On July 27, Senate Republicans announced the details of their $1 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package, the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection and Schools Act, follow-up legislation to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act passed in March (What’s in the CARES Act for Food and Agriculture).
In line with the CARES Act, which provided $23.5 billion in funding for agricultural relief efforts, the HEALS Act appropriates $20.457 billion, slightly more than 2% of total spending in the bill, for additional COVID-19 relief for agriculture. Notable additions in terms of commodity support are independent and contract poultry growers and processors of agricultural products – which could be interpreted to include biofuel (ethanol) producers and textile mills, such as domestic users of cotton.