,,ii #aahth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #ccgh ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,november #cj1 #bjbc,mr4 ,welch introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,farm ,security and ,rural ,investment ,act of #bjjb to improve the ,rural ,energy for ,america ,program1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,rural ,energy ,equity ,act of #bjbc4 #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 7b7-- 7,a7 in the subsection heading1 by striking ,energy audits and renewable energy and inserting ,project2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#a7-- 7i7 in subparagraph 7,a71 by inserting 1 including for purposes of reducing the carbon footprint of the agricultural producer and rural small business before the semicolon2 and 7ii7 in subparagraph 7,b71 by inserting 1 including for purposes of reducing the carbon footprint of the agricultural producer and rural small business before the period at the end2 7,c7 in paragraph 7#d7-- 7i7 in subparagraph 7,b71 by redesignating clauses 7i7 and 7ii7 as subclauses 7,i7 and 7,,ii71 respectively1 and indenting appropriately2 7ii7 by redesignating subparagraphs 7,a7 and 7,b7 as clauses 7i7 and 7ii71 respectively1 and indenting appropriately2 7iii7 in the matter preceding clause 7i7 7as so redesignated71 by striking ,a recipient and inserting the following3 7,a7 ,in general ,a recipient 2 and 7iv7 by adding at the end the following3 7,b7 ,multiple activities ,a recipient of a grant under paragraph 7#a7 may use the grant to carry out #a or more activities described in subparagraph 7,a74 2 and 7,d7 in paragraph 7#f7-- 7i7 by striking ,a recipient and inserting the following3 7,a7 ,in general ,a recipient 2 and 7ii7 by adding at the end the following3 7,b7 ,underserved producers and businesses ,if the agricultural producer or rural small business under subparagraph 7,a7 is an underserved agricultural producer or rural small business1 the amount paid by that underserved agricultural producer or rural small business pursuant to that subparagraph shall be at least #aj percent of the cost of the energy audit4 2 7#b7 in subsection 7c7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#c7-- 7i7 in subparagraph 7,a7-- 7,i7 by striking ,the amount of a grant under this subsection shall not exceed #be percent and inserting the following3 7i7 ,in general ,except as provided in clause 7ii71 the amount of a grant under this subsection shall not exceed #ej percent 2 and 7,,ii7 by adding at the end the following3 7ii7 ,underserved producers ,the amount of a grant provided under this subsection to an agricultural producer who is a beginning farmer or rancher1 a veteran farmer or rancher 7as those terms are defined in section #beja7;a7 of the ,food1 ,agriculture1 ,conservation and ,trade ,act of #aiij 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bbgi7;a7771 or an underserved farmer or rancher shall not exceed #ge percent of the cost of the activity funded by the grant4 2 7ii7 by redesignating subparagraphs 7,c7 and 7,d7 as subparagraphs 7,d7 and 7,e71 respectively2 7iii7 by inserting after subparagraph 7,b7 the following3 7,c7 ,maximum percentage of loan guarantee ,the portion of a loan that the ,secretary may guarantee under this subsection shall be-- 7i7 in the case of a loan in an amount that is less than #a1jjj1jjj1 #ij percent of the principal amount of the loan2 and 7ii7 in the case of a loan in an amount that is not less than #a1jjj1jjj1 #hj percent of the principal amount of the loan4 2 and 7iv7 in subparagraph 7,e7 7as so redesignated71 by striking subsection 7f7 and inserting subsection 7g72 7,b7 in paragraph 7#d7-- 7i7 in subparagraph 7,a71 by striking #c-tiered and inserting #b-tiered2 7ii7 in subparagraph 7,b71 by striking #hj1jjj and inserting #aej1jjj2 7iii7 by striking subparagraph 7,c72 7iv7 by redesignating subparagraphs 7,d7 and 7,e7 as subparagraphs 7,c7 and 7,d71 respectively2 7v7 in subparagraph 7,c7 7as so redesignated71 in the subparagraph heading1 by striking #c and inserting #b2 and 7vi7 in subparagraph 7,d7 7as so redesignated7-- 7,i7 by striking ,the ,secretary and inserting the following3 7i7 ,in general ,the ,secretary 2 7,,ii7 in clause 7i7 7as so designated71 by striking tier ,i projects and more comprehensive for each subsequent tier and inserting tier #a projects and more comprehensive for tier #b projects2 and 7,,iii7 by adding at the end the following3 7ii7 ,scoring ,the ,secretary shall establish a scoring mechanism for tier #a project applications that is designed to increase program utilization by small- and medium-sized farmers4 2 7#c7 by redesignating subsections 7d71 7e71 and 7f7 as subsections 7e71 7f71 and 7g71 respectively2 7#d7 by inserting after subsection 7c7 the following3 7d7 ,regional demonstration projects 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall carry out regional demonstration projects that incentivize agricultural producers to reduce their carbon footprint or overall carbon equivalent emissions to the maximum extent practicable through the use of energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy systems4 7#b7 ,publicization ,the ,secretary shall publicize the results of the regional demonstration projects carried out under paragraph 7#a74 2 7#e7 in subsection 7e7 7as so redesignated7-- 7,a7 by striking ,the ,secretary shall and inserting ,using funds made available under subsection 7g77#d71 the ,secretary shall2 and 7,b7 by inserting or provided1 as applicable1 after conducted2 7#f7 in subsection 7f7 7as so redesignated7-- 7,a7 by striking subsection 7f7 each place it appears and inserting subsection 7g72 and 7,b7 in paragraph 7#a7-- 7i7 by striking #bj percent and inserting #be percent2 and 7ii7 by striking #bj1jjj and inserting #ge1jjj2 and 7#g7 in subsection 7g7 7as so redesignated7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by striking subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,e7 and inserting the following3 7,a7 #ej1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjad through #bjbc2 7,b7 #ajj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbd2 7,c7 #aej1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbe2 7,d7 #bjj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbf2 7,e7 #bej1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbg2 and 7,f7 #cjj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbh and each fiscal year thereafter4 2 7,b7 by striking paragraph 7#b7 and inserting the following3 7#b7 ,project development assistance funding ,of the funds made available for each fiscal year under paragraph 7#a7 or any other funds made available to carry out this section1 not less than #e percent shall be made available to carry out subsection 7b74 2 and 7,c7 by adding at the end the following3 7#d7 ,administrative expenses ,of the funds made available to carry out this section for a fiscal year1 the ,secretary shall use not more than #h percent for administrative expenses4 7#e7 ,reservation of funds ,of the funds made available to carry out this section for a fiscal year1 the ,secretary may reserve-- 7,a7 not more than #ae percent for awarding grants under subsection 7c7 that support the adoption of underutilized but proven commercial technologies2 and 7,b7 not more that #e percent to carry out subsection 7d74 4