I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2424 
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program under which 
the Secretary awards grants to States or State departments of agri-
culture for the purposes of providing support to agricultural fairs for 
losses sustained due to COVID–19. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 8, 2021 
Mr. PANETTA (for himself, Mr. LONG, Mr. LEVIN of California, and Mr. 
NEWHOUSE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee 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 sus-
tained due to COVID–19. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This act may be cited as the ‘‘Agricultural Fairs Res-
cue Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. AGRICULTURAL FAIR RESCUE GRANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than September 30, 
2021, the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Ad-
ministrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service, shall 
award a grant to each State department of agriculture (or 
other appropriate State agency assigned with the pro-
motion of agricultural fairs) for the purposes of providing 
support to eligible 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 sec-
tion shall be based on the difference between the average 
attendance at agricultural fairs in the State for a calendar 
year occurring during the 3-calendar-year period begin-
ning with calendar year 2017 (or over a shorter period, 
if attendance data is not available for the entire 3-cal-
endar-year period) compared to calendar year 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 eligible agricultural 
fairs in the State facing the greatest financial hard-
ship; and 
(2) to use not more than 5 percent of grant 
funds for administrative costs incurred in providing 
support to eligible agricultural fairs. 
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(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 eligible agricultural 
fairs that— 
(1) host annual events that are drivers and pro-
moters of agribusiness in the State (as determined 
by the State); 
(2) have experienced a closure, stoppage, or 
cancellation of a local, county or State fair oper-
ations 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; 
(3) agree to, and demonstrate the intent to, re- 
establish a fair within 18 months of the termination 
of the declaration specified in subsection (f)(2); 
(4) agree to use all grant funds within the 18- 
month period that begins on the date on which such 
funds are received; and 
(5) agree to use funds received pursuant to this 
section for operating capital expenses, to reimburse 
operating expenses paid from reserves not originally 
intended for operating expenses, repay indebtedness 
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