Minor League Baseball Relief Act

Minor League Baseball Relief Act

This bill establishes a program for the relief of certain minor league baseball clubs and independent professional baseball clubs that experienced large business losses.

The bill provides funding for the Small Business Administration to make grants to such clubs that experienced decreases in gross revenue in 2020 of at least 75%, as measured against revenues in 2019 (or, if revenues were negatively affected by a natural disaster or weather disruption in 2019, by the average of revenues over the prior three-year period).

The source of funding for the grants shall be funds appropriated under enacted COVID-19 relief legislation that have not been obligated and are no longer being used to carry out activities authorized under those laws. Grant amounts provided to any club may not exceed $10 million.

Bill 117 HR 4150, also known as the Minor League Baseball Relief Act, was introduced in the US Congress to provide financial relief to minor league baseball teams that have been struggling due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill aims to help these teams stay afloat during these challenging times and ensure that they can continue to operate and provide entertainment to their communities.

The bill includes provisions for financial assistance to minor league baseball teams, such as grants and loans to help cover operating expenses and keep staff employed. It also includes measures to support the infrastructure of minor league baseball, such as funding for stadium improvements and maintenance.

Additionally, the bill addresses concerns about the long-term viability of minor league baseball by requiring Major League Baseball (MLB) teams to maintain their affiliations with minor league teams for a certain period of time. This is intended to prevent MLB teams from cutting ties with minor league teams in order to save money. Overall, the Minor League Baseball Relief Act is aimed at providing much-needed support to minor league baseball teams during a time of financial uncertainty. It seeks to ensure that these teams can continue to operate and contribute to the cultural and economic vitality of their communities.