I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6462 
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program to provide 
to rural communities technical assistance in recovering from disasters, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 4, 2025 
Mrs. MCCLAIN DELANEY (for herself, Mr. EVANS of Colorado, Ms. SALINAS, 
Ms. STANSBURY, and Mr. THOMPSON of California) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program 
to provide to rural communities technical assistance in 
recovering from disasters, and for other purposes. 
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 Recovery Act 
of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. RURAL DEVELOPMENT DISASTER RECOVERY TECH-
NICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Dec 19, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6462.IH
H6462
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(1) DISASTER.—The term ‘‘disaster’’ means a 
major disaster declared by the President under the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.). 
(2) ELIGIBLE RURAL COMMUNITY.—The term 
‘‘eligible rural community’’ means each rural com-
munity all or part of which is within an area covered 
by a disaster. 
(3) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘program’’ means 
the program established under subsection (b). 
(4) RURAL COMMUNITY.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), the term ‘‘rural community’’ means 
any census designated place with a population 
of less than 20,000. 
(B) MODIFICATION; WAIVER.—The Sec-
retary may, as the Secretary determines to be 
necessary— 
(i) modify the definition of ‘‘rural 
community’’ under subparagraph (A); or 
(ii) waive the applicability of the defi-
nition of ‘‘rural community’’ under this 
paragraph to a particular area. 
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Dec 19, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6462.IH
H6462
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 
within the rural development mission area a program to 
provide technical assistance for eligible rural communities. 
(c) PROVIDERS OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Technical assistance under 
the program shall be provided by— 
(A) a State office of the rural development 
mission area; 
(B) an entity described in paragraph (2) 
that enters into a contract with a State office 
of the rural development mission area; or 
(C) both entities described in subpara-
graphs (A) and (B). 
(2) ELIGIBILITY OF CONTRACTORS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—An entity eligible to 
enter into a contract under paragraph (1)(B) is 
a public body or private nonprofit corporation 
described in section 306(a)(26)(A) of the Con-
solidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 
U.S.C. 1926(a)(26)(A)). 
(B) PRIORITY.—In entering into contracts 
under paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary shall 
give priority to entities described in section 
306(a)(26)(B) of the Consolidated Farm and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Dec 19, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6462.IH
H6462
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
Rural 
Development 
Act 
(7 
U.S.C. 
1926(a)(26)(B)). 
(3) COORDINATION.—A provider of technical 
assistance under the program shall, to the extent 
practicable, coordinate with State governments and 
local stakeholders to ensure the equitable distribu-
tion of outreach to eligible rural communities. 
(d) REQUIREMENTS OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 
A provider of technical assistance under the program shall 
provide technical assistance to eligible rural communities 
relating to disaster recovery— 
(1) including assistance in— 
(A) planning, and identifying issues, poten-
tial solutions, and sources of funding, with re-
spect to disaster recovery; 
(B) preparing and submitting applications 
with respect to assistance for disaster recovery 
to Federal agencies, such as the Economic De-
velopment Administration, the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency, and the rural devel-
opment mission area, and State agencies; 
(C) addressing denials of applications de-
scribed in subparagraph (B); and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Dec 19, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6462.IH
H6462
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(D) implementing funding received for dis-
aster recovery from Federal agencies and State 
agencies described in subparagraph (B); and 
(2) which may involve— 
(A) telecommunications; 
(B) water infrastructure; 
(C) housing; 
(D) energy infrastructure; 
(E) community facilities; 
(F) business infrastructure; and 
(G) local government infrastructure. 
(e) DURATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible rural community 
may receive technical assistance under the program 
during the 3-year period beginning on the date on 
which a disaster is declared for the area within 
which all or part of the eligible rural community lies. 
(2) EXTENSION.—The Secretary may extend 
the period of eligibility described in paragraph (1) 
for an additional 3-year period with respect to an el-
igible rural community on a case-by-case basis. 
(f) MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS.—More than 1 eligible 
rural community all or part of which are within an area 
covered by a disaster may receive technical assistance 
under the program. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Dec 19, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6462.IH
H6462
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(g) FUNDING.— 
(1) PROVISION.—As soon as practicable after 
the date on which a disaster is declared for the area 
within which all or part of an eligible rural commu-
nity lies, the Secretary shall make available to the 
applicable State office of the rural development mis-
sion area amounts available to carry out this section, 
without any requirement for the submission of an 
application by such State office. 
(2) ALLOCATION.—The Secretary shall allocate 
amounts made available to carry out this section for 
each fiscal year to eligible rural communities in ac-
cordance with a formula established by the Secretary 
that is based on the population of individuals af-
fected by a disaster, as determined using data from 
the most recent decennial census. 
(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
out this section $50,000,000 for each fiscal year. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Dec 19, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H6462.IH
H6462
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS