Rep. Lee Votes to Pass New Relief for Nevada’s Restaurants and Small Businesses

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Lee voted to secure urgently needed relief for small businesses across southern Nevada. The Relief for Restaurants & Other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act will deliver $55 billion to replenish funding for Nevada restaurants and establish a new program supporting other small businesses impacted by the pandemic.

"Our local restaurants represent the core of our communities," said Rep. Lee. "Entrepreneurs put so much on the line when they open a restaurant. Not only are they critical employers, they become embedded in our communities. That's why we must do everything we can to support them and their employees. The American Rescue Plan's Restaurant Revitalization Fund was a proven success for 763 Nevada businesses, but many were not able to get support before the money ran out. With the passage of this legislation, we will make sure every Nevada business owner can access vital relief funds to continue to power our historic recovery."
Established through American Rescue Plan, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) distributed $28.6 billion to restaurants across the country – including $267,504,133 for 763 Nevada businesses. Due to its popularity, the program quickly exhausted its funding before more than 170,000 eligible businesses could access relief, including nearly 2,500 applications submitted in Nevada. The Relief for Restaurants & Other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act will provide $42 billion to replenish the RRF so that these restaurants can apply for this assistance.

This legislation also takes action to support other struggling small businesses:

• Providing $13 billion to establish the Hard Hit Industries Award Program, which will assist Nevada small businesses with 200 or fewer employees that have experienced 40 percent or more in lost revenue.
• Updating the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program to provide Nevada entertainment venues with more time and flexibility to use federal relief funds.

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