American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
Latest action. Became public lawWhat a bill becomes when enacted, numbered by Congress and order of enactment: Public Law 119-4 is the 4th law of the 119th Congress.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) No: 117-2.
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 This bill provides additional relief to address the continued impact of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) on the economy, public health, state and local governments, individuals, and businesses.
TITLE I--COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY
Subtitle A--Agriculture
(Sec. 1001) This section provides funding for FY2021 to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to (1) purchase food and agricultural commodities; (2) purchase and distribute agricultural commodities (including fresh produce, dairy, seafood, eggs, and meat) to individuals in need; (3) provide grants and loans for small or midsized food processors or distributors, seafood processing facilities and processing vessels, farmers markets, producers, or other organizations to respond to COVID-19; and (4) provide grants, loans, and other assistance to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency.
The section also requires USDA to use specified amounts of the funding to (1) conduct animal surveillance and monitoring related to COVID-19; and (2) reduce overtime inspection costs borne by federally inspected small and very small meat, poultry, or egg processors.
(Sec. 1002) This section provides funding for, and directs USDA to establish, an emergency pilot program to provide grants to certain applicants for rural health care and other rural development needs related to COVID-19.
(Sec. 1003) This section provides funding for necessary administrative expenses associated with carrying out this subtitle.
(Sec. 1004) This section provides funding through FY2022 to the Office of the Inspector General of USDA for audits, investigations, and other oversight activities of projects and activities related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Sec. 1005) This section provides funding for USDA to pay off outstanding farm loan debts of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.
(Sec. 1006) This section provides funding for USDA to address historical discrimination and disparities in the agriculture sector.
Specifically, USDA must use specified amounts to
provide outreach, mediation, training, and assistance on issues concerning food, agriculture, agricultural credit, agricultural extension, rural development, or nutrition to certain socially disadvantaged groups, including socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers, or forest landowners;
The summary continues for 331 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Public Law" stage on March 11, 2021. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
This bill has been enacted. It is law.
The record's latest action, on March 11, 2021: Became Public Law No: 117-2.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
John Yarmuth (D-KY) introduced it on February 24, 2021. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HousePassed
- SenatePassed
- PresidentSigned into law