H1201 Summary

• Appropriates $17,700,000 in nonrecurring funds for fiscal year 2019-2020 to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services from the Coronavirus Relief Fund to address COVID-19 impacts on the meat processing supply chain.

• Allocates $15,000,000 for grants to small and independent meat processors in three categories: capacity enhancement grants for facility expansion, workforce development grants for training, and planning grants for feasibility studies of new facilities.

• Eligible grant recipients must contract with independent livestock producers and meet federal inspection requirements under the Talmadge-Aiken Act or be state-inspected facilities; catfish aquaculture operations also qualify.

• Requires grant recipients to provide matching funds of $1.00 from non-grant sources for every $2.00 provided by the grant and submit plans for COVID-19 employee protection.

• Allocates $2,700,000 for technology-based marketing initiatives to help farmers and food businesses reach domestic and international buyers, with all funds required to be expended by December 30, 2020.