Press Release

Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-07) today voted for H.R. 3807, the Relief for Restaurants & Other Hard Hit Small Business Act of 2022, legislation that will replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) and provide desperately needed relief to restaurants and small businesses in Sacramento County hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Sacramento County restaurants and small businesses are the heart and soul of our community, fueling our local economy and creating good-paying, middle class jobs," said Representative Bera. "I was proud to vote to establish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund through the American Rescue Plan, which kept our small businesses open and their employees on the job during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the success of this program, many small businesses in our region were not able to access these funds once they depleted. I helped lead the charge with my colleagues to push for additional funding and I am proud to vote today to replenish this vital fund that supports our local Sacramento County small businesses and restaurants."

The American Rescue Plan, which Rep. Bera voted for in March 2021 and was signed into law by President Biden, included $28.6 billion for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund to provide relief to restaurants impacted by the pandemic. While the RRF helped more than 100,000 restaurants and food and beverage businesses, more than 170,000 eligible applicants were unable to access the RRF after funding ran out.

The Relief for Restaurants and other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act will replenish the RRF with an additional $42 billion in funding to support eligible business who did not receive funding. The legislation also secures $13 billion to support other hard-hit small businesses, providing relief for businesses with 200 or fewer employees that experienced major revenue losses due to the pandemic.