119-s2281

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2281 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 2281

 To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program to 
 provide to rural communities technical assistance in recovering from 
 disasters, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 July 15, 2025

 Mr. Welch (for himself, Mr. Sanders, and Mrs. Shaheen) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
 Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program to 
 provide to rural communities technical assistance in recovering from 
 disasters, and for other purposes.

 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 Recovery Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. RURAL DEVELOPMENT DISASTER RECOVERY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 
 PROGRAM.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Disaster.--The term ``disaster'' means a major disaster 
 declared by the President under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
 Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).

    (2) Eligible rural community.--The term ``eligible rural 
 community'' means each rural community all or part of which is 
 within an area covered by a disaster.

    (3) Program.--The term ``program'' means the program 
 established under subsection

    (b) .

    (4) Rural community.--
        (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph
        (B) , the 
 term ``rural community'' means any census designated 
 place with a population of less than 20,000.
        (B) Modification; waiver.--The Secretary may, as 
 the Secretary determines to be necessary--
            (i) modify the definition of ``rural 
 community'' under subparagraph
        (A) ; or
            (ii) waive the applicability of the 
 definition of ``rural community'' under this 
 paragraph to a particular area.

    (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Agriculture.

    (b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish within the rural 
development mission area a program to provide technical assistance for 
eligible rural communities.
            (c) Providers of Technical Assistance.--

    (1) In general.--Technical assistance under the program 
 shall be provided by--
        (A) a State office of the rural development mission 
 area;
        (B) an entity described in paragraph

    (2) that 
 enters into a contract with a State office of the rural 
 development mission area; or
            (C) both entities described in subparagraphs
        (A) and
        (B) .

    (2) Eligibility of contractors.--
        (A) In general.--An entity eligible to enter into a 
 contract under paragraph

    (1)
        (B) is a public body or 
 private nonprofit corporation described in 

section 306

    (a)

    (26)
        (A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
 Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926

    (a)

    (26)
        (A) ).
        (B) Priority.--In entering into contracts under 
 paragraph

    (1)
        (B) , the Secretary shall give priority to 
 entities described in 

section 306

    (a)

    (26)
        (B) of the 
 Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 
 1926

    (a)

    (26)
        (B) ).

    (3) Coordination.--A provider of technical assistance under 
 the program shall, to the extent practicable, coordinate with 
 State governments and local stakeholders to ensure the 
 equitable distribution of outreach to eligible rural 
 communities.
            (d) Requirements of Technical Assistance.--A provider of technical 
assistance under the program shall provide technical assistance to 
eligible rural communities relating to disaster recovery--

    (1) including assistance in--
        (A) planning, and identifying issues, potential 
 solutions, and sources of funding, with respect to 
 disaster recovery;
        (B) preparing and submitting applications with 
 respect to assistance for disaster recovery to Federal 
 agencies, such as the Economic Development 
 Administration, the Federal Emergency Management 
 Agency, and the rural development mission area, and 
 State agencies;
            (C) addressing denials of applications described in 
 subparagraph
        (B) ; and
            (D) implementing funding received for disaster 
 recovery from Federal agencies and State agencies 
 described in subparagraph
        (B) ; and

    (2) which may involve--
        (A) telecommunications;
        (B) water infrastructure;
            (C) housing;
            (D) energy infrastructure;
        (E) community facilities;
        (F) business infrastructure; and
        (G) local government infrastructure.

    (e) Duration.--

    (1) In general.--An eligible rural community may receive 
 technical assistance under the program during the 3-year period 
 beginning on the date on which a disaster is declared for the 
 area within which all or part of the eligible rural community 
 lies.

    (2) Extension.--The Secretary may extend the period of 
 eligibility described in paragraph

    (1) for an additional 3-year 
 period with respect to an eligible rural community on a case-
 by-case basis.

    (f) Multiple Recipients.--More than 1 eligible rural community all 
or part of which are within an area covered by a disaster may receive 
technical assistance under the program.

    (g) Funding.--

    (1) Provision.--As soon as practicable after the date on 
 which a disaster is declared for the area within which all or 
 part of an eligible rural community lies, the Secretary shall 
 make available to the applicable State office of the rural 
 development mission area amounts available to carry out this 
 section, without any requirement for the submission of an 
 application by such State office.

    (2) Allocation.--The Secretary shall allocate amounts made 
 available to carry out this section for each fiscal year to 
 eligible rural communities in accordance with a formula 
 established by the Secretary that is based on the population of 
 individuals affected by a disaster, as determined using data 
 from the most recent decennial census.

    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $50,000,000 for 
each fiscal year.
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