I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5051 
To amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to improve 
the Rural Energy for America Program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 27, 2023 
Ms. SPANBERGER (for herself and Mr. VALADAO) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act 
of 2002 to improve the Rural Energy for America Pro-
gram, 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 Energy for 
America Program Modernization Act of 2023’’ or the 
‘‘REAP Modernization Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. RURAL ENERGY FOR AMERICA PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 9007 of the Farm Secu-
rity and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107) 
is amended— 
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(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and 
(2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, 
and indenting appropriately; 
(B) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A) (as so redesignated), by striking ‘‘The Sec-
retary’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; 
(C) in paragraph (1) (as so designated), in 
the matter preceding subparagraph (A) (as so 
redesignated), by inserting ‘‘(referred to in this 
section as the ‘Program’)’’ after ‘‘Program’’; 
and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) CLIMATE BENEFITS.—In carrying out the 
Program, the Secretary shall promote the reduction 
of greenhouse gas emissions as a result of carrying 
out projects funded by grants and other financial as-
sistance under the Program.’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (D), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph 
(E) as subparagraph (G); and 
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(iii) by inserting after subparagraph 
(D) the following: 
‘‘(E) a producer cooperative; 
‘‘(F) 
a 
nongovernmental 
organization; 
and’’; 
(B) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) in subparagraph (E), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(ii) in subparagraph (F), by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 
and’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(G) the potential of the proposed program 
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide 
other climate benefits.’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (4)— 
(i) in subparagraph (B), by redesig-
nating clauses (i) and (ii) as subclauses (I) 
and (II), respectively, and indenting appro-
priately; 
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs 
(A) and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respec-
tively, and indenting appropriately; 
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(iii) in the matter preceding clause (i) 
(as so redesignated), by striking ‘‘A recipi-
ent’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A recipient’’; and 
(iv) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(B) GRANT OPTIONS.—A grant awarded 
under paragraph (1) may be used to carry out 
1 or more of the activities described in subpara-
graph (A).’’; 
(3) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by adding after 
and below the end the following: 
‘‘The Secretary may, on a limited case-by-case 
basis, provide financial assistance described in 
this subparagraph to agricultural producer co-
operatives and rural electric cooperatives that 
do not otherwise qualify for the assistance.’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (F), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph 
(G) as subparagraph (H); and 
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph 
(F) the following: 
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‘‘(G) the potential of the renewable energy 
system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and 
result in other climate benefits; and’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ‘‘25 
percent’’ and inserting ‘‘50 percent’’; 
(4) by redesignating subsections (d), (e), and 
(f) as subsections (e), (f), and (i), respectively; 
(5) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(d) STREAMLINED APPLICATION PROCESS.—The 
Secretary shall develop a streamlined application process, 
including within each tier described in subsection (c)(4), 
under which an entity may apply for a grant under sub-
section (b), financial assistance under subsection (c), or 
a bundled application for a project with components eligi-
ble under clauses (i) and (ii) of subsection (c)(1)(A).’’; 
(6) in subsection (e) (as so redesignated)— 
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
‘‘OUTREACH’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘OUTREACH, 
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND EDUCATION’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘that adequate’’ and in-
serting the following: ‘‘that— 
‘‘(1) adequate’’; 
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(C) in paragraph (1) (as so designated), by 
striking the period at the end and inserting a 
semicolon; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) technical assistance is provided to entities 
seeking to apply for a grant or financial assistance 
under the Program; and 
‘‘(3) outreach, technical assistance, and edu-
cation is provided to recipients of grants and other 
financial assistance under the Program relating to 
integrating renewable energy projects on land shared 
with crops or livestock.’’; 
(7) in subsection (f) (as so redesignated), in 
paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘$20,000’’ and inserting 
‘‘$50,000’’; 
(8) by inserting after subsection (f) (as so re-
designated) the following: 
‘‘(g) STUDY.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITION OF DUAL-USE ENERGY SYS-
TEM.—In this subsection, the term ‘dual-use energy 
system’ means a system under which renewable en-
ergy production and agricultural production, includ-
ing crop or animal production, occur together on the 
same piece of land. 
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‘‘(2) STUDY.—The Secretary shall carry out a 
study on dual-use energy systems. 
‘‘(3) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of the REAP Modernization Act 
of 2023, the Secretary shall submit to Congress, and 
make publicly available online, a report on the re-
sults of the study carried out under paragraph (2), 
which shall include a recommendation as to whether 
the scope of grants and other financial assistance 
under the Program should be expanded to cover 
projects that generate more energy without signifi-
cantly impacting farm operations or leading to the 
conversion of existing farm land. 
‘‘(h) ENERGY GENERATED.—In the case of a project 
funded by a grant or other financial assistance provided 
under the Program that takes place on a property on 
which a residence is closely associated with and shares an 
energy metering device with an agricultural operation or 
rural small business to be served by the project, there shall 
not be any requirement imposed relating to the quantity 
of energy generated by the project that must be used by 
the agricultural operation or rural small business.’’; and 
(9) in subsection (i) (as so redesignated), by 
adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(4) OUTREACH, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND 
EDUCATION.—Of the funds made available to carry 
out this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall 
use not more than 8 percent to carry out subsection 
(e). 
‘‘(5) RESERVE FUND.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—There is established a 
reserve fund (referred to in this paragraph as 
the ‘reserve fund’), into which, each fiscal year, 
not less than 15 percent of the funds made 
available under paragraphs (1) and (3) to carry 
out this section for that fiscal year shall be 
transferred. 
‘‘(B) USE OF RESERVE FUND.—After all 
other funds for the Program are obligated for 
a fiscal year, the Secretary may use amounts in 
the reserve fund to provide grants and other fi-
nancial assistance under the Program for 
projects using underutilized renewable energy 
technologies. 
‘‘(C) UNUSED
FUNDS.—If there are re-
maining funds in the reserve fund at the end of 
a fiscal year, the Secretary shall use those re-
maining funds to provide grants and other fi-
nancial assistance under the Program without 
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regard to whether the grants or financial assist-
ance relate to underutilized renewable energy 
technologies.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 9007 of 
the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 
U.S.C. 8107) is amended by striking ‘‘subsection (f)’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘subsection (i)’’. 
Æ 
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