,i  #aai? ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4
 ,r4 #gegi  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(          
,,repres5tatives  ,febru>y #ac1         
#bjbf,ms4 ,letl[ introduc$ ! foll[+     
bill2 :i* 0 ref]r$ to ! ,committee on   
,agriculture  ,a ,,bill  ,to improve    
access to ,dep>tm5t ( ,agriculture      
,rural ,developm5t discretion>y grant   
programs by e/abli%+ a te*nical         
assi/ance set-aside to support          
l[-capacity rural communities1 & = o!r  
purposes4  #a4 ,%ort title ,?is ,act may
 be cit$ z ! ,emp[]+ ,rural ,communities
 ,act4  #b4 ,te*nical assi/ance         
set-aside = ,rural ,developm5t          
discretion>y grant programs  7a7        
,set-,aside e/abli%$ ,! ,secret>y %all  
res]ve n less ?an #b4e p]c5t ( ! total  
am\nt made available 9 appropriations   
,acts = ea* ,rural ,developm5t          
discretion>y grant program1 to support  
te*nical assi/ance activities "u ?is    
,act4  7b7 ,use ( funds ,! ,secret>y    
%all use funds res]v$ "u subsection 7a7 
=-- 7#a7 te*nical assi/ance1 includ+    

tra9+1 project scop+1 application       
developm5t support1 pre-aw>d plann+1    
po/-aw>d compliance assi/ance1 &        
long-t]m adm9i/rative capacity-build+2  
7#b7 pre-developm5t support1 includ+    
eng9e]+1 environm5tal review prep>ation1
 & f9ancial feasibility analysis        
necess>y to prep>e complete             
applications2  7#c7 outrea* activities1 
includ+ work%ops1 web9>s1 & direct      
community engagem5t2 or  7#d7 !         
developm5t ( project-ready grant        
applications = broadb&1 wat] & wa/ewat] 
sy/ems1 community facilities1 h\s+1     
bus9ess developm5t1 & o!r rural         
developm5t priorities4  7c7 ,me?od (    
deliv]y ,! ,secret>y may c>ry out ?is   
section ?r\gh-- 7#a7 coop]ative         
agreem5ts2  7#b7 grants or subgrants2 or
  7#c7 contracts ) eligible entities4   
7d7 ,priority = assi/ance ,9 c>ry+ out  
?is section1 ! ,secret>y %all give      
priority to an entity s]v+ a community  
t-- 7#a7 lacks full-"t grant writ+ or   
adm9i/rative /aff2  7#b7 has hi/orically

 l[ p>ticipation rates 9 ,rural         
,developm5t discretion>y grant programs2
 or  7#c7 is locat$ 9 a p]si/5t pov]ty1 
und]s]v$1 or high-ne$ rural area4  7e7  
,coord9ation ) ,/ate (fices ,ea* ,/ate  
(fice ( ,rural ,developm5t %all-- 7#a7  
id5tify high-ne$ communities2  7#b7     
collaborate ) te*nical assi/ance        
provid]s2 &  7#c7 ensure s]vices are    
deliv]$ 9 a geographically balanc$ &    
equitable mann]4  7f7 ,adm9i/rative     
exp5se limitation ,funds res]v$ "u      
subsection 7a7 %all n be tak5 into      
acc\nt 9 apply+ a /atutory limitation on
 adm9i/rative exp5ses applicable to a   
,rural ,developm5t program4  #c4 ,annual
 report  7a7 ,report to ,congress ,!    
,secret>y %all submit to ! ,committee on
 ,agriculture ( ! ,h\se (               
,repres5tatives & ! ,committee on       
,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 & ,=e/ry ( !  
,s5ate a report describ+-- 7#a7 ! am\nts
 res]v$ & exp5d$ "u ?is ,act2  7#b7 !   
numb]1 type1 & geographic di/ribution ( 
communities assi/$ "u ?is ,act2  7#c7   

measurable outcomes1 includ+ increas$   
application completion rates & aw>d     
success1 ( measures tak5 "u ?is ,act2 & 
7#d7 any recomm5dations = improv+ !     
framework = deliv]y ( te*nical assi/ance
 activities "u ?is ,act4  7b7 ,public   
availability ,! ,secret>y %all make !   
report publicly available on ! ,dep>tm5t
 ( ,agriculture website4  #d4 ,no       
additional funds au?oriz$ ,! ,secret>y  
may use am\nts o!rwise appropriat$ to   
c>ry out ?is ,act4 ,?is ,act %all n be  
int]pret$ to au?orize or require an     
additional appropriation4  #e4          
,def9itions ,9 ?is ,act3 7#a7           
,discretion>y grant program ,! t]m      
discretion>y grant program means any    
grant program = :i* funds are made      
available 9 an appropriations ,act4     
7#b7 ,eligible entity ,! t]m eligible   
entity means-- 7,a7 a unit ( local      
gov]nm5t1 p>i%1 or ,tribal gov]nm5t2    
7,b7 a nonpr(it organization2  7,c7 a   
rural electric or telephone coop]ative2 
7,d7 an in/itution ( high] education 7z 

def9$ 9 section #aja ( ! ,high]         
,education ,act ( #aife72  7,e7 a       
private-sector firm ) demon/rat$        
exp]i5ce 9 plann+1 f9anc+1 develop+1    
adm9i/]+1 or implem5t+ rural developm5t 
or infra/ructure projects1 includ+      
broadb&1 wat] & wa/ewat] sy/ems1 h\s+1  
en]gy1 transportation1 or community     
facilities1 z evid5c$ by prior project  
deliv]y1 grants1 or contracts2 or  7,f7 
a ,/ate or t]ritory coop]ative ext5sion 
s]vice au?oriz$ "u ! ,smi?-,lev] ,act1  
includ+ su* a s]vice op]at$ by a        
l&-grant in/itution4  7#c7 ,high-ne$    
area ,! t]m high-ne$ area means an area 
t demon/rates economic di/ress or limit$
 local capacity1 includ+ #a or m ( !    
foll[+1 z det]m9$ by ! ,secret>y3  7,a7 
,high pov]ty or unemploym5t rates4  7,b7
 ,population loss or long-t]m economic  
decl9e4  7,c7 ,inadequate access to     
basic infra/ructure or ess5tial s]vices4
  7,d7 ,limit$ /aff+ or adm9i/rative    
capacity to compete = ,f$]al assi/ance4 
7#d7 ,high-ne$ community ,! t]m high-ne$

 community means a community exp]i5c+   
economic di/ress1 limit$ adm9i/rative   
capacity1 or significant infra/ructure  
defici5cies1 z det]m9$ by ! ,secret>y1  
consi/5t ) crit]ia us$ by ,rural        
,developm5t & ! ,economic ,developm5t   
,adm9i/ration4  7#e7 ,l&-grant          
in/itution ,! t]m l&-grant in/itution   
means l&-grant colleges & univ]sities 7z
 def9$ 9 section #adjd ( ! ,national    
,agricultural ,rese>*1 ,ext5sion1 &     
,tea*+ ,policy ,act ( #aigg74  7#f7     
,l[-capacity community ,! t]m           
l[-capacity community means a community 
9 a rural area1 t-- 7,a7 has a          
population ( n m ?an #bj1jjj            
individuals2 or  7,b7 lacks full-"t     
grant writ+ or adm9i/rative /aff1 z     
det]m9$ by ! ,secret>y4  7#g7 ,p]si/5t  
pov]ty area ,! t]m p]si/5t pov]ty area  
means a c\nty or equival5t jurisdiction 
9 :i* #bj p]c5t or m ( ! population has 
liv$ 9 pov]ty = a p]iod ( at lea/ #cj   
ye>s1 z measur$ by ! dec5nial c5sus &   
o!r data s\rces us$ by ! ,(fice (       

,managem5t & ,budget1 ! ,c5sus ,bureau1 
or ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,agriculture4  7#h7    
,rural area ,! t]m rural area has !     
mean+ set =? 9 section                  
#cdc7;a77#ac77;,a7 ( ! ,consolidat$ ,f>m
 & ,rural ,developm5t ,act1 )\t reg>d to
 section #cdc7;a77#ac77;,i7 ( su* ,act4 
7#i7 ,rural developm5t ,! t]m ,rural    
,developm5t means ! mission area ( !    
,dep>tm5t ( ,agriculture t includes !   
,rural ,utilities ,s]vice1 ! ,rural     
,bus9ess-,coop]ative ,s]vice1 & ! ,rural
 ,h\s+ ,s]vice4  7#aj7 ,secret>y ,! t]m 
,secret>y means ! ,secret>y (           
,agriculture4  7#aa7 ,und]s]v$ area ,!  
t]m und]s]v$ area means a community t   
has hi/orically exp]i5c$ b>ri]s to      
access+ ,f$]al programs1 fund+1 or      
te*nical assi/ance1 includ+ due to      
geographic isolation1 limit$            
adm9i/rative capacity1 insuffici5t local
 res\rces1 or hi/oric und]9ve/m5t1 z    
det]m9$ by ! ,secret>y4