,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #diej ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,december #b1 #bjbj,ms4 ,cortez ,masto 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,risch1 ,mr4 ,crapo1 and ,mr4 ,daines7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry ,a ,,bill ,to improve the process for awarding grants under certain programs of the ,department of ,agriculture to certain counties in which the majority of land is owned or managed by the ,federal ,government and to other units of local government and ,tribal governments in those counties1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,more ,opportunities for ,rural ,economies from ,,usda ,grants ,act or the ,,more ,,usda ,grants ,act4 #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,high-,density ,public ,land ,county ,the term ,high-,density ,public ,land ,county means a county 7or equivalent jurisdiction7 of a ,state or territory of the ,united ,states-- 7,a7 that has a population of not more than #ajj1jjj people1 according to the most recent annual estimates of population by the ,bureau of the ,census2 and 7,b7 in which more than #ej percent of the land is owned or managed by the ,federal ,government4 7#b7 ,qualifying grant program ,the term qualifying grant program means-- 7,a7 the ,rural ,business ,development grant program established under section #caj;,b7c7 of the ,consolidated ,farm and ,rural ,development ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #aicb7;c772 7,b7 the ,economic ,impact ,initiative grant program established under section #cjf7;a77#bj77;,b7 of the ,consolidated ,farm and ,rural ,development ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #aibf7;a77#bj77;,b772 7,c7 the ,telemedicine and ,distance ,learning ,services grant program established under chapter #a of subtitle ,d of title ,,xxiii of the ,food1 ,agriculture1 ,conservation1 and ,trade ,act of #aiij 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #iej;aaa et seq472 7,d7 the ,community ,connect ,grant ,program established under section #fjd of the ,rural ,electrification ,act of #aicf 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #iej;bb-#c72 7,e7 the broadband loan and grant pilot program known as the ,rural e,connectivity ,pilot ,program or the ,re,connect ,program1 authorized under section #ggi of division ,a of the ,consolidated ,appropriations ,act1 #bjah 7,public ,law #aae-ada2 #acb ,stat4 #cii72 7,f7 any discretionary grant program of the ,rural ,business-,cooperative ,service1 the ,rural ,housing ,service1 the ,rural ,utilities ,service1 or any other rural development agency of the ,department of ,agriculture under which grants are awarded to-- 7i7 counties2 7ii7 other units of local government2 or 7iii7 ,tribal governments2 and 7,g7 any other discretionary grant program of the ,department of ,agriculture under which grants for rural development are awarded to-- 7i7 counties2 7ii7 other units of local government2 or 7iii7 ,tribal governments4 7#c7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,agriculture4 7#d7 ,tribal government ,the term ,tribal government means the recognized governing body of any ,indian or ,alaska ,native tribe1 band1 nation1 pueblo1 village1 community1 component band1 or component reservation1 individually identified 7including parenthetically7 in the list published most recently as of the date of enactment of this ,act pursuant to section #ajd of the ,federally ,recognized ,indian ,tribe ,list ,act of #aiid 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #eaca74 #c4 ,grants 7a7 ,reduction in local matching requirements ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 with respect to a ,high-,density ,public ,land ,county and any unit of local government or ,tribal government within a ,high-,density ,public ,land ,county1 any requirement for local matching funds under a qualifying grant program shall be reduced by #ej percent4 7b7 ,technical assistance ,on request of a ,high-,density ,public ,land ,county or any unit of local government or ,tribal government within a ,high-,density ,public ,land ,county1 the ,secretary shall provide additional technical assistance to the ,high-,density ,public ,land ,county1 unit of local government1 or ,tribal government before and during the annual application period for each qualifying grant program4 7c7 ,priority 7#a7 ,application approval ,in approving applications for a qualifying grant program1 the ,secretary shall give priority to an application from a ,high-,density ,public ,land ,county1 unit of local government within a ,high-,density ,public ,land ,county1 or ,tribal government within a ,high-,density ,public ,land ,county that has not received support under the qualifying grant program during the #aj-year period preceding the date of the application4 7#b7 ,technical assistance and other support ,in carrying out subsections 7b7 and 7d71 the ,secretary may give priority to a ,tribal government within a ,high-,density ,public ,land ,county4 7d7 ,other support ,the ,secretary may provide additional support1 as the ,secretary determines to be appropriate1 for a ,high-,density ,public ,land ,county or a unit of local government or ,tribal government within a ,high-,density ,public ,land ,county1 including by considering and1 if appropriate1 offering flexibility with respect to any requirement of1 or barrier to applying for or receiving assistance under1 a qualifying grant program if the requirement or barrier relates to-- 7#a7 scoring criteria relating to numerical size and impact1 such as the number of jobs created or the number of people served1 which disadvantage small and isolated communities2 7#b7 any requirement that an applicant for a qualifying grant program partner with other institutions1 such as community colleges or foundations1 which may not operate in the jurisdiction of the ,high-,density ,public ,land ,county1 unit of local government1 or ,tribal government seeking assistance under the qualifying grant program2 7#c7 any financial or cash-on-hand requirement that a ,high-,density ,public ,land ,county or a unit of local government or ,tribal government within a ,high-,density ,public ,land ,county cannot meet for reasons other than any financial constraints to which the ,high-,density ,public ,land ,county1 unit of local government1 or ,tribal government is subject2 or 7#d7 an overly complicated or overly technical application for a qualifying grant program that deters ,high-,density ,public ,land ,counties or units of local government or ,tribal governments within ,high-,density ,public ,land ,counties from applying for the qualifying grant program4