,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gfhj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #bj1 #bjbj,mr4 
,crawford introduced the following bill2
 which was referred to the ,committee on
 ,agriculture  ,a ,,bill  ,to provide   
for loans to critical rural utility     
service providers to ensure continued   
service and safe operation of rural     
utility systems during certain          
emergencies1 and for other purposes4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,reinforcing ,utility           
,restoration ,after ,losses 7,,rural7   
,act4  #b4 ,rural utility bridge loans  
7a7 ,in general ,title ,,vii of the     
,rural ,electrification ,act of #aicf   
7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #iej;cc-#iej;cc-#b7 is    
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  #gjd4 ,rural utility bridge 
loans  7a7 ,line of credit  7#a7 ,in    
general ,the ,secretary may provide an  
eligible borrower with a line of credit 
from which a loan may be made to replace
 qualified losses as a result of a      

covered emergency4  7#b7 ,amount ,the   
amount of the line of credit shall be   
the lesser of-- 7,a7 #be percent of the 
total revenue received by the borrower  
during the #ab-month period ending with 
the day before the date of the          
determination referred to in subsection 
7c77#c7 with respect to the covered     
emergency2 or  7,b7 #e1jjj1jjj4  7b7    
,loans  7#a7 ,in general ,on receipt by 
the ,secretary of documentation that the
 eligible borrower has a qualified loss 
as a result of a covered emergency1 the 
,secretary shall make a loan to the     
borrower from the line of credit in an  
amount equal to the lesser of-- 7,a7 the
 qualified loss2 or  7,b7 the unused    
amount of the line of credit4  7#b7     
,eligibility of qualified loss  7,a7 ,in
 general ,except as provided in         
subparagraph 7,b7 of this paragraph1 a  
qualified loss is eligible for a loan   
made from the line of credit if the loss
 is incurred not more than #ahj days    
after the date of the determination     

referred to in subsection 7c77#c7 with  
respect to the covered emergency4  7,b7 
,authority to adjust ,the ,secretary    
may-- 7i7 on request of the eligible    
borrower1 reduce the length of          
eligibility period described in         
subparagraph 7,a72 or  7ii7 on a        
determination that the borrower is      
continuing to incur significant         
qualified losses as a result of a       
covered emergency1 increase the length  
of the period4  7#c7 ,loan terms  7,a7  
,no payment required during emergency   
,during the covered emergency1 interest 
on the loan shall not accrue1 and       
repayment of principal on the loan shall
 not be required4  7,b7 ,loan           
consolidation after emergency ends      
,unless the ,secretary determines that  
the borrower requires additional time to
 submit documentation of qualified      
losses1 on the date that is #fj days    
after the eligibility period described  
in paragraph 7#b7 ends1 the ,secretary  
shall close the line of credit1 and     

consolidate all loans made to the       
borrower under this section with respect
 to the emergency into a single loan    
with the following terms3 7i7 ,grace    
period ,during the #b-year period that  
begins with the date the consolidated   
loan is made1 interest on the           
consolidated loan shall not accrue1 and 
repayment of principal on the           
consolidated loan shall not be required4
  7ii7 ,interest ,interest on the       
consolidated loan shall accrue at a rate
 of #a percent per year during the      
#c-year period that begins at the end of
 that #b-year period4  7iii7 ,repayment 
period ,the loan shall be repayable in  
full by the end of the #e-year period   
that begins with the date the           
consolidated loan is made4  7,c7 ,no fee
 or prepayment penalty ,the ,secretary  
may not impose a fee or prepayment      
penalty with respect to any loan made   
under this section4  7#d7 ,forgiveness  
7,a7 ,in general ,except as provided in 
subparagraph 7,b71 if the borrower makes

 one or more qualified write-offs after 
the #a-year period that begins with the 
date a consolidated loan is made to the 
borrower under this section1 the        
,secretary shall forgive repayment of a 
portion of the loan1 in an amount equal 
to-- 7i7 #ij percent of the first       
#ejj1jjj of the total amount of the     
qualified write-offs2  7ii7 #fj percent 
of the next #a1jjj1jjj of the total     
amount of the qualified write-offs2 and 
7iii7 #cj percent of the next #a1jjj1jjj
 of the total amount of the qualified   
write-offs4  7,b7 ,ineligibility of     
borrower who interrupts service during  
emergency ,subparagraph 7,a7 shall not  
apply with respect to the borrower if1  
during the covered emergency1 the       
borrower suspends or interrupts utility 
service to any customer or subscriber of
 the borrower for non-payment of an     
amount owed to the borrower4  7c7       
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,eligible borrower ,the term eligible   
borrower means an entity that-- 7,a7    

provides electric1 telecommunications1  
clean water1 waste water1 or waste      
disposal services2 and  7,b7 is eligible
 for assistance under-- 7i7 section #d1 
#bja1 or #fja of the ,rural             
,electrification ,act of #aicf2 or  7ii7
 section #cjf7;a7 of the ,consolidated  
,farm and ,rural ,development ,act4     
7#b7 ,qualified loss  7,a7 ,in general  
,subject to subparagraph 7,b71 the term 
qualified loss means1 with respect to a 
borrower and a covered emergency-- 7i7  
an amount owed to the borrower for      
services provided during the emergency1 
which are more than #ae days past due2  
and  7ii7 an amount not received by the 
borrower because of reduced demand for  
services sold by the borrower on a      
per-unit basis1 to the extent that the  
reduction is attributable to the        
emergency4  7,b7 ,reduction ,the total  
amount determined under subparagraph    
7,a7 shall be reduced by the fair market
 value of any assistance received by the
 borrower from any source while the line

 of credit is open1 for the purpose of  
offsetting the loss of routine operating
 revenue or covering the cost of routine
 operating expenses1 during the covered 
emergency1 excluding any assistance     
provided to repair1 recover1 or rebuild 
from damage due to the emergency4  7#c7 
,covered emergency ,the term covered    
emergency means-- 7,a7 a major disaster 
or emergency1 as determined by the      
,president under the ,robert ,t4        
,stafford ,disaster ,relief and         
,emergency ,assistance ,act2  7,b7 a    
natural disaster1 as determined by the  
,secretary of ,agriculture2 or  7,c7 an 
emergency involving ,federal primary    
responsibility determined to exist by   
the ,president under the section        
#eja7;b7 of such ,act4  7#d7 ,qualified 
write-off ,the term qualified write-off 
means1 with respect to a borrower-- 7,a7
 an amount described in paragraph       
7#b77;,a77i71 if the borrower assigns to
 the ,secretary the right to any payment
 of the amount2 and  7,b7 #ij percent of

 an amount described in paragraph       
7#b77;,a77ii74  7d7 ,regulations ,the   
,secretary may1 on an expedited basis1  
prescribe such regulations as are       
necessary to carry out the preceding    
provisions of this section4  7e7 ,rural 
,utility ,bridge ,loan ,fund  7#a7      
,establishment ,there is established in 
the ,treasury of the ,united ,states a  
revolving fund to be known as the ,rural
 ,utility ,bridge ,loan ,fund 7in this  
subsection referred to as the ,fund74   
7#b7 ,deposits and credits ,there shall 
be deposited in1 or credited to1 the    
,fund the following3 7,a7 ,all amounts  
appropriated to the ,fund4  7,b7 ,all   
amounts paid as principal or interest on
 a loan made under this section4  7,c7  
,all interest on1 and proceeds from the 
sale or redemption of1 any obligations  
invested in under paragraph 7#d74  7#c7 
,use of funds  7,a7 ,in general ,the    
amounts in the ,fund shall be available 
for loans under this section without    
further appropriation4  7,b7            

,administrative expenses ,with respect  
to each covered emergency1 the          
,secretary may use amounts in the ,fund 
for administrative expenses1 as follows3
 7i7 ,establishment of lines of credit  
,for expenses incurred in establishing  
lines of credit under this section1 an  
amount equal to #a percent of the ,fund 
balance as of the date of the           
determination referred to in subsection 
7c77#c7 with respect to the covered     
emergency4  7ii7 ,making and servicing  
of loans ,during each fiscal year1 for  
expenses incurred in making and         
servicing loans 7including consolidated 
loans7 under this section1 an amount    
equal to #c percent of the average total
 amount of loans outstanding under this 
section during the fiscal year with     
respect to the covered emergency4  7iii7
 ,limitation ,in addition1 the          
,secretary may not use more than        
#cj1jjj1jjj during each fiscal year for 
any administrative expense incurred in  
carrying out this section4  7#d7        

,investments  7,a7 ,in general ,the     
,secretary may request the ,secretary of
 the ,treasury to invest the portion of 
the ,fund that is not1 in the judgment  
of the ,secretary of ,agriculture1      
required to meet the current needs of   
the ,fund4  7,b7 ,eligible investments  
,on receipt of such a request1 the      
,secretary of the ,treasury shall invest
 the amount involved in obligations of  
the ,united ,states or obligations that 
are guaranteed as to principal and      
interest by the ,united ,states1 with   
maturities suitable to the needs of the 
,fund as determined by the ,secretary of
 ,agriculture4  4  7b7 ,appropriation   
,out of any amounts in the ,treasury of 
the ,united ,states not otherwise       
appropriated1 there are appropriated to 
the ,rural ,utility ,bridge ,loan ,fund 
#e1jjj1jjj1jjj1 without fiscal year     
limitation4 ,for purposes of section    
#gjd7;c77#c77;,b77i7 of the ,rural      
,electrification ,act of #aicf1 with    
respect to a covered emergency declared 

in response to the ,,covid-#ai pandemic1
 the ,fund balance is deemed to be the  
amount specified in the preceding       
sentence4