Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Rural Innovation Stronger Economy Reauthorization Act of 2026” or the “RISE Reauthorization Act of 2026”.
Rural Innovation Stronger Economy Reauthorization Act of 2026
A BILL
To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to reauthorize and expand the Rural Innovation Stronger Economy grant program.
Sec. 2 Rural Innovation Stronger Economy grant program reauthorization and expansion
In general— Section 379I of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008w) is amended—
in subsection (a)—
in paragraph (1)—
in subparagraph (A)(i)—
by striking “the industry clusters that are objectively identified as”; and
by inserting “industries in the area served by the partnership” after “declining”; and
in subparagraph (B)(ii)—
by striking subclause (I); and
by redesignating subclauses (II) through (IV) as subclauses (I) through (III), respectively;
by striking paragraph (2); and
by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (5) as paragraphs (2) through (4), respectively;
in subsection (b)—
in paragraph (1)—
by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively, and indenting the clauses appropriately;
in clause (ii) (as so redesignated), by striking “opportunities, networks, and industry clusters” and inserting “opportunities and networks”;
by striking the paragraph designation and heading and all that follows through “The Secretary” in the matter preceding clause (i) (as so redesignated) and inserting the following:
“(1) Grant program
“(A) In general—The Secretary”
by adding at the end the following:
“(B) Targeted community types—In carrying out the grant program under this paragraph, the Secretary shall—
“(i) target a broad base of rural community types that will benefit from the program, with an emphasis on communities with a population of fewer than 20,000 inhabitants; and
“(ii) of the total amount of grants awarded for each fiscal year, award not less than 10 percent to carry out activities that will benefit rural communities with a population of fewer than 10,000 inhabitants.”
in paragraph (3)—
in subparagraph (A)—
by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) as subclauses (I) and (II), respectively, and indenting the subclauses appropriately; and
in subclause (II) (as so redesignated), by striking “industry cluster”;
by striking subparagraph (C);
in subparagraph (D), by striking “industry clusters,”;
by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), (D), (E), and (F) as clauses (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), and (v), respectively, and indenting the clauses appropriately; and
in the matter preceding clause (i) (as so redesignated), by striking “shall consider—” and inserting the following:
“(A) ensure that a diverse set of industry bases is represented;
“(B) only select an eligible entity to receive a grant with the concurrence of the applicable State office of the rural development mission area; and
“(C) take into consideration—”
in subsection (d)(1)—
in subparagraph (A), by adding “and” after the semicolon at the end; and
in subparagraph (B)—
in clause (i), by striking “industry clusters,”;
in clause (vii), by striking “small businesses in regional industry clusters, including”;
in clause (ix), by striking “in the identified industry clusters”; and
in clause (x), by striking “industry cluster”;
in subsection (e)(2)(B)—
in clause (viii)—
in subclause (I), by striking “industry cluster” and inserting “activities funded with the grant”; and
in subclause (II), by striking “held by the industry cluster” and inserting “relating to those activities convened by relevant organizations”;
in clauses (xi) and (xii), by striking “industry cluster” each place it appears and inserting “participating regional”; and
in clause (xiii), by striking “the project activities” and inserting “activities funded with the grant”; and
by striking subsection (f) and inserting the following:
“(f) Authorization of appropriations—There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.”
Conforming amendment— Section 6306(h)(3)(B)(ii) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 2204b–3(h)(3)(B)(ii)) is amended, in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking “section 379I(a)(4) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act” and inserting “section 379I(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008w(a))”.