Bipartisan legislation was introduced in the House Monday that calls for the creation of a simple online calculator to help small-business owners fill out loan forgiveness forms that tend to be difficult for advisors and others to fill out.
Reps. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., and William Lacy Clay, D-Mo., sponsored the Calculate Loan Forgiveness Act.
"The Paycheck Protection Program has been an essential lifeline for small businesses and their employees who rely on a steady paycheck during this pandemic," Wagner said in announcing the legislation. "I proudly supported this program so we could keep our Main Street economy afloat while we navigate the difficult challenges of COVID-19," she said, adding: "This national crisis has brought unimaginable stress to the lives of small business owners who have worked incredibly hard to pay their employees while stay-at-home orders cause significant drops in business."
But she said Congress "should help American small businesses manage the PPP loan forgiveness application process so they can get the relief they deserve quickly and efficiently." And that is why she introduced the new bill to create an online calculator for small-business owners, she said in the joint announcement with Rep. Clay.
Clay said: "Small businesses are under tremendous stress during this public health emergency and we are urging the SBA, Treasury Department and lenders to create this user-friendly online tool to help business owners navigate the details of the PPP."