H.R. 7579

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7579 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7579

To improve access to Department of Agriculture Rural Development 
discretionary grant programs by establishing a technical assistance 
set-aside to support low-capacity rural communities, and for other 
purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 13, 2026

Ms. Letlow introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To improve access to Department of Agriculture Rural Development 
discretionary grant programs by establishing a technical assistance 
set-aside to support low-capacity rural communities, 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. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Empowering Rural Communities Act''.

SEC. 2. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SET-ASIDE FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT 
DISCRETIONARY GRANT PROGRAMS.

(a) Set-Aside Established.--The Secretary shall reserve not less 
than 2.5 percent of the total amount made available in appropriations 
Acts for each Rural Development discretionary grant program, to support 
technical assistance activities under this Act.
(b) Use of Funds.--The Secretary shall use funds reserved under 
subsection (a) for--
(1) technical assistance, including training, project 
scoping, application development support, pre-award planning, 
post-award compliance assistance, and long-term administrative 
capacity-building;
(2) pre-development support, including engineering, 
environmental review preparation, and financial feasibility 
analysis necessary to prepare complete applications;
(3) outreach activities, including workshops, webinars, and 
direct community engagement; or
(4) the development of project-ready grant applications for 
broadband, water and wastewater systems, community facilities, 
housing, business development, and other rural development 
priorities.
(c) Method of Delivery.--The Secretary may carry out this section 
through--
(1) cooperative agreements;
(2) grants or subgrants; or
(3) contracts with eligible entities.
(d) Priority for Assistance.--In carrying out this section, the 
Secretary shall give priority to an entity serving a community that--
(1) lacks full-time grant writing or administrative staff;
(2) has historically low participation rates in Rural 
Development discretionary grant programs; or
(3) is located in a persistent poverty, underserved, or 
high-need rural area.
(e) Coordination With State Offices.--Each State office of Rural 
Development shall--
(1) identify high-need communities;
(2) collaborate with technical assistance providers; and
(3) ensure services are delivered in a geographically 
balanced and equitable manner.
(f) Administrative Expense Limitation.--Funds reserved under 
subsection (a) shall not be taken into account in applying a statutory 
limitation on administrative expenses applicable to a Rural Development 
program.

SEC. 3. ANNUAL REPORT.

(a) Report to Congress.--The Secretary shall submit to the 
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a 
report describing--
(1) the amounts reserved and expended under this Act;
(2) the number, type, and geographic distribution of 
communities assisted under this Act;
(3) measurable outcomes, including increased application 
completion rates and award success, of measures taken under 
this Act; and
(4) any recommendations for improving the framework for 
delivery of technical assistance activities under this Act.
(b) Public Availability.--The Secretary shall make the report 
publicly available on the Department of Agriculture website.

SEC. 4. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.

The Secretary may use amounts otherwise appropriated to carry out 
this Act. This Act shall not be interpreted to authorize or require an 
additional appropriation.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Discretionary grant program.--The term ``discretionary 
grant program'' means any grant program for which funds are 
made available in an appropriations Act.
(2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) a unit of local government, parish, or Tribal 
government;
(B) a nonprofit organization;
(C) a rural electric or telephone cooperative;
(D) an institution of higher education (as defined 
in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965);
(E) a private-sector firm with demonstrated 
experience in planning, financing, developing, 
administering, or implementing rural development or 
infrastructure projects, including broadband, water and 
wastewater systems, housing, energy, transportation, or 
community facilities, as evidenced by prior project 
delivery, grants, or contracts; or
(F) a State or territory cooperative extension 
service authorized under the Smith-Lever Act, including 
such a service operated by a land-grant institution.
(3) High-need area.--The term ``high-need area'' means an 
area that demonstrates economic distress or limited local 
capacity, including 1 or more of the following, as determined 
by the Secretary:
(A) High poverty or unemployment rates.
(B) Population loss or long-term economic decline.
(C) Inadequate access to basic infrastructure or 
essential services.
(D) Limited staffing or administrative capacity to 
compete for Federal assistance.
(4) High-need community.--The term ``high-need community'' 
means a community experiencing economic distress, limited 
administrative capacity, or significant infrastructure 
deficiencies, as determined by the Secretary, consistent with 
criteria used by Rural Development and the Economic Development 
Administration.
(5) Land-grant institution.--The term ``land-grant 
institution'' means land-grant colleges and universities (as 
defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, 
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977).
(6) Low-capacity community.--The term ``low-capacity 
community'' means a community in a rural area, that--
(A) has a population of not more than 20,000 
individuals; or
(B) lacks full-time grant writing or administrative 
staff, as determined by the Secretary.
(7) Persistent poverty area.--The term ``persistent poverty 
area'' means a county or equivalent jurisdiction in which 20 
percent or more of the population has lived in poverty for a 
period of at least 30 years, as measured by the decennial 
census and other data sources used by the Office of Management 
and Budget, the Census Bureau, or the Department of 
Agriculture.
(8) Rural area.--The term ``rural area'' has the meaning 
set forth in section 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and 
Rural Development Act, without regard to section 343(a)(13)(I) 
of such Act.
(9) Rural development.--The term ``Rural Development'' 
means the mission area of the Department of Agriculture that 
includes the Rural Utilities Service, the Rural Business-
Cooperative Service, and the Rural Housing Service.
(10) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
of Agriculture.
(11) Underserved area.--The term ``underserved area'' means 
a community that has historically experienced barriers to 
accessing Federal programs, funding, or technical assistance, 
including due to geographic isolation, limited administrative 
capacity, insufficient local resources, or historic 
underinvestment, as determined by the Secretary.
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