Senate votes to extend PPP into August

The Senate passed legislation to extend the Paycheck Protection Program application deadline until Aug. 8, sending it to the House hours before the SBA stopped accepting PPP applications.

The bill, which the Senate passed via unanimous consent, needs to be approved by the House and signed by the president to take effect. After the SBA has approved $520.6 billion in PPP loans through Tuesday evening, the program has roughly $130 billion in remaining funds.

The Senate bill also would decouple the PPP reauthorization from the SBA's 7(a) program to avoid shutting it down when the PPP expires. Politico reported that the Senate extended the PPP into August to give Congress time to pass the next economic relief package, which lawmakers are debating now.

ICBA continues calling on community bankers to use its Be Heard grassroots action center to provide lawmakers with comprehensive policy recommendations as Congress considers the next relief package.