I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2728 
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 
APRIL 8, 2025 
Ms. LETLOW (for herself and Mr. DELUZIO) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture, 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 jurisdic-
tion 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, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Growing Regional En-
trepreneurship and Access To Economic Resilience Act’’ 
or the ‘‘GREATER Act’’. 
SEC. 2. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING TO EXPAND 
RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SUPPORT 
TO SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS WITHIN AP-
PALACHIAN REGION AND THE DELTA RE-
GION. 
(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 covered 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. 
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(c) INCLUSION OF COVERED SMALL BUSINESS CON-
CERNS.—In carrying out the activities described in sub-
section (a), the covered officials shall ensure the inclusion 
of covered small business concerns in such activities, as 
appropriate. 
(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 the enactment of this Act, the covered officials shall 
jointly submit to Congress a report on activities carried 
out pursuant to a memorandum or agreement described 
in subsection (b) that includes the following: 
(1) Coordination between the covered officials 
involved in such activities. 
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(2) Potential opportunities to expand the ability 
of the Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta Re-
gional Authority, and the Small Business Adminis-
tration to provide assistance to rural entrepreneurs 
or covered small business concerns, as applicable. 
(3) The number of rural entrepreneurs or cov-
ered small business concerns assisted through activi-
ties 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 covered small business concerns located 
within the Appalachian region or Delta region, as 
applicable. 
(5) Plans of the covered officials to continue co-
ordination on activities described in subsection (a). 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 
(1) COVERED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN.—The 
term ‘‘covered small business concern’’ means a 
small business concern (as defined under section 3 
of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)) located 
within the Appalachian region or Delta region. 
(2) APPALACHIAN
REGIONAL
COMMISSION.— 
The term ‘‘Appalachian Regional Commission’’ 
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means the commission established by section 
14301(a) of title 40, United States Code. 
(3) 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). 
(4) 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.). 
Æ 
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