Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Empowering Rural Communities Act”.
Empowering Rural Communities Act
A BILL
To improve access to Department of Agriculture Rural Development discretionary grant programs by establishing a technical assistance set-aside to support low-capacity rural communities, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Technical assistance set-aside for Rural Development discretionary grant programs
Set-Aside established— The Secretary shall reserve not less than 2.5 percent of the total amount made available in appropriations Acts for each Rural Development discretionary grant program, to support technical assistance activities under this Act.
Use of funds— The Secretary shall use funds reserved under subsection (a) for—
technical assistance, including training, project scoping, application development support, pre-award planning, post-award compliance assistance, and long-term administrative capacity-building;
pre-development support, including engineering, environmental review preparation, and financial feasibility analysis necessary to prepare complete applications;
outreach activities, including workshops, webinars, and direct community engagement; or
the development of project-ready grant applications for broadband, water and wastewater systems, community facilities, housing, business development, and other rural development priorities.
Method of delivery— The Secretary may carry out this section through—
cooperative agreements;
grants or subgrants; or
contracts with eligible entities.
Priority for assistance— In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall give priority to an entity serving a community that—
lacks full-time grant writing or administrative staff;
has historically low participation rates in Rural Development discretionary grant programs; or
is located in a persistent poverty, underserved, or high-need rural area.
Coordination with State offices— Each State office of Rural Development shall—
identify high-need communities;
collaborate with technical assistance providers; and
ensure services are delivered in a geographically balanced and equitable manner.
Administrative expense limitation— Funds reserved under subsection (a) shall not be taken into account in applying a statutory limitation on administrative expenses applicable to a Rural Development program.
Sec. 3 Annual report
Report to Congress— The Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report describing—
the amounts reserved and expended under this Act;
the number, type, and geographic distribution of communities assisted under this Act;
measurable outcomes, including increased application completion rates and award success, of measures taken under this Act; and
any recommendations for improving the framework for delivery of technical assistance activities under this Act.
Public availability— The Secretary shall make the report publicly available on the Department of Agriculture website.
Sec. 4 No additional funds authorized
The Secretary may use amounts otherwise appropriated to carry out this Act. This Act shall not be interpreted to authorize or require an additional appropriation.
Sec. 5 Definitions
In this Act:
Discretionary grant program— The term discretionary grant program means any grant program for which funds are made available in an appropriations Act.
Eligible entity— The term eligible entity means—
a unit of local government, parish, or Tribal government;
a nonprofit organization;
a rural electric or telephone cooperative;
an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965);
a private-sector firm with demonstrated experience in planning, financing, developing, administering, or implementing rural development or infrastructure projects, including broadband, water and wastewater systems, housing, energy, transportation, or community facilities, as evidenced by prior project delivery, grants, or contracts; or
a State or territory cooperative extension service authorized under the Smith-Lever Act, including such a service operated by a land-grant institution.
High-need area— The term high-need area means an area that demonstrates economic distress or limited local capacity, including 1 or more of the following, as determined by the Secretary:
High poverty or unemployment rates.
Population loss or long-term economic decline.
Inadequate access to basic infrastructure or essential services.
Limited staffing or administrative capacity to compete for Federal assistance.
High-need community— The term high-need community means a community experiencing economic distress, limited administrative capacity, or significant infrastructure deficiencies, as determined by the Secretary, consistent with criteria used by Rural Development and the Economic Development Administration.
Land-grant institution— The term land-grant institution means land-grant colleges and universities (as defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977).
Low-capacity community— The term low-capacity community means a community in a rural area, that—
has a population of not more than 20,000 individuals; or
lacks full-time grant writing or administrative staff, as determined by the Secretary.
Persistent poverty area— The term persistent poverty area means a county or equivalent jurisdiction in which 20 percent or more of the population has lived in poverty for a period of at least 30 years, as measured by the decennial census and other data sources used by the Office of Management and Budget, the Census Bureau, or the Department of Agriculture.
Rural area— The term rural area has the meaning set forth in section 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, without regard to section 343(a)(13)(I) of such Act.
Rural development— The term Rural Development means the mission area of the Department of Agriculture that includes the Rural Utilities Service, the Rural Business–Cooperative Service, and the Rural Housing Service.
Secretary— The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.
Underserved area— The term underserved area means a community that has historically experienced barriers to accessing Federal programs, funding, or technical assistance, including due to geographic isolation, limited administrative capacity, insufficient local resources, or historic underinvestment, as determined by the Secretary.