,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bahe  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #bf      
7legislative day1 ,june #bd71 #bjbe     
,mrs4 ,shaheen 7for herself1 ,mr4       
,welch1 ,mr4 ,wyden1 and ,mr4 ,heinrich7
 introduced the following bill2 which   
was read twice and referred to the      
,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 
and ,forestry  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the 
,consolidated ,farm and ,rural          
,development ,act to establish an energy
 circuit rider program to disseminate   
technical and other assistance to rural 
communities to support energy efficiency
 and clean energy projects that save    
energy and reduce greenhouse gas        
emissions4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,energy ,circuit    
,riders ,act of #bjbe4  #b4 ,energy     
,circuit ,rider ,program ,subtitle ,d of
 the ,consolidated ,farm and ,rural     
,development ,act is amended by         
inserting after section #cgh 7#g        
,u4,s4,c4 #bjjhm7 the following3  #cgi4 

,energy ,circuit ,rider ,program  7a7   
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,eligible entity ,the term eligible     
entity means--  7,a7 a ,state2  7,b7 an 
,indian ,tribe 7as defined in section #d
 of the ,indian ,self-,determination and
 ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be       
,u4,s4,c4 #ecjd772  7,c7 a nonprofit    
organization2  7,d7 a cooperative       
extension service2  7,e7 an institution 
of higher education2 and  7,f7 a        
regional planning commission or other   
public entity serving #b or more rural  
areas4  7#b7 ,energy ,circuit ,rider    
,the term ,energy ,circuit ,rider means 
an individual who is trained to provide 
and support1 on a professional basis1   
assistance 7including technical         
assistance7 and informed decisionmaking 
in the planning1 financing1 and         
implementation of energy efficiency or  
clean energy projects1 including with   
respect to #a or more of the following3 
7,a7 ,energy planning4  7,b7 ,energy    
audits4  7,c7 ,applicable ,federal      

funding opportunities and tax           
incentives4  7,d7 ,applicable ,state1   
local1 and utility-based incentives1    
including1 as appropriate1 coordinating 
with the ,state energy office in that   
,state4  7,e7 ,project financing4  7,f7 
,grant writing4  7,g7 ,community-based  
capacity building4  7#c7 ,secretary ,the
 term ,secretary means the ,secretary1  
acting through the ,under ,secretary for
 ,rural ,development4  7b7              
,establishment ,the ,secretary shall    
establish a program1 to be known as the 
,energy ,circuit ,rider ,program1 under 
which the ,secretary shall provide to   
eligible entities grants for the hiring1
 training1 and retention by eligible    
entities of #a or more ,energy ,circuit 
,riders4  7c7 ,grants  7#a7 ,in general 
,to be eligible to receive a grant under
 the ,energy ,circuit ,rider ,program1  
an eligible entity shall submit to the  
,secretary an application at such time1 
in such manner1 and containing such     
information as the ,secretary may       

require4  7#b7 ,term ,the term of a     
grant provided under the ,energy        
,circuit ,rider ,program shall be more  
than #c1 but not more than #f1 years1 as
 the ,secretary determines to be        
appropriate to achieve the purposes of  
this section4  7#c7 ,federal share ,the 
,federal share of the cost of carrying  
out activities under the grant shall be 
not more than #ge percent4  7#d7        
,priority ,in providing grants under the
 ,energy ,circuit ,rider ,program1 the  
,secretary shall give priority to an    
eligible entity the application under   
paragraph 7#a7 of which is recommended  
by the director of the relevant ,state  
rural development office4  7d7 ,energy  
,circuit ,rider assistance ,an ,energy  
,circuit ,rider employed by an eligible 
entity using a grant provided under this
 section-- 7#a7 shall offer assistance  
and support described in subsection     
7a77#b7 to not fewer than #b rural areas
 served by1 or in the vicinity of1 the  
eligible entity2 and  7#b7 may provide  

technical assistance to the eligible    
entity in applying for-- 7,a7 loans     
under section #fdjg7;c7 of the ,farm    
,security and ,rural ,investment ,act of
 #bjjb 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #hajg;a7c772 and   
7,b7 financial assistance under the     
,rural ,energy for ,america ,program    
established under section #ijjg of that 
,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #hajg74  7e7         
,information sharing  7#a7 ,in general  
,the ,secretary shall facilitate the    
sharing among ,energy ,circuit ,riders  
of information relating to best         
practices4  7#b7 ,information from other
 agencies ,the ,secretary1 in           
consultation with the ,secretary of     
,energy1 the ,secretary of              
,transportation1 the ,secretary of the  
,treasury1 the ,administrator of the    
,environmental ,protection ,agency1 the 
,chief of ,engineers1 and the heads of  
such other ,federal departments and     
agencies as the ,secretary determines to
 be appropriate1 shall make available to
 ,energy ,circuit ,riders information   

relating to other ,federal incentives   
available to eligible entities for      
energy efficiency and clean energy      
projects4  7f7 ,reports to ,congress    
,not less frequently than annually1 the 
,secretary shall submit to ,congress a  
report describing the accomplishments of
 the ,energy ,circuit ,rider ,program1  
including with respect to--  7#a7 energy
 savings2  7#b7 monetary savings to     
communities2 and  7#c7 reductions in    
carbon emissions4  7g7 ,authorization of
 appropriations ,there is authorized to 
be appropriated to the ,secretary to    
carry out this section #be1jjj1jjj for  
each of fiscal years #bjbf through      
#bjcj4  4