I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5052 

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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 27, 2023 

Ms. STANSBURY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, and Agriculture, 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 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Outdoor Invest3 ment Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. OUTDOOR RECREATION GRANTS. 

5 Title II of the Public Works and Economic Develop6 ment Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after section 

7 207 (42 U.S.C. 3147) the following: 

8 ‘‘SEC. 208. OUTDOOR RECREATION GRANTS. 

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

10 this section, the term ‘outdoor recreation’ means all rec11 reational activities undertaken for pleasure that— 

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

13 physical exertion; and 

14 ‘‘(2) occur in nature-based environments out15 doors. 

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

17 grants to eligible recipients for outdoor recreation projects 

18 to spur economic development, with a focus on rural com19 munities. 

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

21 are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for 

22 each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028— 

23 ‘‘(1) $30,000,000 for grants under section 201 

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


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1 ‘‘(2) $5,000,000 for grants under section 203 

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

4 ‘‘(3) $2,500,000 for grants under section 207 

5 for outdoor recreation projects to spur economic de6 velopment, with a focus on rural communities.’’. 

7 SEC. 3. TRAINING FOR RURAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES 

8 FOR OUTDOOR RECREATION. 

9 Beginning not later than 180 days after the date of 

10 enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary of Com11 merce for Economic Development, in consultation with the 

12 Administrator of the Small Business Administration and 

13 the Secretary of Agriculture, shall develop a partnership 

14 agreement— 

15 (1) to provide for the development of— 

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

17 modular training sessions, for small business 

18 concerns (as defined in section 3 of the Small 

19 Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)) and rural com20 munities relating to existing funding opportuni21 ties for outdoor recreation, including funding 

22 opportunities for— 

23 (i) business development; 

24 (ii) community planning; 

25 (iii) infrastructure investment; 


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1 (iv) community capacity building; and 

2 (v) marketing and communications; 

3 (B) informational materials relating to ex4 isting funding opportunities described in sub5 paragraph (A); and 

6 (C) opportunities to coordinate among 

7 Federal departments and agencies to share the 

8 basic training and informational materials de9 veloped under subparagraphs (A) and (B) with 

10 those departments and agencies and relevant 

11 nongovernmental organizations; 

12 (2) to provide the basic training and informa13 tional materials developed under paragraph (1)— 

14 (A) through electronic formats, including 

15 internet-based webinars; and 

16 (B) at physical locations, including offices 

17 of the rural development mission area; and 

18 (3) to make the basic training and informa19 tional materials developed under paragraph (1) 

20 available to rural business development entities that 

21 partner with programs of the rural development mis22 sion area, including institutions of higher education, 

23 nonprofit organizations, business incubators, and 

24 business accelerators. 


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1 SEC. 4. RECREATION ECONOMY FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES. 

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

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

4 Communities planning assistance program sponsored by 

5 the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Under 

6 Secretary for Rural Development, the Administrator of 

7 the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Secretary 

8 of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest 

9 Service. 

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

11 Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Under Sec12 retary for Rural Development, in partnership with the Ad13 ministrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and 

14 the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of 

15 the Forest Service, shall develop partnerships to connect 

16 the program to— 

17 (1) the Economic Development Administration 

18 and the Small Business Administration; and 

19 (2) the basic training and informational mate20 rials described in section 3. 

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

22 through the Under Secretary for Rural Development, in 

23 partnership with the Administrator of the Environmental 

24 Protection Agency and the Secretary of Agriculture, act25 ing through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall carry 

26 out a competitive grant program to assist entities otherVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:47 Aug 16, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5052.IH H5052

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1 wise eligible to receive assistance under the program in 

2 carrying out an action plan developed under the program. 

3 (d) CONSULTATION.— 

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

5 commission described in paragraph (2), the entities 

6 carrying out the program shall consult with the re7 questing regional commission in carrying out the 

8 program. 

9 (2) REGIONAL COMMISSIONS DESCRIBED.—A 

10 regional commission referred to in paragraph (1) is 

11 any of the following: 

12 (A) The Appalachian Regional Commission 

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

14 United States Code. 

15 (B) The Delta Regional Authority estab16 lished under subtitle F of the Consolidated 

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

18 2009aa et seq.). 

19 (C) The Denali Commission established 

20 under the Denali Commission Act of 1998 (42 

21 U.S.C. 3121 note; title III of division C of Pub22 lic Law 105–277). 

23 (D) The Northern Border Regional Com24 mission established by section 15301(a)(3) of 

25 title 40, United States Code. 


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1 (E) The Northern Great Plains Regional 

2 Authority established under subtitle G of the 

3 Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act 

4 (7 U.S.C. 2009bb et seq.). 

5 (F) The Southeast Crescent Regional 

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

7 of title 40, United States Code. 

8 (G) The Southwest Border Regional Com9 mission established by section 15301(a)(2) of 

10 title 40, United States Code. 

11 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

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

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

14 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028. 

15 (2) GRANTS.—Beginning with fiscal year 2025, 

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

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

18 used to carry out the grant program under sub19 section (c). 

Æ 


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