II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 647 

To improve the process for awarding grants under certain programs of the 

Department of Agriculture to certain counties in which the majority 

of land is owned or managed by the Federal Government and to other 

units of local government and Tribal governments in those counties, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 9, 2021 

Ms. CORTEZ MASTO (for herself, Mr. RISCH, Mr. CRAPO, and Mr. DAINES) 

introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 

Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

A BILL 

To improve the process for awarding grants under certain 

programs of the Department of Agriculture to certain 

counties in which the majority of land is owned or managed by the Federal Government and to other units 

of local government and Tribal governments in those 

counties, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 647 IS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘More Opportunities 

3 for Rural Economies from USDA Grants Act’’ or the 

4 ‘‘MORE USDA Grants Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

6 In this Act: 

7 (1) HIGH-DENSITY PUBLIC LAND COUNTY.— 

8 The term ‘‘High-Density Public Land County’’ 

9 means a county (or equivalent jurisdiction) of a 

10 State or territory of the United States— 

11 (A) that has a population of not more than 

12 100,000 people, according to the most recent 

13 annual estimates of population by the Bureau 

14 of the Census; and 

15 (B) in which more than 50 percent of the 

16 land is owned or managed by the Federal Gov17 ernment. 

18 (2) QUALIFYING GRANT PROGRAM.—The term 

19 ‘‘qualifying grant program’’ means— 

20 (A) the Rural Business Development grant 

21 program established under section 310B(c) of 

22 the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 

23 Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(c)); 

24 (B) the Economic Impact Initiative grant 

25 program established under section 

26 306(a)(20)(B) of the Consolidated Farm and 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 647 IS

1 Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 

2 1926(a)(20)(B)); 

3 (C) the Telemedicine and Distance Learn4 ing Services grant program established under 

5 chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XXIII of the 

6 Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act 

7 of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 950aaa et seq.); 

8 (D) the Community Connect Grant Pro9 gram established under section 604 of the 

10 Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 

11 950bb–3); 

12 (E) the broadband loan and grant pilot 

13 program known as the ‘‘Rural eConnectivity 

14 Pilot Program’’ or the ‘‘ReConnect Program’’, 

15 authorized under section 779 of division A of 

16 the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 

17 (Public Law 115–141; 132 Stat. 399); 

18 (F) any discretionary grant program of the 

19 Rural Business-Cooperative Service, the Rural 

20 Housing Service, the Rural Utilities Service, or 

21 any other rural development agency of the De22 partment of Agriculture under which grants are 

23 awarded to— 

24 (i) counties; 

25 (ii) other units of local government; or 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 647 IS

1 (iii) Tribal governments; and 

2 (G) any other discretionary grant program 

3 of the Department of Agriculture under which 

4 grants for rural development are awarded to— 

5 (i) counties; 

6 (ii) other units of local government; or 

7 (iii) Tribal governments. 

8 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

9 the Secretary of Agriculture. 

10 (4) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—The term ‘‘Tribal 

11 government’’ means the recognized governing body 

12 of any Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, 

13 pueblo, village, community, component band, or com14 ponent reservation, individually identified (including 

15 parenthetically) in the list published most recently as 

16 of the date of enactment of this Act pursuant to sec17 tion 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe 

18 List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131). 

19 SEC. 3. GRANTS. 

20 (a) REDUCTION IN LOCAL MATCHING REQUIRE21 MENTS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 

22 with respect to a High-Density Public Land County and 

23 any unit of local government or Tribal government within 

24 a High-Density Public Land County, any requirement for 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 647 IS

1 local matching funds under a qualifying grant program 

2 shall be reduced by 50 percent. 

3 (b) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—On request of a High4 Density Public Land County or any unit of local govern5 ment or Tribal government within a High-Density Public 

6 Land County, the Secretary shall provide additional tech7 nical assistance to the High-Density Public Land County, 

8 unit of local government, or Tribal government before and 

9 during the annual application period for each qualifying 

10 grant program. 

11 (c) PRIORITY.— 

12 (1) APPLICATION APPROVAL.—In approving ap13 plications for a qualifying grant program, the Sec14 retary shall give priority to an application from a 

15 High-Density Public Land County, unit of local gov16 ernment within a High-Density Public Land County, 

17 or Tribal government within a High-Density Public 

18 Land County that has not received support under 

19 the qualifying grant program during the 10-year pe20 riod preceding the date of the application. 

21 (2) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND OTHER SUP22 PORT.—In carrying out subsections (b) and (d), the 

23 Secretary may give priority to a Tribal government 

24 within a High-Density Public Land County. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 647 IS

1 (d) OTHER SUPPORT.—The Secretary may provide 

2 additional support, as the Secretary determines to be ap3 propriate, for a High-Density Public Land County or a 

4 unit of local government or Tribal government within a 

5 High-Density Public Land County, including by consid6 ering and, if appropriate, offering flexibility with respect 

7 to any requirement of, or barrier to applying for or receiv8 ing assistance under, a qualifying grant program if the 

9 requirement or barrier relates to— 

10 (1) scoring criteria relating to numerical size 

11 and impact, such as the number of jobs created or 

12 the number of people served, which disadvantage 

13 small and isolated communities; 

14 (2) any requirement that an applicant for a 

15 qualifying grant program partner with other institu16 tions, such as community colleges or foundations, 

17 which may not operate in the jurisdiction of the 

18 High-Density Public Land County, unit of local gov19 ernment, or Tribal government seeking assistance 

20 under the qualifying grant program; 

21 (3) any financial or cash-on-hand requirement 

22 that a High-Density Public Land County or a unit 

23 of local government or Tribal government within a 

24 High-Density Public Land County cannot meet for 

25 reasons other than any financial constraints to 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
7 

•S 647 IS

1 which the High-Density Public Land County, unit of 

2 local government, or Tribal government is subject; or 

3 (4) an overly complicated or overly technical ap4 plication for a qualifying grant program that deters 

5 High-Density Public Land Counties or units of local 

6 government or Tribal governments within High-Den7 sity Public Land Counties from applying for the 

8 qualifying grant program. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS