in order to help those covered entities continue the necessary work of supporting minority business enterprises. Not later than 15 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Agency shall establish a grant program for covered entities in accordance with the requirements of this section, under which the Agency shall make grants to covered entities as expeditiously as possible. A covered entity desiring a grant under this section shall submit to the Agency an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Agency may require.
The Agency shall— establish selection criteria to ensure that, if the amounts made available to carry out this section are not sufficient to make a grant under this section to every covered entity that submits an application under paragraph (1), the covered entities that are the most severely affected by the effects of COVID–19 receive priority with respect to those grants; and give priority with respect to the grants made under this section to a covered entity that proposes to use the grant funds for— providing paid sick leave to employees of the covered entity who are unable to work due to the direct effects of COVID–19; continuing to make payroll payments in order to retain employees of the covered entity during an economic disruption with respect to COVID–19; making rent or mortgage payments with respect to obligations of the covered entity; or repaying non-Federal obligations that the covered entity cannot satisfy because of revenue losses that are attributable to the effects of COVID–19.
A grant made under this section shall be in an amount that is not more than $300,000. No covered entity may receive, or directly benefit from, more than 1 grant made under this section. A covered entity that receives a grant under this section may use the grant funds to address the effects of COVID–19 on the covered entity, including by making payroll payments, making a transition to the provision of online services, and addressing issues raised by an inability to raise funds.
The Agency shall establish procedures to discourage and prevent waste, fraud, and abuse by applicants for, and recipients of, grants made under this section. An applicant for, or recipient of, a grant made under this section shall be subject to all applicable provisions of Federal law, including section 1001 of title 18, United States Code. The Agency shall ensure that covered entities do not receive grants under both this section and section 1108 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act .
Not later than 180 days after the date on which the Agency begins making grants under this section, the Inspector General of the Department of Commerce shall— conduct an audit of grants made under this section, which shall seek to identify any discrepancies or irregularities with respect to the grants; and submit to Congress a report regarding the audit conducted under paragraph (1). Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and once every 30 days thereafter until the date described in subsection (k), the Agency shall submit to Congress a report that contains— the number of grants made under this section during the period covered by the report; and with respect to the grants described in paragraph (1), the geographic distribution of those grants by State and county.
The authority to make grants under this section shall terminate on September 30, 2021.