Empowering Rural Communities Act

This bill would require the Secretary of Agriculture to set aside at least 2.5 percent of the money provided for each Rural Development discretionary grant program to pay for technical assistance. The money would help rural communities with training, planning, engineering, environmental reviews, outreach, and preparing grant applications for projects such as broadband, water systems, and housing. The help could be delivered through cooperative agreements, grants, or contracts with local governments, nonprofits, cooperatives, colleges, private firms, and extension services, with priority for communities that lack grant staff, have low past participation, or are in poor or high-need areas. The Secretary would report each year to Congress and post the report online, and the bill does not authorize new funding.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Julia Letlow Republican sponsor
• 0 cosponsors