Bill Summary
The Agricultural Fairs Rescue Act is a bill that aims to provide financial support to agricultural fairs that have incurred losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Secretary of Agriculture, through the Agricultural Marketing Service, will establish a program to award grants to States or State departments of agriculture. The amount of the grant will be based on the difference in attendance between 2019 and 2020. States must prioritize supporting fairs facing the greatest financial hardship and only use 1% of the funds for administrative costs. These grants can only be used to assist agricultural fairs that have been directly or indirectly impacted by the COVID-19 national emergency and agree to re-establish within 12 months of the emergency being terminated. The bill authorizes $500 million to be appropriated for fiscal year 2020 and each year during the national emergency and the first year after it ends. The bill defines key terms, such as agricultural fair and State, to provide clarity.
Possible Impacts
1. Agricultural fair organizers and workers who have experienced financial hardship due to COVID-19 could benefit from this legislation by receiving grants to cover losses sustained during the pandemic.
2. Farmers and agricultural businesses in states with a high attendance at agricultural fairs could be indirectly affected by this legislation if their state receives a larger grant due to higher attendance numbers.
3. People living in states without a strong agricultural industry might not see as much impact from this legislation, as the grant distribution is based on the average attendance at agricultural fairs.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7883 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7883
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program under
which the Secretary awards grants to States or State departments of
agriculture for the purposes of providing support to agricultural fairs
for losses sustained due to COVID-19.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 30, 2020
Mr. Panetta (for himself and Mr. Long) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program under
which the Secretary awards grants to States or State departments of
agriculture for the purposes of providing support to agricultural fairs
for losses sustained due to COVID-19.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This act may be cited as the ``Agricultural Fairs Rescue Act''.
SEC. 2. AGRICULTURAL FAIR RESCUE GRANTS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 3 months after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the
Administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service, shall establish a
program under which the Secretary will award grants to States or State
departments of agriculture for the purposes of providing support to
agricultural fairs for losses sustained by such fairs due to COVID-19.
(b) Amount of Grant.--The amount of a grant to a State or State
department of agriculture under this section shall be based on the
difference between the average attendance at agricultural fairs in the
State for a month occurring in 2019 compared to the corresponding month
in 2020.
(c) Conditions.--As a condition on the receipt of a grant under
this section, a State or State department of agriculture shall agree--
(1) to prioritize supporting agricultural fairs in the
State facing the greatest financial hardship; and
(2) to use not more than one percent of grant funds for
administrative costs incurred in providing support to
agricultural fairs.
(d) Use of Funds.--A State or State department of agriculture
selected to receive a grant under this section may only use grant funds
to assist agricultural fairs that--
(1) host annual events that are drivers and promoters of
agribusiness in the State (as determined by the State); and
(2) have experienced a closure, stoppage, or cancellation
of a local, county or State fair operations as a direct or
indirect result of--
(A) the COVID-19 national emergency; or
(B) any associated actions taken by any
governmental authority at the Federal, State, county,
or municipal level in response to that national
emergency; and
(3) agree to, and demonstrate the intent to, re-establish a
fair within 12 months of the termination of the declaration
specified in subsection (f)(2).
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to make grants under this section $500,000,000 for fiscal
year 2020, each succeeding fiscal year occurring during the COVID-19
national emergency, and the first fiscal year immediately following the
termination of such national emergency.
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Agricultural fair.--The term ``agricultural fair''
means a local, county, or State fair that helps farmers--
(A) promote their products;
(B) expand agricultural markets through
conservation programs, agricultural research,
educational programs, or other events that encourage
agriculture, horticulture, and the domestic arts.
(2) COVID-19 national emergency.--The term ``COVID-19
national emergency'' means the national emergency declared by
the President under the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C.
1601 et seq.) on March 13, 2020, with respect to COVID-19.
(3) State.--The term ``State'' means--
(A) a State;
(B) the District of Columbia;
(C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and
(D) any other territory or possession of the United
States.
(4) State department of agriculture.--The term ``State
department of agriculture'' means the agency, commission, or
department of a State government responsible for agriculture in
the State.
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