Title: To expand access to the Rural Community Facilities Program of the Department of Agriculture, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
This bill amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to modify the requirements for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Community Facilities Program, which provides funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas.
For the purposes of the program, a "rural area" may not have a population of more than 20,000 inhabitants. The bill increases the limit to 35,000 inhabitants for determinations made under the program on or after April 1 of any fiscal year. In making a grant or loan on or after April 1, USDA must give priority to applications with respect to community facilities at which public safety, health care, and job training are to be provided.
In awarding grants for essential community facilities technical assistance and training, USDA must allow applications for grants from qualified organizations for the sole purpose of providing on-site training and technical assistance on a national or multi-state regional basis.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3242 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3242

   To expand access to the Rural Community Facilities Program of the 
           Department of Agriculture, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 14, 2017

Mrs. Hartzler introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                        Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To expand access to the Rural Community Facilities Program of the 
           Department of Agriculture, 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. EXPANSION OF ACCESS TO THE RURAL COMMUNITY FACILITIES 
              PROGRAM.

    Section 343(a)(19)(C) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(19)(C)) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``or (in the case of a determination made 
        on or after April 1 of any fiscal year) 35,000'' before 
        ``inhabitants''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following: ``In making such a 
        loan or grant on or after April 1 of any fiscal year, the 
        Secretary shall give priority to applications with respect to 
        community facilities at which public safety, health care, and 
        job training are to be provided.''.

SEC. 2. ALLOWANCE OF APPLICATIONS FROM QUALIFIED NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 
              FOR GRANTS FOR ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY FACILITIES TECHNICAL 
              ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING.

    Section 306(a)(26) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 
Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(26)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following::
                    ``(D) National applications.--The Secretary shall 
                allow applications for grants under this paragraph from 
                qualified organizations for the sole purpose of 
                providing on-site training and technical assistance on 
                a national or multi-State regional basis.''.
                                 <all>