I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2361 

To amend the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to 

establish the Rural Innovation and Partnership Administration and to 

amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to establish 

the Rural Future Partnership Fund to invest in the rural areas of 

the United States to achieve their preferred future while maximizing 

their contribution to the well-being of the United States, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 5, 2021 

Mr. DELGADO (for himself, Mrs. BUSTOS, Ms. SPANBERGER, and Ms. CRAIG) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, and 

Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend the Department of Agriculture Reorganization 

Act of 1994 to establish the Rural Innovation and Partnership Administration and to amend the Consolidated 

Farm and Rural Development Act to establish the Rural 

Future Partnership Fund to invest in the rural areas 

of the United States to achieve their preferred future 

while maximizing their contribution to the well-being of 

the United States, and for other purposes. 


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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rebuild Rural America 

5 Act of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 

7 The purposes of this Act are— 

8 (1) to create the scale and capacity that enables 

9 rural areas to achieve their preferred future while 

10 maximizing their contribution to the well-being of 

11 the United States; 

12 (2) to recognize the significant contributions of 

13 rural areas of the United States to the success of 

14 the United States, including the leading role that 

15 the rural areas play in addressing the critical threat 

16 of climate change and building a resilient United 

17 States; 

18 (3) to make a national commitment to the rural 

19 communities and regions of the United States to en20 sure that the rural United States benefits from and 

21 contributes to the prosperity of the United States; 

22 (4) to establish a partnership with rural areas 

23 of the United States that provides flexible, long24 term, and annual Federal investment for comprehen25 sive, collaborative, and locally driven community and 


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1 economic development that improves quality of life 

2 and economic competitiveness; 

3 (5) to strengthen rural population centers 

4 through collaboration with neighboring rural areas 

5 that ensures economic integration and regional de6 velopment; 

7 (6) to strengthen connections between rural and 

8 urban areas of the United States for mutual success 

9 and for the benefit of the economy of the United 

10 States and the quality of life of the people of the 

11 United States; 

12 (7) to support asset-based development, maxi13 mizing the cost-effectiveness of existing infrastruc14 ture; 

15 (8) to ensure economic opportunities that create 

16 pathways to high-quality, family-sustaining jobs for 

17 all individuals in rural areas of the United States, 

18 including efforts to address population loss, to pro19 mote the use of cooperatives and other forms of pub20 lic and employee ownership, and to expand and im21 prove access to training, infrastructure, and invest22 ment to adapt to technological change, such as auto23 mation, for success in the digital economy; 

24 (9) to provide for the evolution and expansion 

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1 suring that rural communities have a dedicated 

2 agency and a new delivery system for Federal assist3 ance for disaster recovery and proactive mitigation 

4 and resiliency efforts; 

5 (10) to rebuild and modernize infrastructure 

6 and expand investment to support local and regional 

7 food systems, sustainable agriculture production, 

8 and value added agricultural industries; 

9 (11) to support infill development, preserve un10 developed land, and remediate brownfields and other 

11 contaminated properties for re-use; and 

12 (12) to support public health and improve qual13 ity of life in rural communities by delivering— 

14 (A) universal access to clean air and water; 

15 (B) healthy foods available through local 

16 and regional food systems; 

17 (C) quality, affordable, and accessible 

18 health care services in the rural communities, 

19 including access to primary and emergency 

20 medical services, mental health care, and treat21 ment for substance abuse; 

22 (D) affordable and reliable clean energy 

23 systems; and 

24 (E) quality, affordable, and energy-effi25 cient housing choices in the rural communities. 


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1 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF RURAL INNOVATION AND 

2 PARTNERSHIP ADMINISTRATION. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle C of the Department of 

4 Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6941 

5 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 237. RURAL INNOVATION AND PARTNERSHIP ADMIN7 ISTRATION. 

8 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall estab9 lish in the Department a Rural Innovation and Partner10 ship Administration (referred to in this section as the ‘Ad11 ministration’). 

12 ‘‘(b) ADMINISTRATOR.— 

13 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administration shall 

14 be headed by an Administrator of Rural Innovation 

15 and Partnerships (referred to in this section as the 

16 ‘Administrator’), who shall be appointed by the Sec17 retary. 

18 ‘‘(2) REPORTING TO UNDER SECRETARY.—The 

19 Administrator shall report to the Under Secretary 

20 for Rural Development. 

21 ‘‘(c) FUNCTIONS.—The Secretary shall carry out 

22 through the Administration the functions of the Rural Fu23 ture Partnership Fund established under subtitle I of the 

24 Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act. 

25 ‘‘(d) REQUIREMENT FOR STATE OFFICES.—In car26 rying out the functions of the Administration, the SecVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:53 May 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2361.IH H2361

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1 retary shall ensure that each State office of the rural de2 velopment mission area is staffed with not less than 3 new 

3 employees to implement the Rural Future Partnership 

4 Fund established under subtitle I of the Consolidated 

5 Farm and Rural Development Act, including providing— 

6 ‘‘(1) technical assistance; 

7 ‘‘(2) support for capacity building; 

8 ‘‘(3) financial controls; and 

9 ‘‘(4) performance oversight. 

10 ‘‘(e) COORDINATION WITH COUNCIL ON RURAL COM11 MUNITY INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.— 

12 In carrying out the functions of the Administration, the 

13 Administrator shall coordinate with the Council on Rural 

14 Community Innovation and Economic Development estab15 lished by section 6306 of the Agriculture Improvement Act 

16 of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 2204b–3).’’. 

17 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

18 (1) Section 296(b) of the Department of Agri19 culture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 

20 7014(b)) is amended by adding at the end the fol21 lowing: 

22 ‘‘(11) The authority of the Secretary to estab23 lish and maintain in the Department the Rural In24 novation and Partnership Administration under sec25 tion 237.’’. 


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1 (2) Section 6306(f) of the Agriculture Improve2 ment Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 2204b–3(f)) is amend3 ed— 

4 (A) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

5 the end; 

6 (B) in paragraph (5)(B), by striking the 

7 period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

8 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(6) give priority to coordinating with the Ad10 ministrator of Rural Innovation and Partnerships in 

11 carrying out the Rural Future Partnership Fund es12 tablished under subtitle I of the Consolidated Farm 

13 and Rural Development Act.’’. 

14 SEC. 4. RURAL FUTURE PARTNERSHIP FUND. 

15 The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act 

16 (7 U.S.C. 1921 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

17 the following: 

18 ‘‘Subtitle I—Rural Future 

19 Partnership Fund 

20 ‘‘SEC. 385A. DEFINITIONS. 

21 ‘‘In this subtitle: 

22 ‘‘(1) COUNCIL.—The term ‘Council’ means a 

23 rural partnership council established under para24 graph (1)(A)(i), (2)(A)(i), or (3)(A)(i), as applicable, 

25 of section 385C(a). 


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1 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PRO2 VIDER.—The term ‘eligible technical assistance pro3 vider’ means an entity— 

4 ‘‘(A) with a demonstrated national or re5 gional structure or capacity to deliver and sup6 port multiple rural planning activities across 

7 the United States or within a region of the 

8 United States; and 

9 ‘‘(B) that is— 

10 ‘‘(i) a federally recognized Indian 

11 Tribe; 

12 ‘‘(ii) an institution of higher edu13 cation; 

14 ‘‘(iii) a nonprofit organization; or 

15 ‘‘(iv) a private organization. 

16 ‘‘(3) FUND.—The term ‘Fund’ means the Rural 

17 Future Partnership Fund established under section 

18 385B. 

19 ‘‘(4) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.— 

20 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘institution 

21 of higher education’ has the meaning given the 

22 term in section 101 of the Higher Education 

23 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 

24 ‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘institution 

25 of higher education’ includes— 


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1 ‘‘(i) land-grant colleges and univer2 sities (as defined in section 1404 of the 

3 National Agricultural Research, Extension, 

4 and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 

5 3103)); and 

6 ‘‘(ii) associated cooperative extension 

7 services. 

8 ‘‘(5) PLAN.—The term ‘Plan’ means a rural 

9 partnership plan established under section 385E(a). 

10 ‘‘(6) RESERVATION.— 

11 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘reservation’ 

12 has the meaning given the term ‘Indian coun13 try’ in section 1151 of title 18, United States 

14 Code. 

15 ‘‘(B) INCLUSION.—The term ‘reservation’ 

16 includes land held by a Native group, a Re17 gional Corporation, or a Village Corporation (as 

18 those terms are defined in section 3 of the Alas19 ka Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 

20 1602)). 

21 ‘‘(7) RURAL PARTNERSHIP BLOCK GRANT.— 

22 The term ‘rural partnership block grant’ means a 

23 rural partnership block grant awarded under this 

24 subtitle. 


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

2 the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of 

3 Rural Innovation and Partnerships. 

4 ‘‘(9) WORKFORCE HOUSING.—The term ‘work5 force housing’ means, with respect to housing for a 

6 family, housing the cost of which does not exceed 30 

7 percent of— 

8 ‘‘(A) subject to subparagraph (B), 120 

9 percent of the median income in the area in 

10 which the family lives, as determined by the 

11 Secretary, with appropriate adjustments for the 

12 size of the family; or 

13 ‘‘(B) if the Secretary determines that there 

14 are unusually high- or low-family incomes in the 

15 area in which the family lives, such other per16 centage, as the Secretary determines to be ap17 propriate, of the median income in the area in 

18 which the family lives. 

19 ‘‘SEC. 385B. ESTABLISHMENT. 

20 ‘‘The Secretary shall establish a program, to be 

21 known as the ‘Rural Future Partnership Fund’, under 

22 which the Secretary shall award rural partnership block 

23 grants in accordance with this subtitle. 

24 ‘‘SEC. 385C. ELIGIBILITY. 

25 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) MICROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS.— 

2 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to re3 ceive a rural partnership block grant— 

4 ‘‘(i) one or more units of local govern5 ment that govern a micropolitan statistical 

6 area, as defined by the Director of the Of7 fice of Management and Budget, shall es8 tablish a rural partnership council in ac9 cordance with subsection (b); and 

10 ‘‘(ii) that Council shall submit an ap11 plication to— 

12 ‘‘(I) not later than 180 days 

13 after the date of enactment of the Re14 build Rural America Act of 2021— 

15 ‘‘(aa)(AA) the applicable 

16 State; or 

17 ‘‘(BB) the applicable States, 

18 if the micropolitan statistical 

19 area spans more than 1 State; 

20 and 

21 ‘‘(bb) the applicable State 

22 offices of the rural development 

23 mission area; or 

24 ‘‘(II) after the date described in 

25 subclause (I), the Secretary. 


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1 ‘‘(B) REGIONAL COLLABORATION.— 

2 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—On receipt of an 

3 application under subparagraph (A)(ii)(I), 

4 the 1 or more States, in coordination with 

5 the applicable State offices of the rural de6 velopment mission area, shall advise the 

7 applicant on the inclusion in the Council, if 

8 practicable, of 1 or more contiguous census 

9 tracts or counties that— 

10 ‘‘(I) fall outside of a micropolitan 

11 or metropolitan statistical area; and 

12 ‘‘(II) demonstrate evidence of 

13 economic, social, and cultural coopera14 tion that enhances the potential for 

15 comprehensive, asset-based regional 

16 development. 

17 ‘‘(ii) DECISION.—After receipt of ad18 vice under clause (i), the applicant shall— 

19 ‘‘(I) decide whether to include 1 

20 or more of the applicable contiguous 

21 census tracts or counties in the Coun22 cil; and 

23 ‘‘(II) modify the application, as 

24 appropriate. 

25 ‘‘(C) APPROVAL.— 


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1 ‘‘(i) STATES.—The 1 or more States 

2 that receive an application under subpara3 graph (A)(ii)(I)(aa), in coordination with 

4 the applicable State offices of the rural de5 velopment mission area, shall approve the 

6 Council as eligible to receive a rural part7 nership block grant if the requirements 

8 under subsection (b) for the composition of 

9 the membership of a Council are satisfied. 

10 ‘‘(ii) SECRETARY.—Not less fre11 quently than once each year, the Secretary, 

12 in coordination with the applicable State 

13 offices of the rural development mission 

14 area, may approve applications received 

15 under subparagraph (A)(ii)(II) if the re16 quirements under subsection (b) for the 

17 composition of the membership of a Coun18 cil are satisfied. 

19 ‘‘(2) AREAS OUTSIDE OF MICROPOLITAN AND

20 METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS.— 

21 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to re22 ceive a rural partnership block grant— 

23 ‘‘(i) 1 or more entities described in 

24 subsection (b)(1) that are located in, or 

25 represent, 2 or more contiguous census 


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1 tracts or counties in an area that is not 

2 within a micropolitan statistical area or a 

3 metropolitan statistical area, as defined by 

4 the Director of the Office of Management 

5 and Budget, and are not represented by a 

6 Council established under paragraph 

7 (1)(A)(i) or (3)(A)(i), shall establish a 

8 rural partnership council in accordance 

9 with subsection (b); and 

10 ‘‘(ii) that Council shall submit an ap11 plication to— 

12 ‘‘(I) not later than 180 days 

13 after the date of enactment of the Re14 build Rural America Act of 2021— 

15 ‘‘(aa) the 1 or more applica16 ble States; and 

17 ‘‘(bb) the applicable State 

18 offices of the rural development 

19 mission area; or 

20 ‘‘(II) after the date described in 

21 subclause (I), the Secretary. 

22 ‘‘(B) APPROVAL.— 

23 ‘‘(i) STATES.—The 1 or more States 

24 that receive an application under subpara25 graph (A)(ii)(I)(aa), in coordination with 


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1 the applicable State offices of the rural de2 velopment mission area, shall approve the 

3 Council as eligible to receive a rural part4 nership block grant if— 

5 ‘‘(I) the requirements under sub6 section (b) for the composition of the 

7 membership of a Council are satisfied; 

8 and 

9 ‘‘(II) the area to be represented 

10 by the Council— 

11 ‘‘(aa) is of practicable geo12 graphic size; and 

13 ‘‘(bb) demonstrates evidence 

14 of economic, social, and cultural 

15 cooperation that enhances the po16 tential for comprehensive, asset17 based regional development. 

18 ‘‘(ii) SECRETARY.—Not less fre19 quently than once each year, the Secretary, 

20 in coordination with the applicable State 

21 offices of the rural development mission 

22 area, may approve applications received 

23 under subparagraph (A)(ii)(II) if the re24 quirements described in clause (i) are sat25 isfied. 


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1 ‘‘(3) INDIAN RESERVATIONS.— 

2 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to re3 ceive a rural partnership block grant— 

4 ‘‘(i) an Indian Tribe that has jurisdic5 tion over a reservation shall establish a 

6 rural partnership council in accordance 

7 with subsection (b); and 

8 ‘‘(ii) that Council shall submit an ap9 plication to the Secretary. 

10 ‘‘(B) APPROVAL.— 

11 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—On receipt of an 

12 application that was submitted under sub13 paragraph (A)(ii) not later than 180 days 

14 after the date of enactment of the Rebuild 

15 Rural America Act of 2021, the Secretary, 

16 in coordination with the applicable State 

17 offices of the rural development mission 

18 area, shall approve the Council as eligible 

19 to receive a rural partnership block grant 

20 if the requirements under subsection (b) 

21 for the composition of the membership of 

22 a Council are satisfied. 

23 ‘‘(ii) SUBSEQUENT APPLICATIONS.— 

24 Not less frequently than once each year, 

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1 plicable State offices of the rural develop2 ment mission area, may approve applica3 tions submitted under subparagraph (A)(ii) 

4 later than 180 days after the date of en5 actment of the Rebuild Rural America Act 

6 of 2021 if the requirements under sub7 section (b) for the composition of the mem8 bership of a Council are satisfied. 

9 ‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP.—Each Council— 

10 ‘‘(1) shall include 1 or more representatives 

11 of— 

12 ‘‘(A) a District Organization (as defined in 

13 section 300.3 of title 13, Code of Federal Regu14 lations (or successor regulations)) or a com15 parable regional planning organization if there 

16 is no applicable District Organization; 

17 ‘‘(B) 1 or more units of local government, 

18 or 1 or more entities designated by a unit of 

19 local government, within the applicable area; 

20 and 

21 ‘‘(C) a public or nonprofit organization; 

22 ‘‘(2) may include 1 or more representatives 

23 of— 

24 ‘‘(A) an economic development or other 

25 community or labor organization; 


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1 ‘‘(B) a financial institution, including a 

2 community development financial institution (as 

3 defined in section 103 of the Community Devel4 opment Banking and Financial Institutions Act 

5 of 1994 (12 U.S.C. 4702)); 

6 ‘‘(C) a philanthropic organization; 

7 ‘‘(D) a rural cooperative; 

8 ‘‘(E) an entity with experience in the de9 velopment of cooperatives; 

10 ‘‘(F) an institution of higher education; 

11 ‘‘(G) elementary or secondary education; 

12 ‘‘(H) a private entity; 

13 ‘‘(I) a Tribal organization; 

14 ‘‘(J) a metropolitan planning organization 

15 (as defined in section 134(b) of title 23, United 

16 States Code); 

17 ‘‘(K) any other regional planning organiza18 tion; or 

19 ‘‘(L) any other entity, as determined to be 

20 appropriate by the Council; and 

21 ‘‘(3) shall be composed of an odd number of 

22 members. 

23 ‘‘(c) REVISIONS.— 

24 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not more frequently than 

25 once every 5 years, a Council may submit to the 1 


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1 or more applicable States, or to the Secretary in the 

2 case of a Council established by an Indian Tribe, an 

3 application to revise the geographic boundary of the 

4 applicable area represented by the Council. 

5 ‘‘(2) FINAL APPROVAL BY SECRETARY.—An ap6 plication submitted to 1 or more States under para7 graph (1) shall be subject to final approval by the 

8 Secretary. 

9 ‘‘SEC. 385D. RURAL PARTNERSHIP BLOCK GRANTS. 

10 ‘‘(a) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.— 

11 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para12 graph (2), the Secretary shall allocate rural partner13 ship block grant funds to Councils proportionately 

14 based on the population of each area represented by 

15 a Council. 

16 ‘‘(2) HIGH POVERTY RATES.—The Secretary 

17 shall allocate to a Council an amount equal to 3 

18 times the applicable amount under paragraph (1) 

19 with respect to each individual residing in a census 

20 tract, or a group of contiguous census tracts, that— 

21 ‘‘(A) has a poverty rate of 20 percent or 

22 greater; and 

23 ‘‘(B) is within or comprises the applicable 

24 area. 


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1 ‘‘(b) DISTRIBUTION.—The Secretary shall distribute 

2 rural partnership block grant funds annually to each 

3 Council during the term of the rural partnership block 

4 grant. 

5 ‘‘(c) TERM.—A rural partnership block grant— 

6 ‘‘(1) shall be for a term of 5 years; and 

7 ‘‘(2) may be renewed. 

8 ‘‘(d) GRANT AGREEMENTS.— 

9 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each Council shall enter 

10 into an agreement with the Secretary, under which 

11 the Council, in coordination with the Secretary, shall 

12 establish performance measures and reporting re13 quirements that shall be met by the end of each year 

14 for which the Council receives funds under the 

15 Fund. 

16 ‘‘(2) VIOLATIONS.—If the Secretary determines 

17 that a Council has failed to meet any requirements 

18 of the applicable agreement under paragraph (1), is 

19 not making reasonable progress towards meeting 

20 that requirement, or is otherwise in violation of that 

21 agreement, the Secretary may— 

22 ‘‘(A) withhold funds under the Fund until 

23 the Council remedies the applicable violation; or 

24 ‘‘(B) terminate the agreement. 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 385E. RURAL PARTNERSHIP PLANS. 

2 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Each Council shall estab3 lish, maintain, evaluate, and report to the Secretary 

4 progress on a rural partnership plan in accordance with 

5 this section. 

6 ‘‘(b) COORDINATION WITH OTHER PLANS.— 

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In developing a Plan under 

8 this section, a Council is encouraged to utilize exist9 ing Federal plans, and existing State, regional, or 

10 Tribal plans, so as to reduce duplicative efforts and 

11 align Federal investment. 

12 ‘‘(2) FEDERAL PLANS.—Existing Federal plans 

13 referred to in paragraph (1) include— 

14 ‘‘(A) the Comprehensive Economic Devel15 opment Strategy of the Economic Development 

16 Administration; 

17 ‘‘(B) a local plan, as defined in section 3 

18 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 

19 Act (29 U.S.C. 3102); 

20 ‘‘(C) the Consolidated Plan of the Depart21 ment of Housing and Urban Development; 

22 ‘‘(D) plans developed by metropolitan plan23 ning organizations under section 134 of title 

24 23, United States Code; 

25 ‘‘(E) plans developed by regional transpor26 tation planning organizations designated under 


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1 section 135(m) of title 23, United States Code, 

2 or section 5304(l) of title 49, United States 

3 Code (commonly known as a ‘rural transpor4 tation planning organization’); 

5 ‘‘(F) emergency preparedness and hazard 

6 mitigation plans required by the Federal Emer7 gency Management Agency; 

8 ‘‘(G) the Drinking Water Action Plan of 

9 the Environmental Protection Agency; 

10 ‘‘(H) a good neighbor agreement (as de11 fined in section 8206(a) of the Agricultural Act 

12 of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a(a))); and 

13 ‘‘(I) strategic plans developed by Federal 

14 regional commissions, including— 

15 ‘‘(i) the Appalachian Regional Com16 mission established by section 14301(a) of 

17 title 40, United States Code; 

18 ‘‘(ii) the Delta Regional Authority es19 tablished under subtitle F of the Consoli20 dated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 

21 U.S.C. 2009aa et seq.); 

22 ‘‘(iii) the Denali Commission estab23 lished under the Denali Commission Act of 

24 1998 (42 U.S.C. 3121 note; title III of di25 vision C of Public Law 105–277); 


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1 ‘‘(iv) the Northern Border Regional 

2 Commission established by section 

3 15301(a)(3) of title 40, United States 

4 Code; 

5 ‘‘(v) the Northern Great Plains Re6 gional Authority established under subtitle 

7 G of the Consolidated Farm and Rural De8 velopment Act (7 U.S.C. 2009bb et seq.); 

9 ‘‘(vi) the Southeast Crescent Regional 

10 Commission established by section 

11 15301(a)(1) of title 40, United States 

12 Code; and 

13 ‘‘(vii) the Southwest Border Regional 

14 Commission established by section 

15 15301(a)(2) of title 40, United States 

16 Code. 

17 ‘‘(c) CONTENTS.—To the maximum extent prac18 ticable, a Plan shall include— 

19 ‘‘(1) a plan to coordinate and build capacity 

20 across jurisdictions in the applicable area to develop 

21 and implement the Plan, including by targeting as22 sistance to high-poverty and other struggling areas 

23 within that region; 

24 ‘‘(2) a plan that outlines feasible steps and 

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1 menting the Plan, including making interjurisdic2 tional agreements that provide for cooperative and 

3 coordinated approaches to achieving the goals of the 

4 Plan; 

5 ‘‘(3) a prioritization of projects for funding and 

6 implementation, when practicable, including by pro7 viding— 

8 ‘‘(A) a description of each prioritized 

9 project proposed to be carried out; and 

10 ‘‘(B) a budget for each project described in 

11 subparagraph (A) that includes— 

12 ‘‘(i) preliminary actions that have 

13 been or must be taken at the local or re14 gional level to implement the project; 

15 ‘‘(ii) the anticipated Federal share of 

16 the cost of the project; and 

17 ‘‘(iii) a description of the source of 

18 the non-Federal share of funds or in-kind 

19 contributions for the project; 

20 ‘‘(4) an assessment of current and future 

21 trends in the applicable area, which may include— 

22 ‘‘(A) population growth or loss, and demo23 graphic changes, in the region; 


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1 ‘‘(B) accessibility of job centers within the 

2 region to public transportation facilities and 

3 housing; 

4 ‘‘(C) infrastructure needs in the region, in5 cluding— 

6 ‘‘(i) projected water needs and 

7 sources; 

8 ‘‘(ii) any need for sewer infrastruc9 ture; 

10 ‘‘(iii) the existence of flood plains; 

11 ‘‘(iv) the needs of local and regional 

12 food systems, agricultural producers, and 

13 value-added agricultural industries; and 

14 ‘‘(v) any need for affordable, high15 speed internet, including new technologies 

16 for mobile internet services and for afford17 able, reliable cellular phone coverage; 

18 ‘‘(D) challenges in basic services within the 

19 region, including pressing health challenges; 

20 ‘‘(E) skills and education for in-demand, 

21 quality jobs and for regional economic develop22 ment, which may include retraining and edu23 cation of incumbent or displaced workers; and 

24 ‘‘(F) access to private debt and investment 

25 capital; 


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1 ‘‘(5) a plan to develop opportunities for eco2 nomic diversification and innovation within the ap3 plicable area, with particular attention to— 

4 ‘‘(A) agricultural diversification and supply 

5 chain development; 

6 ‘‘(B) the conversion of existing businesses 

7 to employee or local ownership, such as a coop8 erative; 

9 ‘‘(C) entrepreneurial support; 

10 ‘‘(D) clean energy; 

11 ‘‘(E) manufacturing; and 

12 ‘‘(F) technological innovation; 

13 ‘‘(6) a plan for improving environmental resil14 iency, efficient land use, remediation of brownfields 

15 and other contaminated properties for re-use, mixed16 use development, and the preservation of agricul17 tural, green, and open space, including— 

18 ‘‘(A) an assessment of projected loss of ag19 ricultural and rural land and other green space 

20 to development; and 

21 ‘‘(B) a description of methods to minimize 

22 loss described in subparagraph (A); 

23 ‘‘(7) a plan for ensuring that no community or 

24 county in the applicable area is excluded from re25 ceiving assistance through the rural partnership 


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1 block grant, including timelines and goals for tar2 geting assistance to high-poverty census tracts in3 cluded in the area; 

4 ‘‘(8) a plan for building greater collaboration 

5 between— 

6 ‘‘(A) rural population centers and neigh7 boring rural areas of the applicable area; and 

8 ‘‘(B) the applicable area and neighboring 

9 urban areas; 

10 ‘‘(9) a plan for the creation and preservation of 

11 workforce housing and affordable, energy-efficient 

12 housing for all ages, incomes, races, and ethnicities, 

13 including— 

14 ‘‘(A) cooperative housing; and 

15 ‘‘(B) limited equity cooperative housing; 

16 ‘‘(10) a plan to develop opportunities to revi17 talize existing communities, including infill develop18 ment and utilizing existing assets, such as natural 

19 assets and public infrastructure; and 

20 ‘‘(11) such other information or plans as a 

21 Council or the Secretary determines to be appro22 priate. 

23 ‘‘(d) APPROVAL.— 

24 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not less frequently than 

25 annually, each Council shall approve a Plan by a 


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1 majority vote of the members of the Council for sub2 mission to the Secretary for final approval under 

3 paragraph (2). 

4 ‘‘(2) APPROVAL BY SECRETARY.—On receipt of 

5 a Plan under paragraph (1), the Secretary may ap6 prove or disapprove the Plan. 

7 ‘‘SEC. 385F. USE OF GRANT FUNDS. 

8 ‘‘(a) PLANNING.—During the first 2 years of the 

9 term of a rural partnership block grant, a Council may 

10 use the funds for comprehensive planning and capacity 

11 building to implement a Plan. 

12 ‘‘(b) IMPLEMENTATION.— 

13 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A Council shall use funds 

14 under a rural partnership block grant to implement 

15 a Plan. 

16 ‘‘(2) PERMISSIBLE USES.—In using funds to 

17 implement a Plan under paragraph (1), a Council 

18 may use the funds— 

19 ‘‘(A) to support the development of critical 

20 infrastructure necessary to facilitate economic 

21 development in the applicable area, including 

22 high-speed internet, including new technologies 

23 for mobile internet services and for affordable, 

24 reliable cellular phone coverage; 


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1 ‘‘(B) to support activities to achieve great2 er economic and environmental resiliency, in3 cluding for emergency preparedness, disaster 

4 recovery, and hazard mitigation; 

5 ‘‘(C) to provide assistance to entities with6 in the applicable area that provide basic public 

7 services, such as— 

8 ‘‘(i) child care centers; 

9 ‘‘(ii) nonprofit health care, including 

10 community health centers, primary and 

11 emergency medical care, mental health, 

12 and substance abuse treatment providers; 

13 ‘‘(iii) public libraries; 

14 ‘‘(iv) community centers; 

15 ‘‘(v) public schools; and 

16 ‘‘(vi) nonprofit technology centers, in17 cluding business incubators and business 

18 accelerators; 

19 ‘‘(D) to provide assistance with education, 

20 job training, workforce development, or other 

21 needs relating to the development and mainte22 nance of a strong workforce and support of 

23 youth, unemployed, underemployed, dislocated, 

24 disabled, adult, and incumbent workers and in25 dividuals with a barrier to employment; 


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1 ‘‘(E) to provide assistance in the develop2 ment of innovative collaborations that link pub3 lic, private, and philanthropic resources to 

4 achieve collaboratively designed regional ad5 vancement; 

6 ‘‘(F) to promote and use employee owner7 ship, cooperatives, and local ownership in the 

8 development of infrastructure, businesses, and 

9 community services; 

10 ‘‘(G) to acquire, or demolish improvements 

11 on, real property; 

12 ‘‘(H) to construct or rehabilitate residen13 tial or nonresidential structures; 

14 ‘‘(I) to develop new affordable low-income 

15 and workforce housing options that ensure 

16 mixed-income development; 

17 ‘‘(J) to construct public facilities and im18 provements, such as water and sewer facilities, 

19 streets, community centers, and the conversion 

20 of school buildings for other purposes that are 

21 eligible for funding under this subsection; 

22 ‘‘(K) to establish new connections between 

23 rural population centers and neighboring rural 

24 areas within the applicable area, and between 

25 the applicable area and urban areas, relating to 


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1 systems such as the supply of clean energy, 

2 workforce sheds, food systems, supply chains, 

3 commuting patterns, and outdoor recreation; 

4 ‘‘(L) to carry out activities relating to— 

5 ‘‘(i) energy conservation; 

6 ‘‘(ii) the development, storage, and 

7 use of clean energy resources; and 

8 ‘‘(iii) bio-based manufacturing; 

9 ‘‘(M) to rebuild and modernize infrastruc10 ture and expand investment to support agricul11 tural diversification and supply chain develop12 ment; 

13 ‘‘(N) to promote integrated transportation, 

14 housing, energy, and economic development ac15 tivities carried out across policy areas and gov16 ernmental jurisdictions; 

17 ‘‘(O) to coordinate business development, 

18 land use, housing, transportation, and infra19 structure planning processes across jurisdictions 

20 and agencies; 

21 ‘‘(P) to address public health needs, in22 cluding— 

23 ‘‘(i) access to mental health and sub24 stance abuse services; and 


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1 ‘‘(ii) access to healthy, locally, and re2 gionally grown foods; 

3 ‘‘(Q) to encourage entrepreneurship and 

4 the scale-up of existing business operations 

5 by— 

6 ‘‘(i) improving access to capital, in7 cluding market-based financing, such as 

8 angel, venture, equity, and equity-like cap9 ital; 

10 ‘‘(ii) facilitating collaboration between 

11 entrepreneurs and institutions of higher 

12 education and applied research institutions 

13 for the purposes of commercialization of 

14 research or adoption of technology or proc15 esses; 

16 ‘‘(iii) assisting with integration into a 

17 supply chain; and 

18 ‘‘(iv) providing mentor, networking, 

19 and support services for entrepreneurs, in20 cluding establishing business incubators or 

21 accelerators; 

22 ‘‘(R) to develop innovative public and pri23 vate collaborations for investments in the appli24 cable area; 


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1 ‘‘(S) to use arts and culture for improve2 ments in economic development, education, 

3 training, and quality of life; 

4 ‘‘(T) to revitalize downtown corridors and 

5 other community centers to create vibrant, 

6 mixed-use neighborhoods; 

7 ‘‘(U) to expand access to domestic and 

8 international markets for businesses and agri9 cultural producers; 

10 ‘‘(V) to lead development programming for 

11 organizations or cohorts of organizations in12 cluded in the Plan; 

13 ‘‘(W) to provide matching funds for other 

14 Federal funding if that other Federal funding is 

15 for a project that is in accordance with the 

16 goals of the Plan; 

17 ‘‘(X) to promote the use of energy effi18 ciency in applicable projects; and 

19 ‘‘(Y) to provide technical assistance for co20 operative conversions, startups, and expansions, 

21 including education on cooperative governance. 

22 ‘‘SEC. 385G. ACCESS TO FEDERAL PROGRAMS. 

23 ‘‘(a) DEFINITION OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT PRO24 GRAM.—In this section, the term ‘rural development pro25 gram’ means— 


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1 ‘‘(1) community facility direct and guaranteed 

2 loans under section 306(a); 

3 ‘‘(2) water or waste disposal grants or direct or 

4 guaranteed loans under paragraph (1) or (2) of sec5 tion 306(a); 

6 ‘‘(3) community facility grants under paragraph 

7 (19), (20), or (21) of section 306(a); 

8 ‘‘(4) the rural cooperative development grant 

9 program established under section 310B(e); 

10 ‘‘(5) business and industry guaranteed loans 

11 under section 310B(g); 

12 ‘‘(6) the rural microentrepreneur assistance 

13 program established under section 379E; 

14 ‘‘(7) the rural broadband access program estab15 lished under title VI of the Rural Electrification Act 

16 of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb et seq.); 

17 ‘‘(8) value-added producer grants under section 

18 210A(d)(5) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 

19 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1627c(d)(5)); 

20 ‘‘(9) the Healthy Food Financing Initiative es21 tablished under section 243 of the Department of 

22 Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 

23 6953); 


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1 ‘‘(10) the Rural Energy for America Program 

2 established under section 9007 of the Farm Security 

3 and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107); 

4 ‘‘(11) the rural energy savings program under 

5 section 6407 of the Farm Security and Rural Invest6 ment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107a); 

7 ‘‘(12) rural rental housing direct loans under 

8 section 515 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 

9 1485); 

10 ‘‘(13) the housing preservation grant program 

11 under section 533 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 

12 U.S.C. 1490m); 

13 ‘‘(14) loan guarantees for multifamily rental 

14 housing in rural areas under section 538 of the 

15 Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490p–2); 

16 ‘‘(15) housing preservation and revitalization 

17 demonstration loans and grants provided by the 

18 Rural Housing Service; and 

19 ‘‘(16) multifamily housing transfer and prepay20 ment technical assistance grants provided by the 

21 Rural Housing Service. 

22 ‘‘(b) WAIVER OF MATCHING FUNDS REQUIRE23 MENTS.—The Secretary shall waive any matching funds 

24 requirement under a rural development program for a 

25 project that is carried out in an applicable area that is 


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1 within or comprises a census tract, or a group of contig2 uous census tracts, that has a poverty rate of 20 percent 

3 or greater. 

4 ‘‘(c) PRIORITY CONSIDERATION FOR OTHER RURAL

5 DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS.—The Secretary shall give pri6 ority under a rural development program for an applica7 tion for a project that— 

8 ‘‘(1) is included in and supports a Plan; 

9 ‘‘(2) is eligible for the applicable program from 

10 which the funds were set aside; and 

11 ‘‘(3) is carried out in the applicable area cov12 ered by the Plan. 

13 ‘‘(d) OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The Secretary of 

14 Agriculture, acting as the Chair of the Council on Rural 

15 Community Innovation and Economic Development estab16 lished by section 6306 of the Agriculture Improvement Act 

17 of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 2204b–3), may invite a member of that 

18 Council to give priority under the programs carried out 

19 by the member for a project that satisfies the criteria de20 scribed in paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (c). 

21 ‘‘SEC. 385H. CAPACITY BUILDING AND TECHNICAL ASSIST22 ANCE PARTNERS. 

23 ‘‘(a) CAPACITY BUILDING.— 

24 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide 

25 to a Council training, education, support, and advice 


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1 to enhance the technical assistance, research, organi2 zational, and other capacities of the Council in car3 rying out activities under the Fund. 

4 ‘‘(2) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out paragraph 

5 (1), the Secretary, in coordination with the Rural 

6 Development Innovation Center established by the 

7 Secretary of Agriculture or through a contract for 

8 services entered into with an eligible technical assist9 ance provider, may provide training, education, sup10 port, and advice that addresses— 

11 ‘‘(A) emergent innovative opportunities 

12 that are not covered by an existing Plan; 

13 ‘‘(B) entrepreneurial opportunities to ad14 vance the goals of the Fund; 

15 ‘‘(C) opportunities to advance a more inte16 grative rural policy framework for the United 

17 States, including building regional connections 

18 between urban areas and rural areas; 

19 ‘‘(D) with support from the Chief Informa20 tion Officer of the Department of Agriculture, 

21 the tracking, collection, and analysis of data 

22 and measurements for assessing the progress of 

23 Plans; and 

24 ‘‘(E) best practices based on— 

25 ‘‘(i) the experiences of Councils; and 


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1 ‘‘(ii) domestic and international rural 

2 development practices. 

3 ‘‘(b) RURAL FUTURE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE.— 

4 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab5 lish a Rural Future Leadership Institute (referred to 

6 in this subsection as the ‘Institute’). 

7 ‘‘(2) SELECTION OF ENTITIES.— 

8 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Under the Institute, 

9 each year the Secretary shall select individuals 

10 to participate in the Institute. 

11 ‘‘(B) PREFERENCE.—In selecting individ12 uals to participate in the Institute under sub13 paragraph (A), the Secretary shall give pref14 erence to an individual residing in, or directly 

15 assisting, an area represented by a Council. 

16 ‘‘(3) ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary shall provide 

17 to each individual that is selected to participate in 

18 the Institute under paragraph (2) year-long pro19 gramming such as— 

20 ‘‘(A) skill-building seminars; 

21 ‘‘(B) best practice reviews; 

22 ‘‘(C) site visits; 

23 ‘‘(D) performance measurement and data 

24 analytics; and 


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1 ‘‘(E) other training and capacity building 

2 activities. 

3 ‘‘(4) PEER EXCHANGE PROGRAM.—In carrying 

4 out the Institute, the Secretary shall establish a peer 

5 exchange program within and across areas rep6 resented by Councils to promote industry-leading 

7 practices, innovations relating to the organizational 

8 development, program delivery, and regional initia9 tives of the Councils, and opportunities to build col10 laborative relationships between urban leaders and 

11 rural leaders. 

12 ‘‘(c) RURAL FUTURE CORPS.— 

13 ‘‘(1) DEFINITION OF AMERICORPS PARTICI14 PANT.—In this subsection, the term ‘AmeriCorps 

15 participant’ means a participant under subtitle C of 

16 title I of the National and Community Service Act 

17 of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571 et seq.) who received an 

18 approved national service position provided under 

19 section 121(b) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 12571(b)). 

20 ‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall 

21 enter into an agreement with the Corporation for 

22 National and Community Service under section 

23 121(b) of the National and Community Service Act 

24 of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571(b)) to establish a Rural 

25 Future Corps in which AmeriCorps participants 


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1 shall serve in areas represented by Councils, to im2 plement the Plans of the Councils, including serving 

3 through— 

4 ‘‘(A) expansion of critical services such as 

5 child care, health, nutrition assistance, edu6 cation, and job training; and 

7 ‘‘(B) strengthening the capacity of units of 

8 local government and economic, community, 

9 and cooperative development organizations to 

10 implement community and economic develop11 ment activities. 

12 ‘‘(3) RETENTION.—On completion of service of 

13 an AmeriCorps participant in the Rural Future 

14 Corps, the Secretary shall encourage the retention of 

15 the participant in the applicable area in which the 

16 participant served. 

17 ‘‘(4) RELATIONSHIP TO NATIONAL SERVICE

18 PROGRAMS.—Notwithstanding section 122(a) of the 

19 National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 

20 U.S.C. 12752(a)), for purposes of that Act, the ap21 proved national service positions provided under the 

22 agreement for the Rural Future Corps program will 

23 be considered to be used to support a national serv24 ice program under section 122(b) of that Act (42 

25 U.S.C. 12572(b)). 


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1 ‘‘(d) MAP.—The Secretary, in coordination with the 

2 Chief Information Officer of the Department of Agri3 culture, shall make publicly available on a website a map 

4 of areas represented by Councils, including, with respect 

5 to each area, the members of the Council. 

6 ‘‘(e) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PARTNERS.—The Sec7 retary may enter into a cooperative agreement under sec8 tion 607(b)(4) of the Rural Development Act of 1972 (7 

9 U.S.C. 2204b(b)(4)) with an eligible technical assistance 

10 provider to provide technical assistance to the Secretary 

11 and Councils in carrying out the Fund. 

12 ‘‘SEC. 385I. EVALUATION AND REPORTING. 

13 ‘‘(a) EVALUATIONS.—Not later than the last day of 

14 the fourth year of the first rural partnership block grant 

15 awarded to a Council, and annually thereafter— 

16 ‘‘(1) the Secretary shall evaluate the perform17 ance of the Council in carrying out the Plan of the 

18 Council in relation to the benchmarks established 

19 under subsection (b); and 

20 ‘‘(2) the Council shall use the evaluation under 

21 paragraph (1) in updating the Plan under section 

22 385E(d)(1). 

23 ‘‘(b) REPORTING BENCHMARKS.— 

24 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in coordina25 tion with Councils and national providers of techVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:53 May 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2361.IH H2361

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1 nical assistance under section 385H(e), shall estab2 lish annual reporting benchmarks relating to the 

3 purposes of the Fund. 

4 ‘‘(2) EXISTING MEASURES.—In establishing re5 porting benchmarks under paragraph (1), the Sec6 retary shall consider relevant existing performance 

7 measures used in programs of the rural development 

8 mission area— 

9 ‘‘(A) to achieve alignment with those pro10 grams; and 

11 ‘‘(B) to allow for opportunities for a part12 nership block grant to leverage other funding 

13 provided under those programs. 

14 ‘‘(c) REPORTS.—The Secretary shall— 

15 ‘‘(1) not less frequently than annually, prepare 

16 and submit to Congress a report describing— 

17 ‘‘(A) the implementation of the Fund; and 

18 ‘‘(B) an assessment of future goals for the 

19 Fund; and 

20 ‘‘(2) include the assessment described in para21 graph (1)(B) in the comprehensive rural develop22 ment strategy under section 607(c) of the Rural De23 velopment Act of 1972 (7 U.S.C. 2204b(c)). 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 385J. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

2 ‘‘There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

3 the Fund $10,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 

4 through 2026, of which— 

5 ‘‘(1) $100,000,000 for each fiscal year shall be 

6 used for administrative functions, including staff 

7 and information technology infrastructure, of the 

8 Rural Innovation and Partnership Administration; 

9 and 

10 ‘‘(2) $40,000,000 for each fiscal year shall be 

11 used to carry out section 385H.’’. 

Æ 


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