ACLU Joins Coalition Partners to Oppose SBA Restrictions on COVID-19 Relief Loans for Those with Arrest and Conviction Histories

On April 10, the ACLU joined coalition partners to oppose restrictions based on arrest or conviction history placed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) on two small business programs authorized and funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act – the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) programs. The SBA’s proposed interim rule and policy guidance for the PPP and EIDL programs are far more exclusionary than the existing regulations on restrictions for small business owners with arrest and conviction histories.