,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ajib  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #ac1    
#bjba,ms4 ,smith 7for herself and ,mr4  
,blunt7 introduced the following bill2  
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1
 and ,forestry  ,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 purpose 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
 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7    
,,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 the ,coronavirus ,disease    
#bjai 7,,covid-#ai74  7#b7 ,eligible    
agricultural fair ,the term eligible    
agricultural fair means a local1 county1
 or ,state fair that-- 7,a7 is-- 7i7 a  
subunit of a government entity2  7ii7 a 
public corporation organized and        
existing pursuant to ,state law2 or     
7iii7 owned and operated as an          
organization described in section       
#eja7;c7 of the ,internal ,revenue ,code
 of #aihf and exempt from taxation under
 section #eja7;a7 of that ,code2 and    
7,b7 helps farmers1 ranchers1 or        
foresters-- 7i7 promote their products2 
or  7ii7 expand agricultural markets    
through conservation programs1          
agricultural research1 educational      
programs1 or other events that encourage
 agriculture1 horticulture1 and the     
domestic arts4  7#c7 ,state ,the term   
,state means-- 7,a7 each of the several 
,states2  7,b7 the ,district of         
,columbia2  7,c7 the ,commonwealth of   
,puerto ,rico2  7,d7 ,guam2  7,e7       

,american ,samoa2  7,f7 the ,united     
,states ,virgin ,islands2 and  7,g7 the 
,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana 
,islands4  7#d7 ,state department of    
agriculture ,the term ,state department 
of agriculture means-- 7,a7 the agency1 
commission1 or department of a ,state   
government responsible for agriculture  
in the ,state2 or  7,b7 another         
appropriate ,state agency assigned with 
the promotion of agricultural fairs4    
7b7 ,authorization for grants ,not later
 than ,september #cj1 #bjba1 the        
,secretary of ,agriculture1 acting      
through the ,administrator of the       
,agricultural ,marketing ,service1 shall
 award a grant to each ,state department
 of agriculture for the purpose of      
providing support to eligible           
agricultural fairs for losses sustained 
by those eligible agricultural fairs due
 to ,,covid-#ai4  7c7 ,amount of grant  
,the amount of a grant to a ,state      
department of agriculture under this    
section shall be based on the difference

 between-- 7#a7 the average attendance  
at agricultural fairs in the applicable 
,state for-- 7,a7 a calendar year       
occurring during the #c-;calendar-year  
period beginning with calendar year     
#bjag2 or  7,b7 if attendance data is   
not available for the entire            
#c-;calendar-year period described in   
subparagraph 7,a71 a period shorter than
 a calendar year occurring during that  
#c-;calendar-year period2 and  7#b7 the 
average attendance at agricultural fairs
 in the applicable ,state for calendar  
year #bjbj4  7d7 ,conditions ,as a      
condition on the receipt of a grant     
under this section1 a ,state department 
of agriculture shall agree-- 7#a7 to    
prioritize supporting eligible          
agricultural fairs in the ,state facing 
the greatest financial hardship2 and    
7#b7 to use not more than #e percent of 
grant funds for administrative costs    
incurred in providing support to        
eligible agricultural fairs4  7e7 ,use  
of funds ,a ,state department of        

agriculture that receives a grant under 
this section may only use grant funds to
 assist eligible agricultural fairs     
that-- 7#a7 host annual events that are 
drivers and promoters of agribusiness in
 the ,state 7as determined by the       
,state72  7#b7 have experienced a       
closure1 stoppage1 or cancellation of   
local1 county1 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  7#c7 agree to1 and          
demonstrate the intent to1 reestablish a
 fair not later than #ah months after   
the termination of the ,,covid-#ai      
national emergency2  7#d7 agree to use  
all grant funds during the #ah-month    
period that begins on the date on which 
those funds are received2  7#e7 agree to
 use funds received under this section--
 7,a7 for operating capital expenses2   

7,b7 to reimburse operating expenses    
paid from reserves not originally       
intended for operating expenses2  7,c7  
to repay indebtedness incurred to pay   
operating expenses2 or  7,d7 to repay   
other third parties that contributed to 
funding operating expenses2 and  7#f7   
agree not to use funds received under   
this section for capital improvements4  
7f7 ,funding  7#a7 ,in general ,there is
 authorized to be appropriated to make  
grants under this section #ejj1jjj1jjj  
for-- 7,a7 fiscal year #bjba2  7,b7 each
 succeeding fiscal year occurring during
 the ,,covid-#ai national emergency2 and
  7,c7 the first fiscal year immediately
 following the fiscal year in which the 
,,covid-#ai national emergency is       
terminated4  7#b7 ,administrative       
expenses ,of the funds made available   
under paragraph 7#a7 to carry out this  
section for a fiscal year1 not more than
 #h percent may be used for expenses    
related to administering the program    
under this section4