52:18A-262 "Main Street Recovery Fund".
87. a. To aid in the economic recovery of those communities most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and to better ensure their long-term economic growth, there is created the "Main Street Recovery Fund" to be held by the State Treasurer and administered by the authority. All moneys deposited in the fund shall be held and disbursed in the amounts necessary to fulfill the purposes of providing grants and loans related to an identified program that is administered by the authority pursuant to sections 85 and 86 of P.L.2020, c.156 (C.34:1B-352 and C.34:1B-353), for the purposes enumerated in subsection b. of this section, and for reasonable administrative costs of implementing sections 82 through 88 of P.L.2020, c.156 (C.34:1B-349 et al.). The fund may be credited with pay backs; bonuses; entitlements; money received from the federal government; transfers; grants; gifts; bequests; moneys appropriated by the Legislature; or any other money made available from any source. The State Treasurer, in consultation with the authority, may invest and reinvest any moneys in the fund in the State Treasurer's discretion. Any income from, interest on, or increment to moneys so invested or reinvested shall be included in the fund.
b. Upon application to the Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the authority may make loan guarantees from the fund to leverage private and public lending to help finance small businesses, real estate developments, and manufacturers that are creditworthy but not receiving the financing needed to expand and create jobs. In making loan guarantees under this section, the chief executive officer of the authority shall give due consideration to small businesses and real estate developments in underserved communities throughout the State that have been deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
c. (1) The chief executive officer of the authority shall monitor the activities of the beneficiaries of the loan guarantees issued pursuant to this section on an annual basis to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions imposed on the recipient by the chief executive officer.
(2) An entity receiving a loan guarantee and the beneficiaries of such loan guarantee under this section shall provide the authority with an annual accounting of how the benefit it received from the fund was applied.
(3) The authority, at the time the annual accounting required under paragraph (2) of this subsection is provided, shall confirm with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of the Treasury that the entity and the beneficiaries are in substantial good standing with the respective departments, or have entered into an agreement with the respective department that includes a practical corrective action plan.
(4) The entity and beneficiary, or an authorized agent thereof, shall certify under the penalty of perjury that the information provided pursuant to this subsection is true.
L.2020, c.156, s.87; amended 2021, c.160, s.43.