Title: Agricultural Fairs Rescue Act
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Agricultural Fairs Rescue Act
This bill directs the Agricultural Marketing Service of the Department of Agriculture to establish a program to award grants to states or state departments of agriculture to provide support to agricultural fairs for losses sustained by such fairs due to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
Grant amounts 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.
As a condition of receiving a grant, recipients shall agree to (1) prioritize supporting agricultural fairs in the state facing the greatest financial hardship, and (2) use not more than 1% of grant funds for administrative costs incurred in providing support to agricultural fairs.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7883 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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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