MORE USDA Grants Act
Bill: S.647 | Sponsor: Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine (D-NV)
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
More Opportunities for Rural Economies from USDA Grants Act or the MORE USDA Grants Act
This bill revises the process for awarding grants under certain programs of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to high-density public land counties and any units of tribal and local governments within such counties. A high-density public land county is a county that has a population of not more than 100,000 people and in which more than 50% of the land is owned or managed by the federal government.
Any requirement for local matching funds under a qualifying grant program must be reduced by 50% with respect to such jurisdictions.
On request, USDA must provide additional technical assistance to such jurisdictions before and during the annual application period for each qualifying grant program.
USDA must also prioritize grant applications from such jurisdictions that have not received support under the qualifying grant program during the 10-year period preceding the date of the application.

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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

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 Government.
            (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 Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 
                1926(a)(20)(B));
                    (C) the Telemedicine and Distance Learning 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 Program 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 Department of 
                Agriculture under which grants are awarded to--
                            (i) counties;
                            (ii) other units of local government; or
                            (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 component reservation, individually 
        identified (including parenthetically) in the list published 
        most recently as of the date of enactment of this Act pursuant 
        to section 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List 
        Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131).

SEC. 3. GRANTS.

    (a) Reduction in Local Matching Requirements.--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 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 government or Tribal government within a 
High-Density Public Land County, the Secretary shall provide additional 
technical 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 applications for a 
        qualifying grant program, the Secretary shall give priority to 
        an application from a High-Density Public Land County, unit of 
        local government 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 period preceding the date of the 
        application.
            (2) Technical assistance and other support.--In carrying 
        out subsections (b) and (d), the Secretary may give priority to 
        a Tribal government within a High-Density Public Land County.
    (d) Other Support.--The Secretary may provide additional support, 
as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, 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 considering and, 
if appropriate, offering flexibility with respect to any requirement 
of, or barrier to applying for or receiving 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 institutions, such as 
        community colleges or foundations, which may not operate in the 
        jurisdiction of the High-Density Public Land County, unit of 
        local government, 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 
        which the High-Density Public Land County, unit of local 
        government, or Tribal government is subject; or
            (4) an overly complicated or overly technical application 
        for a qualifying grant program that deters High-Density Public 
        Land Counties or units of local government or Tribal 
        governments within High-Density Public Land Counties from 
        applying for the qualifying grant program.
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