Title: Expanding Assistance to Farmers Act of 2020
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
Expanding Assistance to Farmers Act of 2020
This bill expands allowable uses and forgivable expenses for amounts provided under the Paycheck Protection Program, established to support small businesses in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), to include certain property rental payments made by an agricultural enterprise. Such rental payments must be made on property that is used solely for the agricultural enterprise and shall include equipment (e.g., tractors, combines, and planters), land, and buildings.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7619 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7619

  To amend the Small Business Act and the CARES Act to include rental 
payments for certain business-related items in the paycheck protection 
                    program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 16, 2020

     Mr. Bishop of North Carolina (for himself and Ms. Finkenauer) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             Small Business

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Small Business Act and the CARES Act to include rental 
payments for certain business-related items in the paycheck protection 
                    program, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Expanding Assistance to Farmers Act 
of 2020''.

SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF RENTAL PAYMENTS ON CERTAIN BUSINESS-RELATED ITEMS 
              IN THE PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM.

    (a) Paycheck Protection Program.--Section 7(a)(36)(F)(i) of the 
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)(36)(F)(i)) is amended--
            (1) in subclause (VI), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in subclause (VII), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subclause:
                                    ``(VIII) rental payments made by an 
                                agricultural enterprise (as defined in 
                                section 18(b)) on property used solely 
                                for such agricultural enterprise, which 
                                shall include payments for equipment 
                                (including tractors, combines, forage 
                                harvesters, planters, sprayers, hay 
                                rakes and wagons, field equipment, 
                                irrigation equipment, tools, and 
                                supplies), land, and buildings.''.
    (b) Forgiveable Expenses.--
            (1) Covered rental payments made by an agricultural 
        enterprise.--Section 1106(a) of the CARES Act (Public Law 116-
        136) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (7)(D), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in paragraph (8), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(9) the term `covered rental payments made by an 
        agricultural enterprise' means rental payments made pursuant to 
        an agreement in force before February 15, 2020, by an 
        agricultural enterprise (as defined in section 18(b) the Small 
        Business Act (15 U.S.C. 647(b)) on property used solely for 
        such agricultural enterprise, which shall include payments for 
        equipment (including tractors, combines, forage harvesters, 
        planters, sprayers, hay rakes and wagons, field equipment, 
        irrigation equipment, tools, and supplies), land, and 
        buildings.''.
            (2) Definition of expected forgiveness amount.--Section 
        1106(a)(7) of the CARES Act (Public Law 116-136) is amended--
                    (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
                    ``(E) covered rental payments made by an 
                agricultural enterprise; and''.
            (3) Forgiveness.--Section 1106(b) of the CARES Act (Public 
        Law 116-136) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
        paragraphs:
            ``(5) Covered rental payments made by an agricultural 
        enterprise.''.
            (4) Conforming amendments.--Section 1106 of the CARES Act 
        (Public Law 116-136) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (e)--
                            (i) in paragraph (2), by striking 
                        ``payments on covered mortgage obligations, 
                        payments on covered lease obligations, and 
                        covered utility payments'' and inserting 
                        ``payments described under subsection (b) 
                        (other than payroll costs)''; and
                            (ii) in paragraph (3)(B), by striking ``, 
                        make interest payments'' and all that follows 
                        through ``or make covered utility payments'' 
                        and inserting ``or make payments described 
                        under subsection (b)''; and
                    (B) in subsection (h), by striking ``payments for 
                payroll costs, payments on covered mortgage 
                obligations, payments on covered lease obligations, or 
                covered utility payments'' each place it appears and 
                inserting ``payments described under subsection (b)''.
            (5) Technical amendment.--Section 1106 of the CARES Act 
        (Public Law 116-136), is amended by striking ``covered lease'' 
        each place such term appears and inserting ``covered rent''.
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