(c) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.—An eligible applicant de-
scribed in subsection (b) that receives a grant under sub-
section (a) may use the grant funds to support the capac-
ity building and economic development of identified rural 
areas and local partners in those rural areas through the 
following activities: 
(1) Training and supporting local staff, includ-
ing relating to systems development and support. 
(2) Identifying vetted technical consultants for 
planning and designing physical infrastructure. 
(3) Facilitating coordination between Federal 
agencies and local partners. 
(4) Providing expertise on developing public-pri-
vate partnerships. 
(5) Development and project predevelopment 
activities. 
(6) Grant writing and grant management ac-
tivities. 
(d) INELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.—An eligible applicant 
described in subsection (b) that receives a grant under 
subsection (a) may not use the grant funds— 
(1) to fund staffing at a for-profit entity; 
(2) to purchase or lease real property, build-
ings, or equipment; 
(3) to support a non-rural area; or 
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(4) for research and development. 
(e) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under subsection 
(a), the Secretary may give priority to an eligible applicant 
described in subsection (b) that serves— 
(1) a nonmetropolitan area with a high poverty 
level; or 
(2) an Indian Tribe with demonstrated support 
from the Tribal council or duly elected Tribal execu-
tive of the appropriate Tribal government. 
(f) MATCHING FUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), an 
eligible applicant described in subsection (b) that re-
ceives a grant under subsection (a) shall provide 
non-Federal matching funds in an amount that is 
not less than 30 percent of the amount of the grant. 
(2) WAIVER.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may 
waive the requirement under paragraph (1) 
based on the demonstrated need of the area in 
which activities using the grant are to be car-
ried out, as determined by the Secretary. 
(B) JUSTIFICATION.—The Secretary shall 
provide to the Committee on Agriculture of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the 
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Senate a justification for each waiver provided 
under subparagraph (A). 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary such sums as are nec-
essary to carry out this section. 
(2) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary may re-
tain not more than 2 percent of the amounts made 
available to carry out this section for administration 
of the program established under this section. 
SEC. 5. RURAL PARTNERS NETWORK. 
Section 6306 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 
2018 (7 U.S.C. 2204b–3) is amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘COUN-
CIL ON RURAL COMMUNITY INNOVATION AND 
ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘RURAL PARTNERS NETWORK’’; 
(2) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ‘‘council’’ 
and inserting ‘‘network’’; 
(3) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—There is established a 
Rural Partners Network (referred to in this section 
as the ‘Network’). 
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‘‘(2) SUCCESSOR.—The Network shall be the 
successor to the Council on Rural Community Inno-
vation and Economic Development established by 
this section (as in effect on the day before the date 
of enactment of the Rural Partnership and Pros-
perity Act).’’; 
(4) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking subparagraphs (C), 
(D), (N), (Q), (R), (S), (T), (V), (X), (Y), 
and (Z); 
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs 
(E) through (M), (O), (P), (U), (W), and 
(AA) as subparagraphs (C) through (K), 
(L), (M), (N), (O), and (X), respectively; 
and 
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph 
(O) (as so redesignated) the following: 
‘‘(P) The Federal Deposit Insurance Cor-
poration. 
‘‘(Q) The Appalachian Regional Commis-
sion. 
‘‘(R) The Consumer Financial Protection 
Bureau. 
‘‘(S) The Social Security Administration. 
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‘‘(T) The Delta Regional Authority. 
‘‘(U) The Denali Commission. 
‘‘(V) The Northern Border Regional Com-
mission. 
‘‘(W) The Southeast Crescent Regional 
Commission.’’; and 
(B) in paragraphs (2) through (4), by 
striking ‘‘Council’’ each place it appears and in-
serting ‘‘Network’’; 
(5) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘Council’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Network’’; 
(6) in subsection (e)— 
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
‘‘COUNCIL’’ and inserting ‘‘NETWORK’’; 
(B) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘Council’’ and inserting ‘‘Network’’; 
(C) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(D) in paragraph (3), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(E) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) to improve the efficiency of Federal assist-
ance to rural communities by— 
‘‘(A) reducing administrative burdens on 
rural communities to pursue Federal funding; 
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‘‘(B) improving the administrative effi-
ciency of Federal economic development pro-
grams serving rural communities; and 
‘‘(C) streamlining and simplifying the ap-
plication process for Federal funding opportuni-
ties for rural communities.’’; 
(7) in subsection (f), in the matter preceding 
paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Council’’ and inserting 
‘‘Network’’; 
(8) in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘Council’’ 
each place it appears and inserting ‘‘Network’’; and 
(9) by striking subsection (h) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(h) INNOVATIVE CROSS-AGENCY COORDINATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting as 
Chair of the Network, may carry out innovative 
strategies for coordinating with other Federal de-
partments and agencies with respect to programs 
that serve rural areas. 
‘‘(2) PRIORITIES.—In carrying out paragraph 
(1), the Secretary shall prioritize— 
‘‘(A) improving ease of access to Federal 
programs for resource-constrained rural com-
munities; 
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‘‘(B) utilizing early technical assistance to 
reduce duplicative applications and administra-
tive costs at the Federal level; 
‘‘(C) leveraging partnerships with local, 
State, philanthropic, and private entities to 
maximize returns on Federal investments; 
‘‘(D) integrating stakeholder and program 
user experience into program design; and 
‘‘(E) targeting areas experiencing economic 
distress, as determined by the Secretary.’’. 
Æ 
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