[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3378 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3378
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
November 30, 2023
Mr. Welch 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 Equity Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. RURAL ENERGY FOR AMERICA PROGRAM.
Section 9007 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002
(7 U.S.C. 8107) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Energy
Audits and Renewable Energy'' and inserting
``Project'';
(B) in paragraph (1)--
(i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``,
including for purposes of reducing the carbon
footprint of the agricultural producer and
rural small business'' before the semicolon;
and
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``,
including for purposes of reducing the carbon
footprint of the agricultural producer and
rural small business'' before the period at the
end;
(C) in paragraph (4)--
(i) in subparagraph (B), by redesignating
clauses (i) and (ii) as subclauses (I) and
(II), respectively, and indenting
appropriately;
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and
(B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively, and
indenting appropriately;
(iii) in the matter preceding clause (i)
(as so redesignated), by striking ``A
recipient'' and inserting the following:
``(A) In general.--A recipient''; and
(iv) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) Multiple activities.--A recipient of a grant
under paragraph (1) may use the grant to carry out 1 or
more activities described in subparagraph (A).''; and
(D) in paragraph (6)--
(i) by striking ``A recipient'' and
inserting the following:
``(A) In general.--A recipient''; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) Underserved producers and businesses.--If the
agricultural producer or rural small business under
subparagraph (A) is an underserved agricultural
producer or rural small business, the amount paid by
that underserved agricultural producer or rural small
business pursuant to that subparagraph shall be at
least 10 percent of the cost of the energy audit.'';
(2) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (3)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)--
(I) by striking ``The amount of a
grant under this subsection shall not
exceed 25 percent'' and inserting the
following:
``(i) In general.--Except as provided in
clause (ii), the amount of a grant under this
subsection shall not exceed 50 percent''; and
(II) by adding at the end the
following:
``(ii) Underserved producers.--The amount
of a grant provided under this subsection to an
agricultural producer who is a beginning farmer
or rancher, a veteran farmer or rancher (as
those terms are defined in section 2501(a) of
the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade
Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(a))), or an
underserved farmer or rancher shall not exceed
75 percent of the cost of the activity funded
by the grant.'';
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (C) and
(D) as subparagraphs (D) and (E), respectively;
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (B)
the following:
``(C) Maximum percentage of loan guarantee.--The
portion of a loan that the Secretary may guarantee
under this subsection shall be--
``(i) in the case of a loan in an amount
that is less than $1,000,000, 90 percent of the
principal amount of the loan; and
``(ii) in the case of a loan in an amount
that is not less than $1,000,000, 80 percent of
the principal amount of the loan.''; and
(iv) in subparagraph (E) (as so
redesignated), by striking ``subsection (f)''
and inserting ``subsection (g)'';
(B) in paragraph (4)--
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``3-
tiered'' and inserting ``2-tiered'';
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking
``$80,000'' and inserting ``$150,000'';
(iii) by striking subparagraph (C);
(iv) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) and
(E) as subparagraphs (C) and (D), respectively;
(v) in subparagraph (C) (as so
redesignated), in the subparagraph heading, by
striking ``3'' and inserting ``2''; and
(vi) in subparagraph (D) (as so
redesignated)--
(I) by striking ``The Secretary''
and inserting the following:
``(i) In general.--The Secretary'';
(II) in clause (i) (as so
designated), by striking ``tier I
projects and more comprehensive for
each subsequent tier'' and inserting
``tier 1 projects and more
comprehensive for tier 2 projects'';
and
(III) by adding at the end the
following:
``(ii) Scoring.--The Secretary shall
establish a scoring mechanism for tier 1
project applications that is designed to
increase program utilization by small- and
medium-sized farmers.'';
(3) by redesignating subsections (d), (e), and (f) as
subsections (e), (f), and (g), respectively;
(4) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
``(d) Regional Demonstration Projects.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out regional
demonstration projects that incentivize agricultural producers
to reduce their carbon footprint or overall carbon equivalent
emissions to the maximum extent practicable through the use of
energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy systems.
``(2) Publicization.--The Secretary shall publicize the
results of the regional demonstration projects carried out
under paragraph (1).'';
(5) in subsection (e) (as so redesignated)--
(A) by striking ``The Secretary shall'' and
inserting ``Using funds made available under subsection
(g)(4), the Secretary shall''; and
(B) by inserting ``or provided, as applicable,''
after ``conducted'';
(6) in subsection (f) (as so redesignated)--
(A) by striking ``subsection (f)'' each place it
appears and inserting ``subsection (g)''; and
(B) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``20 percent'' and
inserting ``25 percent''; and
(ii) by striking ``$20,000'' and inserting
``$75,000''; and
(7) in subsection (g) (as so redesignated)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking subparagraphs (A)
through (E) and inserting the following:
``(A) $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014
through 2023;
``(B) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2024;
``(C) $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2025;
``(D) $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2026;
``(E) $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2027; and
``(F) $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2028 and each
fiscal year thereafter.'';
(B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the
following:
``(2) Project development assistance funding.--Of the funds
made available for each fiscal year under paragraph (1) or any
other funds made available to carry out this section, not less
than 5 percent shall be made available to carry out subsection
(b).''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) Administrative expenses.--Of the funds made available
to carry out this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary
shall use not more than 8 percent for administrative expenses.
``(5) Reservation of funds.--Of the funds made available to
carry out this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary may
reserve--
``(A) not more than 15 percent for awarding grants
under subsection (c) that support the adoption of
underutilized but proven commercial technologies; and
``(B) not more that 5 percent to carry out
subsection (d).''.
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