,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #abgc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #ai1 #bjac    
,mr4 ,welch 7for himself and ,mr4 ,walz7
 introduced the following bill2 which   
was referred to the ,committee on       
,agriculture  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the  
,farm ,security and ,rural ,investment  
,act of #bjjb to reauthorize and improve
 the ,rural ,energy for ,america        
,program4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,rural ,energy      
,improvement ,act4  #b4 ,rural energy   
for ,america program ,section #ijjg of  
the ,farm ,security and ,rural          
,investment ,act of #bjjb 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 
#hajg7 is amended--  7#a7 in subsection 
7c7--  7,a7 by redesignating paragraphs 
7#b71 7#c71 and 7#d7 as paragraphs 7#c71
 7#d71 and 7#e71 respectively2  7,b7 by 
inserting after paragraph 7#a7 the      
following new paragraph3  7#b7 ,tiered  
application process ,in carrying out    
this subsection1 the ,secretary shall   
establish a three-tiered application1   

evaluation1 and oversight process that  
varies based on the cost of the proposed
 project with the process most          
simplified for projects referred to in  
subparagraph 7,a71 more comprehensive   
for projects referred to in subparagraph
 7,b71 and most comprehensive for       
projects referred to in subparagraph    
7,c74 ,the three tiers for such process 
shall be as follows3  7,a7 ,tier #a     
,projects for which the cost of the     
project funded under this subsection is 
not more than #hj1jjj4  7,b7 ,tier #b   
,projects for which the cost of the     
project funded under this subsection is 
more than #hj1jjj but less than         
#bjj1jjj4  7,c7 ,tier #c ,projects for  
which the cost of the project funded    
under this subsection is #bjj1jjj or    
more4  2  7,c7 in paragraph 7#c7 7as    
redesignated by subparagraph 7,a771 by  
striking paragraph 7,f7 and inserting   
the following new subparagraph3  7,f7   
the natural resource conservation       
benefits of the renewable energy system2

 and  2  7,d7 in paragraph 7#d7 7as so  
redesignated7--  7i7 in subparagraph    
7,a71 by inserting in amounts not to    
exceed #ajj1jjj per grant after in the  
form of grants2 and  7ii7 by striking   
subparagraph 7,c72 and  7,e7 by adding  
at the end the following new paragraph3 
7#f7 ,requirement ,in carrying out this 
subsection1 the ,secretary shall not    
require a second meter for on-farm      
residential portions of rural projects  
connected to a power grid4  2  7#b7 in  
subsection 7f7--  7,a7 by striking ,not 
later and inserting the following3  7#a7
 ,in general ,not later  2 and  7,b7 by 
adding at the end the following new     
paragraph3  7#b7 ,subsequent report ,not
 later than #d years after the date of  
the enactment of the ,rural ,energy     
,improvement ,act1 the ,secretary shall 
submit to ,congress a report on         
activities carried out under this       
section1 including the outcomes achieved
 by projects funded under this section4 
2 and  7#c7 in subsection 7g7--  7,a7 in

 paragraph 7#a77;,d71 by striking #bjab 
and inserting #bjab and for each of     
fiscal years #bjad through #bjah2 and   
7,b7 in paragraph 7#c7--  7i7 by        
striking this section #be1jjj1jjj and   
inserting  this section-- 7,a7          
#be1jjj1jjj  2  7ii7 at the end of      
subparagraph 7,a7 7as designated by     
clause 7i771 by striking the period and 
inserting 2 and2 and  7iii7 by adding at
 the end the following new subparagraph3
  7,b7 #ajj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal  
years #bjad through #bjah4  4