Rep. Patrick Flannery sponsors bill aimed at assisting struggling small businesses
FRANKFORT, KY (February 5, 2021) – Representative Patrick Flannery, R- Olive Hill, has filed legislation that would help many small businesses and self-employed people who have struggled the last several months. This bill conforms with federal law to allow deductions paid with proceeds from loans made under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
“The PPP loan program was intended to help keep small businesses afloat during the pandemic. Three-quarters of all eligible Kentucky small businesses took advantage of the PPP loans,” said Flannery. “599,372 Kentucky jobs were protected by the program. Small businesses are truly the backbone of our economy. Nearly identical legislation has been passed at the federal level to allow PPP deductions and this bill is needed to do the same at the state level.”
The U.S. Small Business Administration implemented the $669-billion business program that was established by the 2020 US Federal government CARES Act. The goal is to help individual businesses, self-employed workers, sole proprietors, specific nonprofit organizations, and tribal enterprises continue paying their workers. It allows entities to apply for low-interest private loans to pay for their payroll and certain other costs.
HB 278 will help struggling small businesses and the self-employed by offering tax relief on state tax filings for entities who received federal PPP loans. This legislation would conform Kentucky law to existing federal statutes created by The Heroes Act.
Kentucky has received $5.3 billion in PPP loans to keep businesses operational.
HB 278 will be considered during the 2021 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly.
To view the filed legislation, please visit legislature.ky.gov.
by Erin Mitchell
Communications Specialist
Leadership Staff
House Majority Office
Legislative Research Commission
