,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ghhc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #cj1 #bjbj,mr4 
,panetta 7for himself and ,mr4 ,long7   
introduced the following bill2 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-#ai4  #a4 ,short title   
,this act may be cited as the           
,agricultural ,fairs ,rescue ,act4  #b4 
,agricultural ,fair ,rescue ,grants  7a7
 ,in ,general ,not later than #c months 
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary of ,agriculture1   
acting through the ,administrator of the
 ,agricultural ,marketing ,service1     
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-#ai4  7b7 ,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 #bjai   
compared to the corresponding month in  
#bjbj4  7c7 ,conditions ,as a condition 
on the receipt of a grant under this    
section1 a ,state or ,state department  
of agriculture shall agree-- 7#a7 to    
prioritize supporting agricultural fairs
 in the ,state facing the greatest      
financial hardship2 and  7#b7 to use not
 more than one percent of grant funds   
for administrative costs incurred in    
providing support to agricultural fairs4
  7d7 ,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-- 7#a7 host     
annual events that are drivers and      
promoters of agribusiness in the ,state 
7as determined by the ,state72 and  7#b7
 have experienced a closure1 stoppage1  
or cancellation of a local1 county or   
,state fair operations as a direct or   
indirect result of-- 7,a7 the           
,,covid-#ai national emergency2 or  7,b7
 any associated actions taken by any    
governmental authority at the ,federal1 
,state1 county1 or municipal level in   
response to that national emergency2 and
  7#c7 agree to1 and demonstrate the    
intent to1 re-establish a fair within   
#ab months of the termination of the    
declaration specified in subsection     
7f77#b74  7e7 ,authorization of         
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated to make grants under    
this section #ejj1jjj1jjj for fiscal    
year #bjbj1 each succeeding fiscal year 
occurring during the ,,covid-#ai        
national emergency1 and the first fiscal
 year immediately following the         

termination of such national emergency4 
7f7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 
,agricultural fair ,the term            
agricultural fair means a local1 county1
 or ,state fair that helps farmers--    
7,a7 promote their products2  7,b7      
expand agricultural markets through     
conservation programs1 agricultural     
research1 educational programs1 or other
 events that encourage agriculture1     
horticulture1 and the domestic arts4    
7#b7 ,,covid-#ai national emergency ,the
 term ,,covid-#ai national emergency    
means the national emergency declared by
 the ,president under the ,national     
,emergencies ,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #afja  
et seq47 on ,march #ac1 #bjbj1 with     
respect to ,,covid-#ai4  7#c7 ,state    
,the term ,state means-- 7,a7 a ,state2 
7,b7 the ,district of ,columbia2  7,c7  
the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico2 and 
7,d7 any other territory or possession  
of the ,united ,states4  7#d7 ,state    
department of agriculture ,the term     
,state department of agriculture means  

the agency1 commission1 or department of
 a ,state government responsible for    
agriculture in the ,state4