(a) Surety's Premium. A Prior Approval Surety must not charge a Principal an amount greater than that authorized by the appropriate insurance department. The Surety must not require the Principal to purchase casualty or other insurance or any other services from the Surety or any Affiliate or agent of the Surety. The Surety must not charge non-Premium fees to a Principal unless the Surety performs other services for the Principal, the additional fee is permitted by State law, and the Principal agrees to the fee.

(b) SBA charge to Principal. SBA does not charge Principals application or Bid Bond guarantee fees. If SBA guarantees a Final Bond, the Principal must pay a guarantee fee equal to a certain percentage of the Contract amount. The percentage is determined by SBA and is published in Notices in the Federal Register from time to time. The Principal's fee is rounded to the nearest dollar, and is to be remitted to SBA with the form submitted under either §115.30(d)(1) or (2). See paragraph (d) of this section for additional requirements when the Contract amount changes.

(c) SBA charge to Surety. SBA does not charge Sureties application or Bid Bond guarantee fees. Subject to §115.18(a)(4), the Surety must pay SBA a guarantee fee on each guaranteed bond (other than a Bid Bond) within 60 calendar days after SBA's approval of the Prior Approval Agreement. The fee is a certain percentage of the bond premium determined by SBA and published in Notices in the Federal Register from time to time. The fee is rounded to the nearest dollar. SBA does not receive any portion of a Surety's non-premium charges. See paragraph (d) of this section for additional requirements when the Contract or bond amount changes.

(d) Contract or bond increases/decreases—

(1) Notification and approval. The Prior Approval Surety must notify SBA of any increases or decreases in the Contract or bond amount that aggregate 25% or $500,000 of the original contract or bond amount, whichever is less, as soon as the Surety acquires knowledge of the change. Whenever the original bond amount increases as a result of a single change order of at least 25% or $500,000 of the original contract or bond amount, whichever is less, the prior written approval of such increase by SBA is required on a supplemental Prior Approval Agreement and is conditioned upon payment by the Surety of the increase in the Principal's guarantee fee as set forth in paragraph (d)(2) of this section. In notifying SBA of any increase or decrease in the Contract or bond amount, the Surety must use the same form (SBA Form 990 or SBA Form 990A) that it used in applying for the original bond guarantee.

(2) Increases; fees. The payment for the increase in the Principal's guarantee fee, which is computed on the increase in the Contract amount, is due upon notification of the increase in the Contract or bond amount under this paragraph (d). If the increase in the Principal's fee is less than $40, no payment is due until the total amount of increases in the Principal's fee equals or exceeds $40. The Surety's payment of the increase in the Surety's guarantee fee, computed on the increase in the bond Premium, must be submitted to SBA within 60 calendar days of SBA's approval of the Prior Approval Agreement, unless the amount of such increased guarantee fee is less than $40. When the total amount of increase in the guarantee fee equals or exceeds $40, the Surety must remit the fee within 60 calendar days.

(3) Decreases; refunds. Whenever SBA is notified of a decrease in the Contract or bond amount, SBA will refund to the Principal a proportionate amount of the Principal's guarantee fee and rebate to the Surety a proportionate amount of SBA's Premium share in the ordinary course of business. If the amount to be refunded or rebated is less than $40, such refund or rebate will not be made until the amounts to be refunded or rebated, respectively, aggregate at least $40. Upon receipt of the refund, the Surety must promptly pay a proportionate amount of its Premium to the Principal.

[61 FR 3271, Jan. 31, 1996, as amended at 72 FR 34599, June 25, 2007; 77 FR 41665, July 16, 2012; 79 FR 2087, Jan. 13, 2014; 82 FR 39502, Aug. 21, 2017]