Rebuild Rural America Act of 2021

Bill: 117-s-486
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2021-02-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Advanced technology and technological innovations
Agricultural trade
Air quality
Alternative and renewable resources
Building construction
Business investment and capital
Child care and development
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Community life and organization
Congressional oversight
Cooperative and condominium housing
Department of Agriculture
Disability and paralysis
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Economic development
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Emergency planning and evacuation
Employment and training programs
Energy efficiency and conservation
Energy storage, supplies, demand
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Environmental technology
Executive agency funding and structure
Farmland
Food assistance and relief
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Government trust funds
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Health care coverage and access
Health facilities and institutions
Higher education
Housing and community development funding
Housing finance and home ownership
Housing supply and affordability
Indian social and development programs
Infrastructure development
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Land use and conservation
Libraries and archives
Low- and moderate-income housing
Manufacturing
Mental health
National and community service
Nutrition and diet
Outdoor recreation
Performance measurement
Pollution liability
Poverty and welfare assistance
Public transit
Public-private cooperation
Regional and metropolitan planning
Research administration and funding
Residential rehabilitation and home repair
Rural conditions and development
Small business
Small towns
Solid waste and recycling
State and local government operations
Technology transfer and commercialization
Telephone and wireless communication
Transportation programs funding
Unemployment
Urban and suburban affairs and development
Water quality
Water use and supply
Youth employment and child labor

Summary:
action_date: 2021-02-25
text: 

Rebuild Rural America Act of 2021

 
This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish the Rural Innovation and Partnership Administration and the Rural Future Partnership Fund to provide five-year renewable rural partnership block grants to certified rural regions to implement locally-developed regional revitalization plans.
 
For purposes of these grants, the following areas may constitute a rural region: 
 
 
 a micropolitan statistical area (i.e., at least 10,000 but fewer than 50,000 people);
 
 a collection of rural census tracts or counties that fall outside of a micropolitan or metropolitan statistical area (i.e., 50,000 people or more) and that demonstrate evidence of economic, social, and cultural cooperation; or
 
 an Indian reservation. 
 
 
To be eligible to receive a grant, a rural region must be certified by its state (or in the case of an Indian reservation, approved by USDA) after having formed a rural partnership council made up of representatives from across different sectors.
 
USDA must provide each rural partnership council with training, education, support, and advice to enhance the technical assistance, research, organizational, and other capacities of the council.
 
The bill also establishes a Rural Future Corps to (1) help rural communities expand critical services such as child care, health, nutrition assistance, education, and job training; and (2) strengthen the capacity of local governments and economic and community development organizations.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-02-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2021-02-25
text: Introduced in Senate