Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Building Rural Communities Act”.
Building Rural Communities Act
A BILL
To ensure that the Federal government is able to receive the maximum return on its investment in the rural essential community facilities loan and grant programs and effective services to rural communities.
Sec. 2 Essential community facilities technical assistance and traning
Section 306(a)(19) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(19)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(D) Essential community facilities technical assistance and training
“(i) In general—The Secretary may make grants to public bodies and private nonprofit corporations, such as States, counties, cities, townships, and incorporated towns and villages, boroughs, authorities, districts and Indian tribes on Federal and State reservations which will serve rural areas for the purpose of enabling them to provide to associations described in paragraph (1) technical assistance and training to—
“(I) assist communities in identifying and planning for community facility needs;
“(II) identify public and private resources to finance community facilities needs;
“(III) prepare reports and surveys necessary to request financial assistance to develop community facilities;
“(IV) prepare applications for financial assistance;
“(V) improve the management, including financial management, related to the operation of community facilities; or
“(VI) assist with other areas of need identified by the Secretary.
“(ii) Selection priority—In selecting recipients of grants under this subparagraph, the Secretary shall give priority to private, nonprofit organizations that have experience in providing technical assistance and training to rural entities.
“(iii) Funding—Not less than 3 nor more than 5 percent of any funds appropriated to carry out each of the essential community facilities loan program authorized in paragraph (1) and the essential community facilities grant program authorized in subparagraph (A) for any fiscal year shall be reserved for grants under this subparagraph.”