I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1779 
To improve the process for awarding grants under certain programs of the 
Department of Agriculture to certain counties in which the majority 
of land is owned or managed by the Federal Government and to other 
units of local government and Tribal governments in those counties, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 10, 2021 
Mr. STEWART (for himself, Mr. ROSENDALE, Mr. OWENS, Mr. NEWHOUSE, 
Mr. GOSAR, and Ms. HERRELL) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Commit-
tees on Energy and Commerce, and Financial Services, for a period to 
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To improve the process for awarding grants under certain 
programs of the Department of Agriculture to certain 
counties in which the majority of land is owned or man-
aged by the Federal Government and to other units 
of local government and Tribal governments in those 
counties, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘More Opportunities 
for Rural Economies from USDA Grants Act’’ or the 
‘‘MORE USDA Grants Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) HIGH-DENSITY
PUBLIC
LAND
COUNTY.— 
The term ‘‘High-Density Public Land County’’ 
means a county (or equivalent jurisdiction) of a 
State or territory of the United States— 
(A) that has a population of not more than 
100,000 people, according to the most recent 
annual estimates of population by the Bureau 
of the Census; and 
(B) in which more than 50 percent of the 
land is owned or managed by the Federal Gov-
ernment. 
(2) QUALIFYING GRANT PROGRAM.—The term 
‘‘qualifying grant program’’ means— 
(A) the Rural Business Development grant 
program established under section 310B(c) of 
the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 
Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(c)); 
(B) the Economic Impact Initiative grant 
program 
established 
under 
section 
306(a)(20)(B) of the Consolidated Farm and 
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Rural 
Development 
Act 
(7 
U.S.C. 
1926(a)(20)(B)); 
(C) the Telemedicine and Distance Learn-
ing Services grant program established under 
chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XXIII of the 
Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act 
of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 950aaa et seq.); 
(D) the Community Connect Grant Pro-
gram established under section 604 of the 
Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 
950bb–3); 
(E) the broadband loan and grant pilot 
program known as the ‘‘Rural eConnectivity 
Pilot Program’’ or the ‘‘ReConnect Program’’, 
authorized under section 779 of division A of 
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 
(Public Law 115–141; 132 Stat. 399); 
(F) any discretionary grant program of the 
Rural Business-Cooperative Service, the Rural 
Housing Service, the Rural Utilities Service, or 
any other rural development agency of the De-
partment of Agriculture under which grants are 
awarded to— 
(i) counties; 
(ii) other units of local government; or 
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(iii) Tribal governments; and 
(G) any other discretionary grant program 
of the Department of Agriculture under which 
grants for rural development are awarded to— 
(i) counties; 
(ii) other units of local government; or 
(iii) Tribal governments. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture. 
(4) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—The term ‘‘Tribal 
government’’ means the recognized governing body 
of any Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, 
pueblo, village, community, component band, or com-
ponent reservation, individually identified (including 
parenthetically) in the list published most recently as 
of the date of enactment of this Act pursuant to sec-
tion 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe 
List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131). 
SEC. 3. GRANTS. 
(a) REDUCTION
IN LOCAL MATCHING REQUIRE-
MENTS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
with respect to a High-Density Public Land County and 
any unit of local government or Tribal government within 
a High-Density Public Land County, any requirement for 
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local matching funds under a qualifying grant program 
shall be reduced by 50 percent. 
(b) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—On request of a High- 
Density Public Land County or any unit of local govern-
ment or Tribal government within a High-Density Public 
Land County, the Secretary shall provide additional tech-
nical assistance to the High-Density Public Land County, 
unit of local government, or Tribal government before and 
during the annual application period for each qualifying 
grant program. 
(c) PRIORITY.— 
(1) APPLICATION APPROVAL.—In approving ap-
plications for a qualifying grant program, the Sec-
retary shall give priority to an application from a 
High-Density Public Land County, unit of local gov-
ernment within a High-Density Public Land County, 
or Tribal government within a High-Density Public 
Land County that has not received support under 
the qualifying grant program during the 10-year pe-
riod preceding the date of the application. 
(2) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND OTHER SUP-
PORT.—In carrying out subsections (b) and (d), the 
Secretary may give priority to a Tribal government 
within a High-Density Public Land County. 
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(d) OTHER SUPPORT.—The Secretary may provide 
additional support, as the Secretary determines to be ap-
propriate, for a High-Density Public Land County or a 
unit of local government or Tribal government within a 
High-Density Public Land County, including by consid-
ering and, if appropriate, offering flexibility with respect 
to any requirement of, or barrier to applying for or receiv-
ing assistance under, a qualifying grant program if the 
requirement or barrier relates to— 
(1) scoring criteria relating to numerical size 
and impact, such as the number of jobs created or 
the number of people served, which disadvantage 
small and isolated communities; 
(2) any requirement that an applicant for a 
qualifying grant program partner with other institu-
tions, such as community colleges or foundations, 
which may not operate in the jurisdiction of the 
High-Density Public Land County, unit of local gov-
ernment, or Tribal government seeking assistance 
under the qualifying grant program; 
(3) any financial or cash-on-hand requirement 
that a High-Density Public Land County or a unit 
of local government or Tribal government within a 
High-Density Public Land County cannot meet for 
reasons other than any financial constraints to 
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