This bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to create a program in the rural development mission area to give technical assistance to rural communities after a presidentially declared major disaster. The bill defines an "eligible rural community" as a census-designated place with fewer than 20,000 people, but the Secretary may change or waive that definition for particular areas. The program must provide help through State rural development offices or through public bodies and nonprofit contractors that meet statutory eligibility and priority rules. Providers should coordinate with State governments and local stakeholders.
The technical assistance must help communities with planning, finding solutions and funding, preparing and submitting applications for disaster recovery to federal and State agencies (including the Economic Development Administration, FEMA, and the rural development mission area), addressing application denials, and implementing received funding. Covered topics may include telecommunications, water and energy infrastructure, housing, community facilities, business infrastructure, and local government infrastructure. An eligible community may receive assistance for 3 years after a disaster declaration, and the Secretary may extend that period for an additional 3 years on a case-by-case basis. Multiple eligible communities in the same disaster area may receive help. The Secretary must make funding available to State rural development offices without requiring an application and allocate money by a formula based on the population affected using the most recent decennial census. The bill authorizes $50,000,000 for each fiscal year to carry out the program.
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