Empowering Rural Communities Act

Summary#

The Empowering Rural Communities Act sets aside at least 2.5% of the amount made available each year for each USDA Rural Development discretionary grant program to pay for technical assistance. The reserved money may be used for training, project scoping, application development help, pre-award planning, post-award compliance help, and long-term capacity building. It also covers pre-development work such as engineering, environmental review preparation, and financial feasibility analysis, plus outreach like workshops and webinars. Funds can be used to create project-ready grant applications for broadband, water and wastewater systems, community facilities, housing, business development, and other rural priorities.

The Secretary of Agriculture may deliver these services through cooperative agreements, grants or subgrants, or contracts with eligible entities. Priority goes to entities serving communities that lack full-time grant writers or administrators, have historically low participation in Rural Development discretionary grant programs, or are in persistent poverty, underserved, or high-need rural areas. State Rural Development offices must identify high-need communities, collaborate with technical assistance providers, and help make service delivery geographically balanced. Funds reserved under this Act are not counted toward statutory limits on administrative expenses. The Secretary must report annually to congressional agriculture committees and publish the report online. The Act does not authorize additional appropriations; the Secretary must use amounts otherwise appropriated.

What it means for you#

• If you live in a small or low-capacity rural community, this law would create dedicated funding to help prepare grant applications and carry out project planning for things like broadband, water systems, housing, and community facilities.
• Eligible entities that can receive or carry out technical assistance include local governments, Tribal governments, nonprofits, rural electric or telephone cooperatives, colleges, experienced private firms, and cooperative extension services.
• State Rural Development offices will identify communities that need help and work with providers to reach them.

Expenses#

• The bill requires the Secretary to reserve not less than 2.5% of the total amount made available in appropriations Acts for each Rural Development discretionary grant program for technical assistance activities.
• Section 4 says the Act does not authorize additional appropriations. The Secretary may use amounts otherwise appropriated to carry out the Act.
• Funds reserved under this Act shall not be taken into account when applying a statutory limitation on administrative expenses for a Rural Development program.
• No specific dollar amounts or cost estimates are provided in the bill text.

Proponents' View#

The bill states it is intended to improve access to Rural Development discretionary grants by funding technical assistance for low-capacity rural communities. It describes that set-aside funds will help communities develop complete applications, complete pre-development work, run outreach and training, and build long-term administrative capacity. The bill requires annual reporting on amounts reserved and expended, the communities assisted, measurable outcomes like increased application completion and award success, and recommendations to improve delivery.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.