American farmers and meatpackers can expect to earn $600 in stimulus payments under a new bill known as the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which intends to provide much-needed financial relief to struggling workers.
The payouts will be made through a new $700 million Biden administration program.
People who work on farms and in meat-packing factories may be eligible for funds made available through the Farm and Food Workers Relief grant program, which was announced earlier this month.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, grocery workers are also eligible for a portion of the funding.
Unlike conventional stimulus checks, the new ones are distributed by state agencies, NGOs, and tribal bodies rather than the IRS. They will apply for funds and then distribute the funds to the employees.
A total of $20 million will be set aside from the initiative to fund at least one pilot program that will support grocery workers and explore ideas for future use.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 is part of the USDA's Build Back Better efforts to assist struggling communities in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the USDA.
The funds come as California's Golden State Stimulus program continues to provide financial assistance to its residents. The program delivers $600 stimulus checks to up to two-thirds of California residents. Some qualifying families may additionally be eligible for an extra $500.
Those who are unsure whether they are eligible can look at their annual earnings. The initial payments were made to California residents earning less than $30,000 per year. The second payment was made to California residents earning up to $75,000 per year.
Those who received the first payments, however, were not eligible to receive money from the second distribution unless they completed a set of strict requirements.
Taxpayers who received funds under the first Golden State Stimulus program and have a dependant are eligible for an additional $500. To be eligible for the second set of payments, an individual must have been a California resident for more than half of the 2020 tax year and must have been a California resident when the payments were issued.