HR6433-119

What This Bill Does

The Rural Uplift and Revitalization Assistance Act directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide technical assistance directly or through cooperative agreements within one year. The assistance must strengthen local capacity and improve access to USDA rural development programs for local partners in geographically underserved and distressed areas. Local partners include local governments, cooperatives, businesses, health care facilities and networks, community anchor institutions, and nonprofit organizations. The bill defines geographically underserved and distressed areas as rural areas that are socially vulnerable, in persistent poverty counties, economically distressed, or lacking adequate water, sewer, or decent housing in regions near the U.S.-Mexico border. Beginning one year after enactment, USDA must annually publish, make public, and submit to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees a report on how the technical assistance affected those areas.

Who Benefits and How

Rural communities in persistent poverty, socially vulnerable, economically distressed, or under-served border regions benefit because USDA must help local partners access rural development programs. Local governments, cooperatives, small businesses, health care facilities, community anchor institutions, and nonprofits benefit from technical assistance and capacity building. Residents benefit indirectly if better program access improves water, sewer, housing, health care, or economic-development projects.

Who Bears the Burden and How

USDA Rural Development staff must design and deliver technical assistance, negotiate cooperative agreements, determine which rural areas qualify, and publish annual public reports to Congress. Local partners must coordinate with USDA and may need to prepare applications or comply with rural development program requirements. Federal taxpayers fund the technical assistance and reporting work.

Key Provisions

• Requires USDA technical assistance within one year for geographically underserved and distressed rural areas.
• Allows USDA to deliver assistance directly or through cooperative agreements.
• Targets local governments, cooperatives, businesses, health care facilities, community anchor institutions, and nonprofits.
• Defines eligible areas to include socially vulnerable communities, persistent poverty counties, economically distressed areas, and border regions lacking water, sewer, or decent housing.
• Requires annual public reports to House and Senate Agriculture Committees.