I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4239 
To amend the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to 
establish the Rural Innovation and Partnership Administration and to 
amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to establish 
the Rural Future Partnership Fund to invest in the rural areas of 
the United States to achieve their preferred future while maximizing 
their contribution to the well-being of the United States, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 21, 2023 
Ms. BUDZINSKI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Financial 
Services, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined 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 Department of Agriculture Reorganization 
Act of 1994 to establish the Rural Innovation and Part-
nership Administration and to amend the Consolidated 
Farm and Rural Development Act to establish the Rural 
Future Partnership Fund to invest in the rural areas 
of the United States to achieve their preferred future 
while maximizing their contribution to the well-being of 
the United States, 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 ‘‘Rebuild Rural America 
Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are— 
(1) to create the scale and capacity that enables 
rural areas to achieve their preferred future while 
maximizing their contribution to the well-being of 
the United States; 
(2) to recognize the significant contributions of 
rural areas of the United States to the success of 
the United States, including the leading role that 
the rural areas play in addressing the critical threat 
of climate change and building a resilient United 
States; 
(3) to make a national commitment to the rural 
communities and regions of the United States to en-
sure that the rural United States benefits from and 
contributes to the prosperity of the United States; 
(4) to establish a partnership with rural areas 
of the United States that provides flexible, long- 
term, and annual Federal investment for comprehen-
sive, collaborative, and locally driven community and 
economic development that improves quality of life 
and economic competitiveness; 
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(5) to strengthen rural population centers 
through collaboration with neighboring rural areas 
that ensures economic integration and regional de-
velopment; 
(6) to strengthen connections between rural and 
urban areas of the United States for mutual success 
and for the benefit of the economy of the United 
States and the quality of life of the people of the 
United States; 
(7) to support asset-based development, maxi-
mizing the cost-effectiveness of existing infrastruc-
ture; 
(8) to ensure economic opportunities that create 
pathways to high-quality, family-sustaining jobs for 
all individuals in rural areas of the United States, 
including efforts to address population loss, to pro-
mote the use of cooperatives and other forms of pub-
lic and employee ownership, and to expand and im-
prove access to training, infrastructure, and invest-
ment to adapt to technological change, such as auto-
mation, for success in the digital economy; 
(9) to provide for the evolution and expansion 
of the role of the Department of Agriculture in en-
suring that rural communities have a dedicated 
agency and a new delivery system for Federal assist-
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ance for disaster recovery and proactive mitigation 
and resiliency efforts; 
(10) to rebuild and modernize infrastructure 
and expand investment to support local and regional 
food systems, sustainable agriculture production, 
and value added agricultural industries; 
(11) to support infill development, preserve un-
developed land, and remediate brownfields and other 
contaminated properties for re-use; and 
(12) to support public health and improve qual-
ity of life in rural communities by delivering— 
(A) universal access to clean air and water; 
(B) healthy foods available through local 
and regional food systems; 
(C) quality, affordable, and accessible 
health care services in the rural communities, 
including access to primary and emergency 
medical services, mental health care, and treat-
ment for substance abuse; 
(D) affordable and reliable clean energy 
systems; and 
(E) quality, affordable, and energy-effi-
cient housing choices in the rural communities. 
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SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF RURAL INNOVATION AND 
PARTNERSHIP ADMINISTRATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle C of the Department of 
Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6941 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 237. RURAL INNOVATION AND PARTNERSHIP ADMIN-
ISTRATION. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish in the Department a Rural Innovation and Partner-
ship Administration (referred to in this section as the ‘Ad-
ministration’). 
‘‘(b) ADMINISTRATOR.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administration shall 
be headed by an Administrator of Rural Innovation 
and Partnerships (referred to in this section as the 
‘Administrator’), who shall be appointed by the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(2) REPORTING TO UNDER SECRETARY.—The 
Administrator shall report to the Under Secretary 
for Rural Development. 
‘‘(c) FUNCTIONS.—The Secretary shall carry out 
through the Administration the functions of the Rural Fu-
ture Partnership Fund established under subtitle I of the 
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act. 
‘‘(d) REQUIREMENT FOR STATE OFFICES.—In car-
rying out the functions of the Administration, the Sec-
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retary shall ensure that each State office of the rural de-
velopment mission area is staffed with not less than 3 new 
employees to implement the Rural Future Partnership 
Fund established under subtitle I of the Consolidated 
Farm and Rural Development Act, including providing— 
‘‘(1) technical assistance; 
‘‘(2) support for capacity building; 
‘‘(3) financial controls; and 
‘‘(4) performance oversight. 
‘‘(e) COORDINATION WITH COUNCIL ON RURAL COM-
MUNITY INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.— 
In carrying out the functions of the Administration, the 
Administrator shall coordinate with the Council on Rural 
Community Innovation and Economic Development estab-
lished by section 6306 of the Agriculture Improvement Act 
of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 2204b–3).’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) Section 296(b) of the Department of Agri-
culture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 
7014(b)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(11) The authority of the Secretary to estab-
lish and maintain in the Department the Rural In-
novation and Partnership Administration under sec-
tion 237.’’. 
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(2) Section 6306(f) of the Agriculture Improve-
ment Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 2204b–3(f)) is amend-
ed— 
(A) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(B) in paragraph (5)(B), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(6) give priority to coordinating with the Ad-
ministrator of Rural Innovation and Partnerships in 
carrying out the Rural Future Partnership Fund es-
tablished under subtitle I of the Consolidated Farm 
and Rural Development Act.’’. 
SEC. 4. RURAL FUTURE PARTNERSHIP FUND. 
The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act 
(7 U.S.C. 1921 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘Subtitle I—Rural Future 
Partnership Fund 
‘‘SEC. 385A. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this subtitle: 
‘‘(1) COUNCIL.—The term ‘Council’ means a 
rural partnership council established under para-
graph (1)(A)(i), (2)(A)(i), or (3)(A)(i), as applicable, 
of section 385C(a). 
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‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE
TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE
PRO-
VIDER.—The term ‘eligible technical assistance pro-
vider’ means an entity— 
‘‘(A) with a demonstrated national or re-
gional structure or capacity to deliver and sup-
port multiple rural planning activities across 
the United States or within a region of the 
United States; and 
‘‘(B) that is— 
‘‘(i) a federally recognized Indian 
Tribe; 
‘‘(ii) an institution of higher edu-
cation; 
‘‘(iii) a nonprofit organization; or 
‘‘(iv) a private organization. 
‘‘(3) FUND.—The term ‘Fund’ means the Rural 
Future Partnership Fund established under section 
385B. 
‘‘(4) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘institution 
of higher education’ has the meaning given the 
term in section 101 of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘institution 
of higher education’ includes— 
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‘‘(i) land-grant colleges and univer-
sities (as defined in section 1404 of the 
National Agricultural Research, Extension, 
and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 
3103)); and 
‘‘(ii) associated cooperative extension 
services. 
‘‘(5) PLAN.—The term ‘Plan’ means a rural 
partnership plan established under section 385E(a). 
‘‘(6) RESERVATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘reservation’ 
has the meaning given the term ‘Indian coun-
try’ in section 1151 of title 18, United States 
Code. 
‘‘(B) INCLUSION.—The term ‘reservation’ 
includes land held by a Native group, a Re-
gional Corporation, or a Village Corporation (as 
those terms are defined in section 3 of the Alas-
ka Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 
1602)). 
‘‘(7) RURAL
PARTNERSHIP
BLOCK
GRANT.— 
The term ‘rural partnership block grant’ means a 
rural partnership block grant awarded under this 
subtitle. 
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‘‘(8) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means 
the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of 
Rural Innovation and Partnerships. 
‘‘(9) WORKFORCE HOUSING.—The term ‘work-
force housing’ means, with respect to housing for a 
family, housing the cost of which does not exceed 30 
percent of— 
‘‘(A) subject to subparagraph (B), 120 
percent of the median income in the area in 
which the family lives, as determined by the 
Secretary, with appropriate adjustments for the 
size of the family; or 
‘‘(B) if the Secretary determines that there 
are unusually high or low family incomes in the 
area in which the family lives, such other per-
centage, as the Secretary determines to be ap-
propriate, of the median income in the area in 
which the family lives. 
‘‘SEC. 385B. ESTABLISHMENT. 
‘‘The Secretary shall establish a program, to be 
known as the ‘Rural Future Partnership Fund’, under 
which the Secretary shall award rural partnership block 
grants in accordance with this subtitle. 
‘‘SEC. 385C. ELIGIBILITY. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.— 
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‘‘(1) MICROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to re-
ceive a rural partnership block grant— 
‘‘(i) one or more units of local govern-
ment that govern a micropolitan statistical 
area, as defined by the Director of the Of-
fice of Management and Budget, shall es-
tablish a rural partnership council in ac-
cordance with subsection (b); and 
‘‘(ii) that Council shall submit an ap-
plication to— 
‘‘(I) not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of the Re-
build Rural America Act of 2023— 
‘‘(aa)(AA) 
the 
applicable 
State; or 
‘‘(BB) the applicable States, 
if the micropolitan statistical 
area spans more than 1 State; 
and 
‘‘(bb) the applicable State 
offices of the rural development 
mission area; or 
‘‘(II) after the date described in 
subclause (I), the Secretary. 
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‘‘(B) REGIONAL COLLABORATION.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—On receipt of an 
application under subparagraph (A)(ii)(I), 
the one or more States, in coordination 
with the applicable State offices of the 
rural development mission area, shall ad-
vise the applicant on the inclusion in the 
Council, if practicable, of one or more con-
tiguous census tracts or counties that— 
‘‘(I) fall outside of a micropolitan 
or metropolitan statistical area; and 
‘‘(II) demonstrate evidence of 
economic, social, and cultural coopera-
tion that enhances the potential for 
comprehensive, asset-based regional 
development. 
‘‘(ii) DECISION.—After receipt of ad-
vice under clause (i), the applicant shall— 
‘‘(I) decide whether to include 
one or more of the applicable contig-
uous census tracts or counties in the 
Council; and 
‘‘(II) modify the application, as 
appropriate. 
‘‘(C) APPROVAL.— 
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‘‘(i) STATES.—The one or more 
States that receive an application under 
subparagraph (A)(ii)(I)(aa), in coordina-
tion with the applicable State offices of the 
rural development mission area, shall ap-
prove the Council as eligible to receive a 
rural partnership block grant if the re-
quirements under subsection (b) for the 
composition of the membership of a Coun-
cil are satisfied. 
‘‘(ii) 
SECRETARY.—Not 
less 
fre-
quently than once each year, the Secretary, 
in coordination with the applicable State 
offices of the rural development mission 
area, may approve applications received 
under subparagraph (A)(ii)(II) if the re-
quirements under subsection (b) for the 
composition of the membership of a Coun-
cil are satisfied. 
‘‘(2) AREAS OUTSIDE OF MICROPOLITAN AND 
METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS; OTHER RURAL 
AREAS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to re-
ceive a rural partnership block grant— 
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