II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3583 

To amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to 

provide grants for outdoor recreation projects to spur economic development, with a focus on rural communities, and to provide training for 

rural communities on funding opportunities for outdoor recreation, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 3, 2022 

Mr. BENNET (for himself and Mr. SCHUMER) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 

Public Works 

A BILL 

To amend the Public Works and Economic Development 

Act of 1965 to provide grants for outdoor recreation 

projects to spur economic development, with a focus on 

rural communities, and to provide training for rural communities on funding opportunities for outdoor recreation, 

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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Outdoor Invest5 ment Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. OUTDOOR RECREATION GRANTS. 

2 Title II of the Public Works and Economic Develop3 ment Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after section 

4 207 (42 U.S.C. 3147) the following: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 208. OUTDOOR RECREATION GRANTS. 

6 ‘‘(a) DEFINITION OF OUTDOOR RECREATION.—In 

7 this section, the term ‘outdoor recreation’ means all rec8 reational activities undertaken for pleasure that— 

9 ‘‘(1) generally involve some level of intentional 

10 physical exertion; and 

11 ‘‘(2) occur in nature-based environments out12 doors. 

13 ‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall make 

14 grants to eligible recipients for outdoor recreation projects 

15 to spur economic development, with a focus on rural com16 munities. 

17 ‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

18 are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for 

19 each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026— 

20 ‘‘(1) $30,000,000 for grants under section 201 

21 for outdoor recreation projects to spur economic de22 velopment, with a focus on rural communities; 

23 ‘‘(2) $5,000,000 for grants under section 203 

24 for outdoor recreation projects to spur economic de25 velopment, with a focus on rural communities; and 


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1 ‘‘(3) $2,500,000 for grants under section 207 

2 for outdoor recreation projects to spur economic de3 velopment, with a focus on rural communities.’’. 

4 SEC. 3. TRAINING FOR RURAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES 

5 FOR OUTDOOR RECREATION. 

6 Beginning not later than 180 days after the date of 

7 enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary of Com8 merce for Economic Development, in consultation with the 

9 Administrator of the Small Business Administration and 

10 the Secretary of Agriculture, shall develop a partnership 

11 agreement— 

12 (1) to provide for the development of— 

13 (A) basic training, including in-person or 

14 modular training sessions, for small business 

15 concerns (as defined in section 3 of the Small 

16 Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)) and rural com17 munities relating to existing funding opportuni18 ties for outdoor recreation, including funding 

19 opportunities for— 

20 (i) business development; 

21 (ii) community planning; 

22 (iii) infrastructure investment; 

23 (iv) community capacity building; and 

24 (v) marketing and communications; 


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1 (B) informational materials relating to ex2 isting funding opportunities described in sub3 paragraph (A); and 

4 (C) opportunities to coordinate among 

5 Federal departments and agencies to share the 

6 basic training and informational materials de7 veloped under subparagraphs (A) and (B) with 

8 those departments and agencies and relevant 

9 nongovernmental organizations; 

10 (2) to provide the basic training and informa11 tional materials developed under paragraph (1)— 

12 (A) through electronic formats, including 

13 internet-based webinars; and 

14 (B) at physical locations, including offices 

15 of the rural development mission area; and 

16 (3) to make the basic training and informa17 tional materials developed under paragraph (1) 

18 available to rural business development entities that 

19 partner with programs of the rural development mis20 sion area, including institutions of higher education, 

21 nonprofit organizations, business incubators, and 

22 business accelerators. 

23 SEC. 4. RECREATION ECONOMY FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES. 

24 (a) DEFINITION OF PROGRAM.—In this section, the 

25 term ‘‘program’’ means the Recreation Economy for Rural 


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1 Communities planning assistance program sponsored by 

2 the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Under 

3 Secretary for Rural Development, the Administrator of 

4 the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Secretary 

5 of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest 

6 Service. 

7 (b) PARTNERSHIPS.—To build on the program, the 

8 Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Under Sec9 retary for Rural Development, in partnership with the Ad10 ministrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and 

11 the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of 

12 the Forest Service, shall develop partnerships to connect 

13 the program to— 

14 (1) the Economic Development Administration 

15 and the Small Business Administration; and 

16 (2) the basic training and informational mate17 rials described in section 3. 

18 (c) GRANTS.—The Secretary of Agriculture, acting 

19 through the Under Secretary for Rural Development, in 

20 partnership with the Administrator of the Environmental 

21 Protection Agency and the Secretary of Agriculture, act22 ing through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall carry 

23 out a competitive grant program to assist entities other24 wise eligible to receive assistance under the program in 

25 carrying out an action plan developed under the program. 


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1 (d) CONSULTATION.— 

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—On request of a regional 

3 commission described in paragraph (2), the entities 

4 carrying out the program shall consult with the re5 questing regional commission in carrying out the 

6 program. 

7 (2) REGIONAL COMMISSIONS DESCRIBED.—A 

8 regional commission referred to in paragraph (1) is 

9 any of the following: 

10 (A) The Appalachian Regional Commission 

11 established by section 14301(a) of title 40, 

12 United States Code. 

13 (B) The Delta Regional Authority estab14 lished under subtitle F of the Consolidated 

15 Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 

16 2009aa et seq.). 

17 (C) The Denali Commission established 

18 under the Denali Commission Act of 1998 (42 

19 U.S.C. 3121 note; title III of division C of Pub20 lic Law 105–277). 

21 (D) The Northern Border Regional Com22 mission established by section 15301(a)(3) of 

23 title 40, United States Code. 

24 (E) The Northern Great Plains Regional 

25 Authority established under subtitle G of the 


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1 Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act 

2 (7 U.S.C. 2009bb et seq.). 

3 (F) The Southeast Crescent Regional 

4 Commission established by section 15301(a)(1) 

5 of title 40, United States Code. 

6 (G) The Southwest Border Regional Com7 mission established by section 15301(a)(2) of 

8 title 40, United States Code. 

9 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 

11 appropriated to carry out the program $12,500,000 

12 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. 

13 (2) GRANTS.—Beginning with fiscal year 2023, 

14 of the funds made available under paragraph (1) for 

15 each fiscal year, not less than 50 percent shall be 

16 used to carry out the grant program under sub17 section (c). 

Æ 


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