I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9166 
To require the Small Business Administration, the Appalachian Regional 
Commission, and the Delta Regional Authority to enter into an agree-
ment to carry out activities to expand rural entrepreneurship, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 25, 2024 
Mr. MOLINARO (for himself and Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, 
and Financial Services, 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 require the Small Business Administration, the Appa-
lachian Regional Commission, and the Delta Regional 
Authority to enter into an agreement to carry out activi-
ties to expand rural entrepreneurship, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Innovation and 
Small Business Expansion Act’’ or the ‘‘RISE Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING TO EXPAND 
RURAL 
ENTREPRENEURSHIP 
AND 
SMALL 
BUSINESS WITHIN APPALACHIA AND DELTA 
AREA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of 
the Small Business Administration, the appropriate head 
of the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the appro-
priate head of the Delta Regional Authority (in this sec-
tion referred to as the ‘‘covered officials’’) shall enter into 
a memorandum of understanding or other appropriate 
agreement to carry out activities within the Appalachian 
region and the Delta region, as applicable, to expand rural 
entrepreneurship and to support small business concerns. 
(b) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING OR AGREE-
MENT.—The covered officials shall carry out and coordi-
nate the activities described in subsection (a) by entering 
into one or more memoranda of understanding or other 
appropriate agreements, as jointly determined by the cov-
ered officials. 
(c) INCLUSION OF SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS.—In 
carrying out the activities described in subsection (a), the 
covered officials shall ensure the inclusion of small busi-
ness concerns in such activities, as appropriate. 
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(d) OTHER REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the ac-
tivities described in subsection (a), the covered officials 
may— 
(1) carry out reimbursable agreements between 
the Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta Re-
gional Authority, the Small Business Administra-
tion, and other appropriate entities in order to maxi-
mize the effectiveness of activities carried out pursu-
ant to a memorandum or agreement described in 
subsection (b); and 
(2) collaborate with other Federal agencies as 
appropriate to carry out such activities. 
(e) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the covered officials shall jointly 
submit to Congress a report on activities carried out pur-
suant to a memorandum or agreement described in sub-
section (b) that includes the following: 
(1) Coordination between the covered officials 
involved in such activities. 
(2) Potential opportunities to expand the capac-
ity of the Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta 
Regional Authority, and the Small Business Admin-
istration to provide assistance to rural entrepreneurs 
or small business concerns located within the Appa-
lachian region or Delta region, as applicable. 
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(3) Number of rural entrepreneurs or small 
business concerns assisted through activities carried 
out pursuant to such memorandum or agreement. 
(4) Areas of future collaboration among the 
covered officials for the benefit of rural entre-
preneurs or small business concerns located within 
the Appalachian region or Delta region, as applica-
ble. 
(5) Plans of the covered officials to continue co-
ordination on activities described in subsection (a). 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 
(1) APPALACHIAN
REGIONAL
COMMISSION.— 
The term ‘‘Appalachian Regional Commission’’ 
means the commission established by section 
14301(a) of title 40, United States Code. 
(2) DELTA REGION.—The term ‘‘Delta region’’ 
has the meaning given the term ‘‘region’’ in section 
382A of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Develop-
ment Act (7 U.S.C. 2009aa). 
(3) DELTA REGIONAL AUTHORITY.—The term 
‘‘Delta Regional Authority’’ means the entity estab-
lished under subtitle F of the Consolidated Farm 
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2009aa et 
seq.). 
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(4) SMALL
BUSINESS
CONCERN.—The term 
‘‘small business concern’’ has the meaning given 
under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 632). 
Æ 
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