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Rural Area Population Act

H.R. 9019 · 118th Congress · Jul 11, 2024 · Lineage

A BILL

To establish a uniform definition of rural area for all rural development programs administered by the Department of Agriculture.

Section 1 Short title

This Act may be cited as the “Rural Area Population Act”.

Sec. 2 Uniform definition of “rural area” for USDA rural development programs

(a)
In general— Section 343(a)(13) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)) is amended—
(1)
in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking “urbanized” and insert “urban”;
(2)
by striking subparagraphs (B) and (C);
(3)
in subparagraph (D)—
(A)
by striking “(F)” each place it appears and inserting “(D)”; and
(B)
in clause (i), by striking “urbanized” each place it appears and inserting “urban”;
(4)
in subparagraph (E), by striking “urbanized” and inserting “urban”;
(5)
in subparagraph (F)—
(A)
in clause (i)(II), by striking “urbanized” and inserting “urban”; and
(B)
in clause (ii), by striking “consider—” and all that follows and inserting “consider an area described in clause (i)(I) not to be a rural area for purposes of subparagraph (A).”; and
(6)
by redesignating subparagraphs (D) through (I) as subparagraphs (B) through (G), respectively.
(b)
Conforming amendments to the Rural Electrification Act of 1936—
(1)
Section 13(3) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 913(3)) is amended—
(A)
in subparagraph (A), by striking “(C)” each place it appears and inserting “(A)”; and
(B)
in subparagraph (B), by striking “loan” and inserting “loan, or has had a loan,” before “made under”.
(2)
Section 203(b) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 924(b)) is amended to read as follows:

“(b) In this title, the term “rural area” shall have the meaning given the term in 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).”

(3)
Section 601(b)(3) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 950bb(b)(3)) is amended to read as follows:

“(3) Rural area—The term “rural area” shall have the meaning given the term in 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).”

(4)
Section 604(a)(4) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 950bb–3(a)(4)) is amended to read as follows:

“(4) Rural area—The term “rural area” shall have the meaning given the term in 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).”

(c)
Housing provisions— Section 520 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490) is amended—
(1)
by striking the first sentence and inserting the following: “(a) In general.—As used in this title, the term “rural area” shall have the meaning given the term in 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).”;
(2)
by striking “For purposes of this title” and inserting the following:

“(b) Legacy areas—For purposes of this title”

(3)
by striking “, and the city” and all that follows through “year 2000”; and
(4)
by adding at the end the following:

“(c) Rural defined—As used in this title, the term “rural” shall have the meaning given the term “rural area” in subsection (a).”

(d)
Effective date— The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(e)
Rulemaking— The Secretary of Agriculture shall prescribe such rules as are necessary with respect to implementing the amendments made by this Act.