[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3595 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3595
To improve the process for awarding grants under certain programs of
the Department of Agriculture to certain counties in which the majority
of land is owned or managed by the Federal Government and to other
units of local government and Tribal governments in those counties, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 22, 2023
Mr. Stewart introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Energy
and Commerce, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve the process for awarding grants under certain programs of
the Department of Agriculture to certain counties in which the majority
of land is owned or managed by the Federal Government and to other
units of local government and Tribal governments in those counties, 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 ``More Opportunities for Rural
Economies from USDA Grants Act'' or the ``MORE USDA Grants Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) High-density public land county.--The term ``High-
Density Public Land County'' means a county (or equivalent
jurisdiction) of a State or territory of the United States--
(A) that has a population of not more than 100,000
people, according to the most recent annual estimates
of population by the Bureau of the Census; and
(B) in which more than 50 percent of the land is
owned or managed by the Federal Government.
(2) Qualifying grant program.--The term ``qualifying grant
program'' means--
(A) the Rural Business Development grant program
established under section 310B(c) of the Consolidated
Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(c));
(B) the Economic Impact Initiative grant program
established under section 306(a)(20)(B) of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C.
1926(a)(20)(B));
(C) the Telemedicine and Distance Learning Services
grant program established under chapter 1 of subtitle D
of title XXIII of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation,
and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 950aaa et seq.);
(D) the Community Connect Grant Program established
under section 604 of the Rural Electrification Act of
1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb-3);
(E) the broadband loan and grant pilot program
known as the ``Rural eConnectivity Pilot Program'' or
the ``ReConnect Program'', authorized under section 779
of division A of the Consolidated Appropriations Act,
2018 (Public Law 115-141; 132 Stat. 399);
(F) any discretionary grant program of the Rural
Business-Cooperative Service, the Rural Housing
Service, the Rural Utilities Service, or any other
rural development agency of the Department of
Agriculture under which grants are awarded to--
(i) counties;
(ii) other units of local government; or
(iii) Tribal governments; and
(G) any other discretionary grant program of the
Department of Agriculture under which grants for rural
development are awarded to--
(i) counties;
(ii) other units of local government; or
(iii) Tribal governments.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Agriculture.
(4) Tribal government.--The term ``Tribal government''
means the recognized governing body of any Indian or Alaska
Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, community,
component band, or component reservation, individually
identified (including parenthetically) in the list published
most recently as of the date of enactment of this Act pursuant
to section 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List
Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131).
SEC. 3. GRANTS.
(a) Reduction in Local Matching Requirements.--Notwithstanding any
other provision of law, with respect to a High-Density Public Land
County and any unit of local government or Tribal government within a
High-Density Public Land County, any requirement for local matching
funds under a qualifying grant program shall be reduced by 50 percent.
(b) Technical Assistance.--On request of a High-Density Public Land
County or any unit of local government or Tribal government within a
High-Density Public Land County, the Secretary shall provide additional
technical assistance to the High-Density Public Land County, unit of
local government, or Tribal government before and during the annual
application period for each qualifying grant program.
(c) Priority.--
(1) Application approval.--In approving applications for a
qualifying grant program, the Secretary shall give priority to
an application from a High-Density Public Land County, unit of
local government within a High-Density Public Land County, or
Tribal government within a High-Density Public Land County that
has not received support under the qualifying grant program
during the 10-year period preceding the date of the
application.
(2) Technical assistance and other support.--In carrying
out subsections (b) and (d), the Secretary may give priority to
a Tribal government within a High-Density Public Land County.
(d) Other Support.--The Secretary may provide additional support,
as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, for a High-Density
Public Land County or a unit of local government or Tribal government
within a High-Density Public Land County, including by considering and,
if appropriate, offering flexibility with respect to any requirement
of, or barrier to applying for or receiving assistance under, a
qualifying grant program if the requirement or barrier relates to--
(1) scoring criteria relating to numerical size and impact,
such as the number of jobs created or the number of people
served, which disadvantage small and isolated communities;
(2) any requirement that an applicant for a qualifying
grant program partner with other institutions, such as
community colleges or foundations, which may not operate in the
jurisdiction of the High-Density Public Land County, unit of
local government, or Tribal government seeking assistance under
the qualifying grant program;
(3) any financial or cash-on-hand requirement that a High-
Density Public Land County or a unit of local government or
Tribal government within a High-Density Public Land County
cannot meet for reasons other than any financial constraints to
which the High-Density Public Land County, unit of local
government, or Tribal government is subject; or
(4) an overly complicated or overly technical application
for a qualifying grant program that deters High-Density Public
Land Counties or units of local government or Tribal
governments within High-Density Public Land Counties from
applying for the qualifying grant program.
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