I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9019 
To establish a uniform definition of ‘‘rural area’’ for all rural development 
programs administered by the Department of Agriculture. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 11, 2024 
Mr. RUIZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on 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 establish a uniform definition of ‘‘rural area’’ for all 
rural development programs administered by the Depart-
ment of Agriculture. 
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 Area Population 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. UNIFORM DEFINITION OF ‘‘RURAL AREA’’ FOR USDA 
RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 343(a)(13) of the Consoli-
dated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 
1991(a)(13)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking ‘‘urban-
ized’’ and insert ‘‘urban’’; 
(2) by striking subparagraphs (B) and (C); 
(3) in subparagraph (D)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘(F)’’ each place it appears 
and inserting ‘‘(D)’’; and 
(B) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘urbanized’’ 
each place it appears and inserting ‘‘urban’’; 
(4) in subparagraph (E), by striking ‘‘urban-
ized’’ and inserting ‘‘urban’’; 
(5) in subparagraph (F)— 
(A) in clause (i)(II), by striking ‘‘urban-
ized’’ and inserting ‘‘urban’’; and 
(B) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘consider— 
’’ and all that follows and inserting ‘‘consider 
an area described in clause (i)(I) not to be a 
rural area for purposes of subparagraph (A).’’; 
and 
(6) 
by 
redesignating 
subparagraphs 
(D) 
through (I) as subparagraphs (B) through (G), re-
spectively. 
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(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS
TO
THE RURAL 
ELECTRIFICATION ACT OF 1936.— 
(1) Section 13(3) of the Rural Electrification 
Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 913(3)) is amended— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘(C)’’ 
each place it appears and inserting ‘‘(A)’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘loan’’ and inserting ‘‘loan, or has had a loan,’’ 
before ‘‘made under’’. 
(2) Section 203(b) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 
924(b)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(b) In this title, the term ‘rural area’ shall have the 
meaning given the term in 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consoli-
dated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 
1991(a)(13)(A)).’’. 
(3) Section 601(b)(3) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 
950bb(b)(3)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(3) RURAL AREA.—The term ‘rural area’ shall 
have the meaning given the term in 343(a)(13)(A) 
of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 
Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).’’. 
(4) Section 604(a)(4) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 
950bb–3(a)(4)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(4) RURAL AREA.—The term ‘rural area’ shall 
have the meaning given the term in 343(a)(13)(A) 
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of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 
Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).’’. 
(c) HOUSING PROVISIONS.—Section 520 of the Hous-
ing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490) is amended— 
(1) by striking the first sentence and inserting 
the following: ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—As used in this 
title, the term ‘rural area’ shall have the meaning 
given the term in 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated 
Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 
1991(a)(13)(A)).’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘For purposes of this title’’ and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(b) LEGACY AREAS.—For purposes of this title’’; 
(3) by striking ‘‘, and the city’’ and all that fol-
lows through ‘‘year 2000’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) RURAL DEFINED.—As used in this title, the 
term ‘rural’ shall have the meaning given the term ‘rural 
area’ in subsection (a).’’. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this Act shall take effect 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
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(e) RULEMAKING.—The Secretary of Agriculture 
shall prescribe such rules as are necessary with respect 
to implementing the amendments made by this Act. 
Æ 
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