H.R. 8146

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8146 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8146

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a web-based 
platform to enable recipients of Federal financial assistance 
administered by the Rural Utilities Service to track the status of 
their projects throughout the permitting and review process, and for 
other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 27, 2026

Mrs. McClain Delaney (for herself and Mr. Bresnahan) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a web-based 
platform to enable recipients of Federal financial assistance 
administered by the Rural Utilities Service to track the status of 
their projects throughout the permitting and review process, 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 ``Rural Utilities Service 
Modernization Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF WEB-BASED PLATFORM TO ENABLE RECIPIENTS OF 
FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ADMINISTERED BY THE RURAL 
UTILITIES SERVICE TO TRACK THE STATUS OF THEIR PROJECTS 
THROUGHOUT THE PERMITTING AND REVIEW PROCESS.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture, through the Rural 
Utilities Service, shall establish, operate, and maintain a secure, 
web-based platform that is designed to improve predictability and 
accountability for recipients of Federal financial assistance 
administered by the Rural Utilities Service, by enabling the recipients 
to track the status of their projects throughout the permitting and 
review process (including environmental and interagency coordination).
(b) Requirements.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall--
(1) require the Rural Utilities Service to determine, 
establish, and implement user access mechanisms enabling the 
recipients to view permitting and review status for their 
projects;
(2) require clear status indicators and estimated timelines 
for each phase of the permitting and review process for 
projects assisted by the Rural Utilities Service;
(3) ensure that, through the platform, documents may be 
uploaded and downloaded and applicants may correspond with 
relevant Rural Utilities Service offices;
(4) ensure that automated notifications are provided to 
recipients when a project advances to a new review stage or 
when additional information or action is required; and
(5) direct the Rural Utilities Service to coordinate, as 
appropriate, with--
(A) other agencies of the Department of 
Agriculture;
(B) the Department of Commerce;
(C) the Department of Defense;
(D) the Department of Energy;
(E) the Department of the Interior;
(F) the Department of Transportation;
(G) the General Services Administration;
(H) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and
(I) any relevant Federal permitting authorities,
including environmental reviews conducted pursuant to the 
National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic 
Preservation Act, while maintaining the responsibility of the 
Rural Utilities Service for project status reporting.
(c) Annual Reports.--Within 2 years after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Agriculture 
shall submit to Congress a written report that describes the 
development, implementation, use, and performance of the platform.
(d) Limitations on Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--To carry out this section, there are 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Agriculture a 
total of not more than $30,000,000, of which--
(A) a total of not less than $20,000,000 and not 
more than $24,000,000 shall be available for fiscal 
years 2026 and 2027 for development of the platform; 
and
(B) a total of not less than $6,000,000 and not 
more than $10,000,000 shall be available for each of 
fiscal years 2028 through 2035 for operation and 
maintenance of the platform.
(2) Availability.--The amounts made available by paragraph 
(1) are authorized to remain available until expended.

SEC. 3. RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE PREPLANNING EDUCATION AND PLANNING 
GRANTS.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the 
Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service (in this section referred 
to as the Secretary), shall make grants to eligible entities for 
predevelopment planning, permitting, and early-stage project 
preparation activities under any program administered by the Rural 
Utilities Service.
(b) Eligible Entities.--An entity is eligible for a grant under 
this section if the entity is qualified to participate in a program 
administered by the Rural Utilities Service and is unable to finance 
predevelopment work by borrowing or other means.
(c) Cost-Sharing.--The amount of each grant under this section 
shall be not more than 75 percent of the cost of the activities for 
which the grant is made.
(d) Use of Funds.--The recipient of a grant under this section 
shall use the grant for pre-development activities such as--
(1) feasibility studies, permitting, design assistance, and 
other pre-development planning activities;
(2) technical assistance and training to improve planning 
and readiness for a program administered by the Rural Utilities 
Service; or
(3) participation in a partnerships with a Federal, State, 
Tribal, or local entity to support project preparation.
(e) Prohibition.--A grant under this section shall not be used to 
reimburse costs of work completed before the grant is made.
(f) Administrative Provisions.--
(1) Guidelines.--The Secretary shall issue guidelines 
relating to applications for grants under this section, 
selection of grantees, and administration of the grants.
(2) Limitation on administrative costs.--In administering 
this section, the Secretary shall limit administrative costs 
incurred pursuant to this section, to ensure that funds made 
available to carry out this section are used for predevelopment 
activities to the maximum extent practicable.
(g) Reports.--The recipient of a grant under this section shall 
transmit annual reports to the Secretary on the activities funded with 
the grant and the outcomes of the activities.
(h) Limitations on Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out 
this section, there are authorized to be appropriated not more than 
$15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2035.

SEC. 4. NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TIMELINES.

(a) Issuance of Regulations.--Within 6 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through 
Rural Development and the Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service, 
shall prescribe final regulations to improve timelines for notices of 
funding opportunity for grants administered by the Rural Utilities 
Service, that should provide for--
(1) a uniform notice of funding opportunity timeline 
applicable to all Rural Utilities Service grant programs;
(2) sector-specific notice of funding opportunity timelines 
for major program areas of the Rural Utilities Service, 
including--
(A) electricity;
(B) telecommunications, including telephone and 
broadband;
(C) broadband distance learning and telemedicine; 
and
(D) water and waste disposal; or
(3) if the approaches described in paragraphs (1) and (2) 
are not practicable, an alternative approach to improving 
predictability and coordination of notice of funding 
opportunity timelines.
(b) Implementation.--The Secretary shall implement the final 
regulations within 18 months after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.

SEC. 5. ONLINE GRANT APPLICATIONS.

Within 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service shall require all 
applications for a grant administered by the Rural Utilities Service to 
be submitted electronically through an online system or, if such an 
applicant is unable to so submit such an application, provide 
alternative means for the applicant to submit the application.

SEC. 6. STAFF ASSESSMENT AND REPORT TO CONGRESS.

(a) Staff Assessment.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall evaluate 
the processes used by the staff of the Rural Utilities Service to--
(1) review applications for assistance from programs 
administered by the Rural Utilities Service;
(2) provide related technical assistance; and
(3) monitor assistance awardees,
with the goal of maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of the 
programs.
(b) Report to Congress.--2 years after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Administrator of the 
Rural Utilities Service shall jointly prepare 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 that--
(1) examines, at a minimum--
(A) the workload of the staff of the Rural 
Utilities Service, the allocation of the workload, and 
the efficiency of the staff in reviewing applications 
and assisting applicants for assistance under the 
programs administered by the Rural Utilities Service; 
and
(B) the timeliness, consistency, and quality of 
technical assistance provided and award decisions made 
under the programs; and
(2) sets forth--
(A) recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of 
the online permitting platform established under 
section 2;
(B) an assessment of how permitting for projects 
assisted by the Rural Utilities Service could be 
expedited; and
(C) findings that could strengthen service delivery 
to rural communities.
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