H.R. 8389

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8389 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8389

To establish a uniform definition of ``rural area'' for all rural 
development programs administered by the Department of Agriculture.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 20, 2026

Mr. Ruiz introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Financial 
Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To establish a uniform definition of ``rural area'' for all rural 
development programs administered by the Department of Agriculture.

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 Area Population Act''.

SEC. 2. UNIFORM DEFINITION OF ``RURAL AREA'' FOR USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT 
PROGRAMS.

(a) In General.--Section 343(a)(13) of the Consolidated Farm and 
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking ``urbanized'' and 
insert ``urban'';
(2) by striking subparagraphs (B) and (C);
(3) in subparagraph (D)--
(A) by striking ``(F)'' each place it appears and 
inserting ``(D)''; and
(B) in clause (i), by striking ``urbanized'' each 
place it appears and inserting ``urban'';
(4) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``urbanized'' and 
inserting ``urban'';
(5) in subparagraph (F)--
(A) in clause (i)(II), by striking ``urbanized'' 
and inserting ``urban''; and
(B) in clause (ii), by striking ``consider--'' and 
all that follows and inserting ``consider an area 
described in clause (i)(I) not to be a rural area for 
purposes of subparagraph (A).''; and
(6) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) through (I) as 
subparagraphs (B) through (G), respectively.
(b) Conforming Amendments to the Rural Electrification Act of 
1936.--
(1) Section 13(3) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 
(7 U.S.C. 913(3)) is amended--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``(C)'' each 
place it appears and inserting ``(A)''; and
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``loan'' and 
inserting ``loan, or has had a loan,'' before ``made 
under''.
(2) Section 203(b) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 924(b)) is amended 
to read as follows:
``(b) In this title, the term `rural area' shall have the meaning 
given the term in 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).''.
(3) Section 601(b)(3) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 950bb(b)(3)) is 
amended to read as follows:
``(3) Rural area.--The term `rural area' shall have the 
meaning given the term in 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated 
Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).''.
(4) Section 604(a)(4) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 950bb-3(a)(4)) 
is amended to read as follows:
``(4) Rural area.--The term `rural area' shall have the 
meaning given the term in 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated 
Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).''.
(c) Housing Provisions.--Section 520 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 
U.S.C. 1490) is amended--
(1) by striking the first sentence and inserting the 
following: ``(a) In General.--As used in this title, the term 
`rural area' shall have the meaning given the term in 
343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 
Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).'';
(2) by striking ``For purposes of this title'' and 
inserting the following:
``(b) Legacy Areas.--For purposes of this title'';
(3) by striking ``, and the city'' and all that follows 
through ``year 2000''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Rural Defined.--As used in this title, the term `rural' shall 
have the meaning given the term `rural area' in subsection (a).''.

SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF ``RURAL IN CHARACTER'' AUTHORITY.

Section 343(a)(13) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 
Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
``(J) Authority to designate areas with persistent 
poverty, high concentration of farmworker households, 
or significant infrastructure gaps as rural areas.--
``(i) In general.--The Secretary, in 
consultation with the Director of the Bureau of 
the Census, may designate an area that is a 
census tract, or a census-designated place or 
an unincorporated area recognized by a local or 
tribal government with fewer than 35,000 
inhabitants, as a rural area for purposes of 
this paragraph, regardless of whether the area 
is within an urban area, if the area exhibits 
persistent poverty, a high concentration of 
farmworker households, or a significant 
infrastructure gap.
``(ii) Definitions.--In this subparagraph:
``(I) Persistent poverty.--The term 
`persistent poverty' means, with 
respect to an area referred to in 
clause (i), that the income of at least 
20 percent of the population of the 
area was below the poverty line (within 
the meaning of section 673(2) of the 
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 
1981, including any revision required 
by such section applicable to a family 
of the size involved), as measured by 
the 1990, 2000, and 2010 decennial 
censuses.
``(II) High concentration.--The 
term `high concentration' means a 
percentage that significantly exceeds 
the percentage of farmworker households 
in the United States or in the State 
involved, as determined by the 
Secretary.
``(III) Significant infrastructure 
gap.--The term `significant 
infrastructure gap' means, with respect 
to an area referred to in clause (i), 
that the area lacks access to potable 
water, wastewater treatment, or 
reliable electricity that meets Federal 
standards, as determined by the 
relevant State or local health 
department and the relevant USDA Rural 
Development field office.''.

SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF HIGH-NEED RURAL POCKETS AS RURAL AREAS.

Section 343(a)(13) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 
Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
``(K) High-need rural pockets.--
``(i) In general.--In making determinations 
under this paragraph, the Secretary shall use 
indicators (such as Rural-Urban Commuting Area 
codes) at the census tract level to prioritize 
and maintain eligibility for small, 
geographically distinct settlements (whether or 
not incorporated) that are surrounded by an 
urban area but lack urban services and have a 
poverty rate of at least 20 percent, including 
tribal lands and farmworker settlements, to be 
designated as rural areas.
``(ii) Farmworker settlement.--In this 
subparagraph, the term `farmworker settlement' 
means an area in which more than 50 percent of 
the households derive their primary income from 
agricultural labor or are headed by an 
individual who is or recently was employed in 
agriculture, as verified using American 
Community Survey data on industry and 
occupation and local data provided by State or 
tribal labor agencies.''.

SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 6. RULEMAKING.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall prescribe such 
rules as are necessary with respect to implementing the amendments made 
by this Act.
(b) Grandfather Provision.--A rural area designation made under 
section 343(a)(13) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act 
before the effective date of this Act shall not be changed by reason of 
any amendment made by this Act, before data from the 2030 decennial 
census is available.
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