[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4342 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4342
To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to reauthorize
and expand the Rural Innovation Stronger Economy grant program.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 15, 2024
Mr. Welch (for himself and Mrs. Gillibrand) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to reauthorize
and expand the Rural Innovation Stronger Economy grant program.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Innovation Stronger Economy
(RISE) Reauthorization Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. RURAL INNOVATION STRONGER ECONOMY GRANT PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION
AND EXPANSION.
(a) In General.--Section 379I of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008w) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)(i)--
(I) by striking ``the industry
clusters that are objectively
identified as''; and
(II) by inserting ``industries in
the area served by the partnership''
after ``declining''; and
(ii) in subparagraph (B)(ii)--
(I) by striking subclause (I); and
(II) by redesignating subclauses
(II) through (IV) as subclauses (I)
through (III), respectively;
(B) by striking paragraph (2); and
(C) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (5) as
paragraphs (2) through (4), respectively;
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and
(B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively, and
indenting the clauses appropriately;
(ii) in clause (ii) (as so redesignated),
by striking ``opportunities, networks, and
industry clusters'' and inserting
``opportunities and networks'';
(iii) by striking the paragraph designation
and heading and all that follows through ``The
Secretary'' in the matter preceding clause (i)
(as so redesignated) and inserting the
following:
``(1) Grant program.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary''; and
(iv) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) Targeted community types.--In carrying out
the grant program under this paragraph, the Secretary
shall--
``(i) target a broad base of rural
community types that will benefit from the
program, with an emphasis on communities with a
population of fewer than 20,000 inhabitants;
and
``(ii) of the total amount of grants
awarded for each fiscal year, award not less
than 10 percent to carry out activities that
will benefit rural communities with a
population of fewer than 10,000 inhabitants.'';
and
(B) in paragraph (3)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)--
(I) by redesignating clauses (i)
and (ii) as subclauses (I) and (II),
respectively, and indenting the
subclauses appropriately; and
(II) in subclause (II) (as so
redesignated), by striking ``industry
cluster'';
(ii) by striking subparagraph (C);
(iii) in subparagraph (D), by striking
``industry clusters,'';
(iv) by redesignating subparagraphs (A),
(B), (D), (E), and (F) as clauses (i), (ii),
(iii), (iv), and (v), respectively, and
indenting the clauses appropriately; and
(v) in the matter preceding clause (i) (as
so redesignated), by striking ``shall
consider--'' and inserting the following:
``shall--
``(A) ensure that a diverse set of industry bases
is represented;
``(B) only select an eligible entity to receive a
grant with the concurrence of the applicable State
office of the rural development mission area; and
``(C) take into consideration--'';
(3) in subsection (d)(1)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by adding ``and'' after
the semicolon at the end; and
(B) in subparagraph (B)--
(i) in clause (i), by striking ``industry
clusters,'';
(ii) in clause (vii), by striking ``small
businesses in regional industry clusters,
including'';
(iii) in clause (ix), by striking ``in the
identified industry clusters''; and
(iv) in clause (x), by striking ``industry
cluster'';
(4) in subsection (e)(2)(B)--
(A) in clause (viii)--
(i) in subclause (I), by striking
``industry cluster'' and inserting ``activities
funded with the grant''; and
(ii) in subclause (II), by striking ``held
by the industry cluster'' and inserting
``relating to those activities convened by
relevant organizations'';
(B) in clauses (xi) and (xii), by striking
``industry cluster'' each place it appears and
inserting ``participating regional''; and
(C) in clause (xiii), by striking ``the project
activities'' and inserting ``activities funded with the
grant''; and
(5) by striking subsection (f) and inserting the following:
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section--
``(1) $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through
2024; and
``(2) $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through
2029.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 6306(h)(3)(B)(ii) of the
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 2204b-3(h)(3)(B)(ii)) is
amended, in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking ``section
379I(a)(4) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act'' and
inserting ``section 379I(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008w(a))''.
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