Bill Summary
The "Strengthening Rural Cooperatives and Communities Act" aims to reauthorize rural cooperative development grants under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act. The legislation includes several key amendments:
1. **Definition Expansion**: It clarifies the term "cooperative development" to encompass outreach, education, training, and technical assistance for starting, expanding, or sustaining cooperatives.
2. **Scoring Criteria**: It modifies the scoring criteria for grant applicants to give higher points to those meeting specific requirements related to cooperative development.
3. **Support for Vulnerable Communities**: It requires commitment from grant recipients to provide technical assistance to socially vulnerable, underserved, or distressed communities.
4. **Program Management**: The amendments streamline program management by removing overly discretionary language concerning the Secretary's authority.
5. **Data Analysis and Reporting**: It mandates that the Secretary analyze data from research efforts and include this analysis in an annual report from an interagency working group.
6. **Annual Reporting**: The interagency working group is required to submit an annual report to Congress detailing its activities, starting 180 days after the enactment of the legislation.
7. **Funding Reauthorization**: The bill extends the authorization period for these grants from 2024 to 2029.
Overall, the act seeks to enhance support for rural cooperatives, particularly in underserved areas, fostering economic development and community resilience.
Possible Impacts
The "Strengthening Rural Cooperatives and Communities Act," as outlined in the provided legislation, could affect people in various ways. Here are three examples:
1. **Support for New and Existing Cooperatives**: By emphasizing cooperative development, the legislation could provide resources and assistance for individuals looking to start or expand cooperative businesses in rural areas. This could empower local entrepreneurs, promote job creation, and strengthen community economies by fostering collaborative business models.
2. **Aid for Underserved Communities**: The amendment prioritizes technical assistance and services for socially vulnerable, underserved, or distressed communities. This focus could help marginalized groups access resources, training, and support that may have previously been unavailable, thereby promoting equity and inclusion in rural development efforts.
3. **Improved Data Collection and Accountability**: The requirement for annual reports and data analysis by the interagency working group ensures that the impact of the cooperative development grants is monitored and evaluated. This transparency could lead to better-informed policy decisions and improvements in program effectiveness, ultimately benefiting communities by ensuring that funding and resources are directed where they are most needed.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1951 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1951
To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to reauthorize
rural cooperative development grants.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 6, 2025
Mr. Riley of New York (for himself and Mr. Valadao) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to reauthorize
rural cooperative development grants.
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 ``Strengthening Rural Cooperatives and
Communities Act''.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF RURAL COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.
Section 310B(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act
(7 U.S.C. 1932(e)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following:
``(C) Cooperative development.--The term
`cooperative development' means activities including
outreach, education, training, and technical
assistance, to support the startup, expansion, or
ongoing sustainability of new and existing
cooperatives.'';
(2) in paragraph (4), by inserting ``, and award maximum
points in scoring criteria to applicants that satisfy the
requirements of paragraph (5)(F),'' before ``if the plan'';
(3) in paragraph (5), by striking subparagraph (D) and
inserting the following:
``(D) commit to providing technical assistance and
other services to socially vulnerable, underserved, or
distressed communities;'';
(4) in paragraph (6)(B), by striking ``If the Secretary
determines it to be in the best interest of the program, the''
and inserting ``The'';
(5) in paragraph (10), by adding at the end the following:
``The Secretary shall analyze the data resulting from the
research, and include the data and the analysis in the annual
report submitted by the interagency working group under
paragraph (12).'';
(6) in paragraph (12), by adding at the end the following:
``Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of
this sentence and annually thereafter, the interagency working
group shall submit to the Congress a report describing the
activities carried out by the working group.''; and
(7) in paragraph (13), by striking ``2014 through 2023''
and inserting ``2025 through 2029''.
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