18
Legislative
and Regulatory Responses to the COVID-19
Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to
cause extensive disruptions to
the global economy, to businesses, and to the lives
of
individuals throughout the world.
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus
Aid, Relief, and Economic Security
Act, or CARES Act,
was signed into law. The CARES Act was a $2.2 trillion
economic stimulus bill that was
intended to provide relief in
response to
the COVID-19 pandemic. There have
also been a number of regulatory
actions intended to help mitigate
the adverse economic
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
on borrowers, including several
mandates from the bank regulatory
agencies, requiring
financial institutions to work
constructively with borrowers
affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bank regulatory agencies
ensured that adequate flexibility
will be given to financial
institutions that work with
borrowers
affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and
further indicated that the regulators
would not criticize institutions
that do so in a safe and
sound manner. Further, the bank regulatory agencies have encouraged
financial institutions to report
accurate information to credit
bureaus regarding relief provided
to borrowers and have urged the importance
of financial institutions to continue
assisting those
borrowers impacted by the COVID-19
pandemic. In 2020, the bank regulatory
agencies also issued a joint
policy statement to
facilitate mortgage servicers’
ability to place consumers in
short-term payment forbearance
programs. This policy statement
was
followed by an interim final
rule that makes it easier for
consumers to transition out
of financial hardship caused by
the COVID-19
pandemic. The rule makes it clear
that servicers do not violate
Regulation X (which places
restrictions and requirements
upon
lenders, mortgage brokers, or servicers
of home loans related to consumers
when they apply for and receive
mortgage loans) by
offering certain COVID-19-related loss
mitigation options based on an evaluation
of limited application information
collected from
the borrower. A final rule issued by the bank regulatory
agencies on June 28, 2021 permits
servicers to also offer certain COVID-
19 related loan modification options
based on the evaluation of an
incomplete application. Federal
and state moratoria on evictions
and foreclosures that were implemented
during 2020 in response to COVID-19
were extended late
into 2021. Although these
programs generally have expired,
governmental authorities may take
additional actions in the future
to limit the adverse impact
of
COVID-19 on borrowers and tenants.
The CARES Act amended the SBA’s loan program, in which the Bank participates, to
create a guaranteed, unsecured
loan program
(the “PPP”) to fund operational
costs of eligible businesses,
organizations and self-employed persons
during COVID-19. The PPP
authorized financial institutions
to make federally-guaranteed
loans to qualifying small businesses
and non-profit organizations.
These loans carry an interest
rate of 1% per annum and a maturity
of two years for loans originated
prior to June 5, 2020 and five
years for loans originated on
or after June 5, 2020. The PPP
provides that such loans may
be forgiven if the borrowers meet
certain
requirements with respect to maintaining
employee headcount and payroll and
the use of the loan proceeds after
the loan is
originated. The initial phase of
the PPP, after being extended multiple times by Congress,
expired on August 8, 2020. However, on
January 11, 2021, the SBA reopened the PPP
for First Draw PPP loans to small
businesses and non-profit organizations
that did not
receive a loan through the initial
PPP phase. Further, on January 13, 2021, the
SBA reopened the PPP for Second
Draw PPP loans
to small businesses and non-profit
organizations that did receive a loan
through the initial PPP phase.
Maximum loan amounts were
also increased for accommodation
and food service businesses. Although
the PPP ended in accordance
with its terms on May 31,
2021, outstanding PPP loans continue
to go through the process of either
obtaining forgiveness from the SBA
or pursuing claims
under the SBA guaranty.
Effect of Governmental Monetary Policies
The commercial banking business is affected not only by general
economic conditions, but also by the monetary policies of the
Federal Reserve. Changes in the discount rate on member bank borrowing,
availability of borrowing at the “discount window,”
open market operations, changes in the Fed Funds target
interest rate, changes in interest rates payable on reserve accounts, the
imposition of changes in reserve requirements against member banks’
deposits and assets of foreign banking centers and the
imposition
of and changes in reserve requirements against certain borrowings by banks and their
affiliates are some of the
instruments of monetary policy available to the Federal Reserve. These
monetary policies are used in varying combinations to
influence overall growth and distributions of bank loans, investments and
deposits, which may affect interest rates charged
on
loans or paid on deposits. The monetary policies of the Federal Reserve have
had a significant effect on the operating results of
commercial banks and are expected to continue to do so in the future.
The Federal Reserve’s policies are primarily
influenced by
its dual mandate of price stability and full employment, and to a lesser degree
by short-term and long-term changes in the
international trade balance and in the fiscal policies of the U.S. Government.
Future changes in monetary policy and the effect of
such changes on our business and earnings in the future cannot be predicted.
Website Access to Company’s
Reports
Our Internet website is www.ccbg.com.
Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current
reports on
Form 8-K, including any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant
to section 13(a) or 15(d), and reports filed
pursuant to Section 16, 13(d), and 13(g) of the Exchange Act are available
free of charge through our website as soon as
reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished
to, the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The
information on our website is not incorporated by reference into this report.