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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3309 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3309
To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to provide rural partnership
program grants and rural partnership technical assistance grants, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 15, 2023
Mr. Casey (for himself and Mrs. Fischer) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to provide rural partnership
program grants and rural partnership technical assistance grants, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act
of 2023''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the
meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
(2) Rural; rural area.--The terms ``rural'' and ``rural
area'' have the meaning given those terms in section
343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Agriculture.
SEC. 3. RURAL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM GRANTS.
(a) In General.--Subject to the availability of appropriations
under subsection (j), the Secretary shall establish a program to make
multiyear grant awards to coordinate Federal, nonprofit, and for-profit
investment in rural areas.
(b) Grant Requirements.--
(1) Term.--The term of a grant awarded under subsection (a)
shall be not less than 2 years and not more than 5 years.
(2) Awards.--Except as provided in paragraphs (3) and (4),
the State offices of the rural development mission area shall
be responsible for reviewing applications for grant awards
under subsection (a) and selecting eligible applicants
described in subsection (d) for those grant awards.
(3) Tribal awards.--Except as provided in paragraph (4), in
the case of grants under subsection (a) allocated to Indian
Tribes under subsection (c)(1)(B), the national office of the
rural development mission area shall be responsible for
reviewing applications for grant awards under subsection (a)
and selecting eligible applicants described in subsection (d)
for those grant awards.
(4) Competitive process.--If the amount appropriated under
subsection (j) for a fiscal year is less than or equal to
$300,000,000, the national office of the rural development
mission area shall be responsible for reviewing applications
for grant awards under subsection (a) and selecting eligible
applicants described in subsection (d) for those grant awards--
(A) on a competitive basis; and
(B) by giving priority to areas that have higher
nonmetropolitan poverty levels and lower population
levels, while ensuring that grants under this section
are awarded in diverse geographic regions of the United
States.
(c) Grant Allocation.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in subsection (b)(4),
the Secretary shall allocate funding for grants under
subsection (a)--
(A) for each State based on a formula determined by
the Secretary in accordance with paragraph (2); and
(B) for Indian Tribes in such amounts as the
Secretary determines to be appropriate, subject to the
condition that the total amount allocated to Indian
Tribes under this subparagraph shall not be less than 5
percent of the amount appropriated under subsection
(j), with Indian Tribes located in areas that have
higher poverty levels and lower populations receiving
higher levels of funding.
(2) Allocation requirements.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary shall develop a
graduated scale to allocate funding for States under
paragraph (1)(A) based on the nonmetropolitan poverty
and population levels in each State.
(B) Limitation.--The amount allocated to any State
under subparagraph (A) shall not exceed 5 percent of
the amount appropriated under subsection (j).
(3) Small state exception to formula.--Notwithstanding
paragraphs (1)(A) and (2)(A), the Secretary shall ensure that
each State is allocated an amount for grants under this
subsection that is sufficient to fulfill the purposes of the
program established under this section, as determined by the
Secretary.
(4) Reallocation.--If a State or Indian Tribe does not use
funds allocated to the State or Indian Tribe under this
subsection, the Secretary may reallocate the unused funds to 1
or more other States or Indian Tribes, each of which has used
all of the funding allocated to the State or Indian Tribe under
this subsection.
(d) Eligible Applicants.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
subsection (a), an applicant shall--
(1) propose to serve a rural area;
(2) be composed of a partnership of 2 or more of--
(A) an instrumentality or political subdivision of
a State, such as a municipality, county, district, or
authority;
(B) a nonprofit corporation or association with
significant ties to the rural area described in
paragraph (1), including through--
(i) association with, or control by, 1 or
more public bodies in the rural area;
(ii) broadly based ownership and control by
members of the rural area; or
(iii) a substantial public funding
contribution to the rural area through taxes,
revenue bonds, other local government sources,
or substantial voluntary community funding;
(C) a cooperative with significant ties to the
rural area described in paragraph (1);
(D) a for-profit entity with a significant presence
in the rural area described in paragraph (1);
(E) an institution of higher education--
(i) with a significant contribution to or
presence in the rural area described in
paragraph (1); and
(ii) that includes representatives who are
members of the rural area; and
(F) an Indian Tribe--
(i) in a rural area described in paragraph
(1); and
(ii) with demonstrated support from the
Tribal council or duly elected Tribal executive
of the appropriate Tribal government; and
(3) demonstrate cooperation among the members of the
partnership described in paragraph (2) necessary to complete
comprehensive, asset-based rural development through eligible
activities described in subsection (e).
(e) Eligible Activities.--An eligible applicant described in
subsection (d) that receives a grant under subsection (a) may use the
grant funds in rural areas--
(1) to coordinate Federal, State, regional, or Tribal
initiatives to reduce duplicative efforts with respect to
Federal investments;
(2) to leverage non-Federal financial and technical
resources;
(3) to complete comprehensive predevelopment activities and
planning;
(4) to create public-private partnerships and attract
private investment;
(5) to support eligible operational activities, including
staffing, of the eligible applicants, except that a for-profit
entity may not use the grant funds for the purpose described in
this paragraph;
(6) to provide capital to existing or new projects, subject
to the condition that not more than 50 percent of the grant
funds may be used for that purpose;
(7) to support regional projects and initiatives;
(8) to address economic recovery from emergencies and
natural or man-made disasters; and
(9) to develop strategic community investment plans
described in section 379H(d) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008v(d)).
(f) Ineligible Activities.--An eligible applicant described in
subsection (d) that receives a grant under subsection (a) may not use
the grant funds--
(1) to fund operational activities, including staffing, at
a for-profit institution;
(2) to purchase or lease real property; or
(3) to support a non-rural area.
(g) Selection Criteria.--In awarding grants under subsection (b),
the Secretary shall give priority to an eligible applicant described in
subsection (d) that proposes to serve--
(1) a rural area with a significant change in population;
(2) a rural area with significant workforce changes or
changes in major employers;
(3) an economically distressed rural area, as determined by
the Secretary;
(4) a rural area that has historically received minimal
Federal funding, as determined by the Secretary; or
(5) a rural area for the purpose of job retention and
economic stabilization, as determined by the Secretary.
(h) Matching Funds.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), an eligible
applicant described in subsection (d) that receives a grant
under subsection (a) shall provide non-Federal matching funds
in the form of cash or an in-kind contribution in an amount
that is not less than 25 percent of the amount of the grant.
(2) Waiver.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary may waive the
requirement under paragraph (1) based on the
demonstrated need of the eligible applicant or the
population served by the eligible applicant, as
determined by the Secretary, including--
(i) an eligible applicant serving an area
with a higher nonmetropolitan poverty level;
(ii) an eligible applicant serving a Tribal
population; and
(iii) an eligible applicant composed of a
partnership that includes an entity described
in subsection (d)(2)(A).
(B) Justification.--The Secretary shall provide to
the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a justification
for each waiver provided under subparagraph (A).
(3) Providers.--Non-Federal matching funds under paragraph
(1) may be provided by any member of the applicable partnership
described in subsection (d)(2).
(i) Coordination.--The Secretary shall carry out this section in
coordination with the Rural Partners Network established by section
6306 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 2204b-3).
(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary such sums as are necessary to carry out this
section.
(2) Administration.--The Secretary may retain not more than
2 percent of the amounts made available to carry out this
section for administration of the program established under
this section.
SEC. 4. RURAL PARTNERSHIP TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS.
(a) In General.--Subject to the availability of appropriations
under subsection (g), the Secretary shall establish a program to award
grants, on a competitive basis, for up to a 5-year period, to be
administered at the national level through the Under Secretary for
Rural Development, for the purpose of advising on and assisting rural
community organizations with--
(1) Federal grant management and the development of
financial management systems;
(2) housing or community economic development projects; and
(3) the development of placemaking plans and applications
for Federal grants.
(b) Eligible Applicants.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
subsection (a), an applicant shall be a qualified private or nonprofit
intermediary organization, including an institution of higher education
with an existing community development and planning program, including
an extension program, that has demonstrated experience and capacity to
provide technical assistance on community development and planning in
rural areas.
(c) Eligible Activities.--An eligible applicant described in
subsection (b) that receives a grant under subsection (a) may use the
grant funds to support the capacity building and economic development
of identified rural areas and local partners in those rural areas
through the following activities:
(1) Training and supporting local staff, including relating
to systems development and support.
(2) Identifying vetted technical consultants for planning
and designing physical infrastructure.
(3) Facilitating coordination between Federal agencies and
local partners.
(4) Providing expertise on developing public-private
partnerships.
(5) Development and project predevelopment activities.
(6) Grant writing and grant management activities.
(d) Ineligible Activities.--An eligible applicant described in
subsection (b) that receives a grant under subsection (a) may not use
the grant funds--
(1) to fund staffing at a for-profit entity;
(2) to purchase or lease real property, buildings, or
equipment;
(3) to support a non-rural area; or
(4) for research and development.
(e) Priority.--In awarding grants under subsection (a), the
Secretary may give priority to an eligible applicant described in
subsection (b) that serves--
(1) a nonmetropolitan area with a high poverty level; or
(2) an Indian Tribe with demonstrated support from the
Tribal council or duly elected Tribal executive of the
appropriate Tribal government.
(f) Matching Funds.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), an eligible
applicant described in subsection (b) that receives a grant
under subsection (a) shall provide non-Federal matching funds
in an amount that is not less than 30 percent of the amount of
the grant.
(2) Waiver.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary may waive the
requirement under paragraph (1) based on the
demonstrated need of the area in which activities using
the grant are to be carried out, as determined by the
Secretary.
(B) Justification.--The Secretary shall provide to
the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a justification
for each waiver provided under subparagraph (A).
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary such sums as are necessary to carry out this
section.
(2) Administration.--The Secretary may retain not more than
2 percent of the amounts made available to carry out this
section for administration of the program established under
this section.
SEC. 5. RURAL PARTNERS NETWORK.
Section 6306 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C.
2204b-3) is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``council on rural
community innovation and economic development'' and inserting
``rural partners network'';
(2) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``council'' and
inserting ``network'';
(3) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
``(b) Establishment.--
``(1) In general.--There is established a Rural Partners
Network (referred to in this section as the `Network').
``(2) Successor.--The Network shall be the successor to the
Council on Rural Community Innovation and Economic Development
established by this section (as in effect on the day before the
date of enactment of the Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act
of 2023).'';
(4) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking subparagraphs (C), (D),
(N), (Q), (R), (S), (T), (V), (X), (Y), and
(Z);
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (E)
through (M), (O), (P), (U), (W), and (AA) as
subparagraphs (C) through (K), (L), (M), (N),
(O), and (X), respectively; and
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (O)
(as so redesignated) the following:
``(P) The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
``(Q) The Appalachian Regional Commission.
``(R) The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
``(S) The Social Security Administration.
``(T) The Delta Regional Authority.
``(U) The Denali Commission.
``(V) The Northern Border Regional Commission.
``(W) The Southeast Crescent Regional
Commission.''; and
(B) in paragraphs (2) through (4), by striking
``Council'' each place it appears and inserting
``Network'';
(5) in subsection (d), by striking ``Council'' and
inserting ``Network'';
(6) in subsection (e)--
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking
``Council'' and inserting ``Network'';
(B) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by
striking ``Council'' and inserting ``Network'';
(C) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(D) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; and''; and
(E) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) to improve the efficiency of Federal assistance to
rural communities by--
``(A) reducing administrative burdens on rural
communities to pursue Federal funding;
``(B) improving the administrative efficiency of
Federal economic development programs serving rural
communities; and
``(C) streamlining and simplifying the application
process for Federal funding opportunities for rural
communities.'';
(7) in subsection (f), in the matter preceding paragraph
(1), by striking ``Council'' and inserting ``Network'';
(8) in subsection (g), by striking ``Council'' each place
it appears and inserting ``Network''; and
(9) by striking subsection (h) and inserting the following:
``(h) Innovative Cross-Agency Coordination.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting as Chair of the
Network, may carry out innovative strategies for coordinating
with other Federal departments and agencies with respect to
programs that serve rural areas.
``(2) Priorities.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall prioritize--
``(A) improving ease of access to Federal programs
for resource-constrained rural communities;
``(B) utilizing early technical assistance to
reduce duplicative applications and administrative
costs at the Federal level;
``(C) leveraging partnerships with local, State,
philanthropic, and private entities to maximize returns
on Federal investments;
``(D) integrating stakeholder and program user
experience into program design; and
``(E) targeting areas experiencing economic
distress, as determined by the Secretary.''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
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