Union Calendar No. 93
117th CONGRESS 1st Session |
[Report No. 117–129]
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.
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 Committee on Agriculture
September 27, 2021
Additional sponsors: Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Costa, Mr. DeFazio, Ms. Kaptur, Ms. Stefanik, Mr. Welch, Ms. Craig, Mr. Rose, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. Fortenberry, Mr. Kahele, Mr. Kind, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Mann, Mr. McGovern, Mrs. Bice of Oklahoma, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Jacobs of New York, Mr. Gohmert, Mr. Trone, Mr. Meuser, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Carl, Mr. Delgado, Mr. Gimenez, Ms. Kuster, Mr. O'Halleran, Ms. Salazar, and Mr. Sablan
September 27, 2021
Reported with an amendment; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 8, 2021]
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,
SEC. 2. Agricultural Fair Rescue Grants.
(a) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date on which funds are made available to carry out this section, the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service, shall award a grant to each State department of agriculture (or other appropriate State agency assigned with the promotion 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 section 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 beginning with calendar year 2017 (or over a shorter period, if attendance data is not available for the entire 3-calendar-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—
(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 promoters 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 operations as a direct or indirect result of—
(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 incurred to pay operating expenses, or repay other third parties that contributed to funding operating expenses, but not for capital improvements.
(e) Funding.—
(f) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) ELIGIBLE AGRICULTURAL FAIR.—The term “eligible agricultural fair” means a local, county, or State fair that—
(A) is a subunit of a government entity, a public corporation organized and existing pursuant to State law, or is owned and operated as a not-for-profit organization described in section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code; and
(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.
Union Calendar No. 93 | |||||
| |||||
[Report No. 117–129] | |||||
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. | |||||
September 27, 2021 | |||||
Reported with an amendment; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed |