[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2243 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2243
To amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to improve
the Rural Energy for America Program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 24, 2021
Ms. Smith (for herself and Mr. Lujan) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to improve
the Rural Energy for America Program, 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 Energy for America Program
(REAP) Improvement Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. RURAL ENERGY FOR AMERICA PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Section 9007 of the Farm Security and Rural
Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as
subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and indenting
appropriately;
(B) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) (as so
redesignated), by striking ``The Secretary'' and
inserting the following:
``(1) In general.--The Secretary'';
(C) in paragraph (1) (as so designated), in the
matter preceding subparagraph (A) (as so redesignated),
by inserting ``(referred to in this section as the
`Program')'' after ``Program''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) Climate benefits.--In carrying out the Program, the
Secretary shall promote the reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions in projects funded by grants and other financial
assistance under the Program.'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (D), by striking
``and'' at the end;
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as
subparagraph (G); and
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (D)
the following:
``(E) a producer cooperative;
``(F) a nongovernmental organization; and''; and
(B) in paragraph (3)--
(i) in subparagraph (E), by striking
``and'' at the end;
(ii) in subparagraph (F), by striking the
period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(G) the potential of the proposed program to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide other
climate benefits.'';
(3) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (1)(A)--
(i) in clause (i), in the matter preceding
subclause (I), by striking ``producers'' and
inserting ``producers, producer cooperatives,
electric cooperatives,''; and
(ii) in clause (ii), in the matter
preceding subclause (I), by striking
``producers'' and inserting ``producers,
producer cooperatives, and electric
cooperatives'';
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (F), by striking
``and'' at the end;
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph (G) as
subparagraph (H); and
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (F)
the following:
``(G) the potential of the renewable energy system
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and result in other
climate benefits; and''; and
(C) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ``25 percent''
and inserting ``50 percent'';
(4) by redesignating subsections (d), (e), and (f) as
subsections (e), (f), and (i), respectively;
(5) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
``(d) Streamlined Application Process.--The Office of Rural
Development shall develop a streamlined application process, including
within each tier described in subsection (c)(4), under which an entity
may apply for a grant under subsection (b), financial assistance under
subsection (c), or both.'';
(6) in subsection (e) (as so redesignated)--
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking
``Outreach'' and inserting ``Outreach, Technical
Assistance, and Education'';
(B) by striking ``that adequate'' and inserting the
following: ``that--
``(1) adequate'';
(C) in paragraph (1) (as so designated), by
striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and'';
and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) outreach, technical assistance, and education is
provided to recipients of grants and other financial assistance
under the Program relating to integrating renewable energy
projects on land shared with crops or livestock.'';
(7) by inserting after subsection (f) (as so redesignated)
the following:
``(g) Study.--
``(1) Definition of dual-use energy system.--In this
subsection, the term `dual-use energy system' means a system
under which renewable energy production and agricultural
production, including crop or animal production, occur together
on the same piece of land.
``(2) Study.--The Secretary shall carry out a study on
dual-use energy systems.
``(3) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP)
Improvement Act of 2021, the Secretary shall submit to Congress
a report on the results of the study carried out under
paragraph (2), which shall include a recommendation as to
whether the scope of grants and other financial assistance
under the Program should be expanded to cover projects that
generate more energy without significantly impacting farm
operations or leading to the conversion of existing farm land.
``(h) Energy Generated.--There shall not be any restriction imposed
on the quantity of energy that is generated under a project funded by a
grant or other financial assistance provided under the Program for the
benefit of the recipient of the grant or other financial assistance.'';
and
(8) in subsection (i) (as so redesignated)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A), by striking ``expended--'' and all that
follows through the period at the end of
subparagraph (E) and inserting ``expended,
$150,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021
through 2030.'';
(ii) by striking ``Of the funds'' and
inserting the following:
``(A) In general.--Of the funds''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) Additional funds.--In addition to amounts
made available under subparagraph (A), there is
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this
section, out of funds in the Treasury not otherwise
appropriated, $1,000,000,000, to remain available until
expended.'';
(B) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``paragraph
(1)'' and inserting ``paragraph (1)(A)''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) Reserve fund.--
``(A) In general.--There is established a reserve
fund for the purpose of providing grants and other
financial assistance under the Program relating to
underused renewable energy technologies.
``(B) Funds.--For each fiscal year, not less than
15 percent of the funds made available under paragraphs
(1)(A) and (3) to carry out this section for that
fiscal year shall be transferred to the reserve fund
established by subparagraph (A).''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 9007 of the Farm Security and
Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107) is amended by striking
``subsection (f)'' each place it appears and inserting ``subsection
(i)''.
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