Rural Uplift and Revitalization Assistance Act

Bill: 118-hr-6621
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1]
Introduced: 2023-12-06
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Latest action: action_date: 2024-08-29
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-12-06
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Rural Uplift and Revitalization Assistance Act</strong></p><p>This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide technical assistance in geographically underserved and distressed areas for USDA rural development programs.</p><p>Specifically, USDA must provide (directly or through cooperative agreements) technical assistance and strengthen local capacity to improve USDA rural development program access for local partners (e.g., local governments, businesses, and nonprofit organizations) in geographically underserved and distressed areas.&nbsp;</p><p>Under the bill, a&nbsp;<em>geographically underserved and distressed area</em> means a rural area (1) in a socially vulnerable community; (2) in a persistent poverty county; (3) in an economically distressed area; or (4) that lacks adequate water services, sewer services, or decent housing in any region near the border between the&nbsp;United States and Mexico.</p><p>On an annual basis, USDA must submit to Congress (and make publicly available)&nbsp;a report on how the provision of technical assistance under this bill has affected geographically underserved and distressed areas.</p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 6621 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 6, 2023 Mr. Davis of North Carolina (for himself and Mr. Tony Gonzales of Texas ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture A BILL To provide technical assistance for geographically underserved and distressed areas, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Rural Uplift and Revitalization Assistance Act . 2. Technical assistance for geographically underserved and distressed areas (a) In general Within 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Agriculture (in this section referred to as the Secretary ) shall directly, or through cooperative agreements, provide technical assistance and strengthen local capacity to improve access to rural development programs administered by the Secretary for local partners (including local governments, cooperatives, businesses, healthcare facilities and networks, community anchor institutions (as defined in section 60302(6) of the Digital Equity Act of 2021), and nonprofit organizations) in geographically underserved and distressed areas. (b) Reports Beginning 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall annually publish, make available to the public, and submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report on how the provision of technical assistance under subsection (a) has affected geographically underserved and distressed areas in the year covered by the report. (c) Definition of geographically underserved and distressed area In this section, the term geographically underserved and distressed area means a rural area (as determined by the Secretary)— (1) in a socially vulnerable community (as determined by the Secretary); (2) in a persistent poverty county (as determined by the Secretary); (3) in a economically distressed area (as determined by the Secretary); or (4) that lacks adequate water services, sewer services, or decent housing in any region near the border between the United States and Mexico.