[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1273 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1273

    To amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to 
     reauthorize and improve the Rural Energy for America Program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 19, 2013

  Mr. Welch (for himself and Mr. Walz) introduced the following bill; 
           which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to 
     reauthorize and improve the Rural Energy for America 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 Energy Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. RURAL ENERGY FOR AMERICA PROGRAM.

    Section 9007 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 
(7 U.S.C. 8107) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) 
                as paragraphs (3), (4), and (5), respectively;
                    (B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following 
                new paragraph:
            ``(2) Tiered application process.--In carrying out this 
        subsection, the Secretary shall establish a three-tiered 
        application, evaluation, and oversight process that varies 
        based on the cost of the proposed project with the process most 
        simplified for projects referred to in subparagraph (A), more 
        comprehensive for projects referred to in subparagraph (B), and 
        most comprehensive for projects referred to in subparagraph 
        (C). The three tiers for such process shall be as follows:
                    ``(A) Tier 1.--Projects for which the cost of the 
                project funded under this subsection is not more than 
                $80,000.
                    ``(B) Tier 2.--Projects for which the cost of the 
                project funded under this subsection is more than 
                $80,000 but less than $200,000.
                    ``(C) Tier 3.--Projects for which the cost of the 
                project funded under this subsection is $200,000 or 
                more.'';
                    (C) in paragraph (3) (as redesignated by 
                subparagraph (A)), by striking paragraph (F) and 
                inserting the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(F) the natural resource conservation benefits of 
                the renewable energy system; and'';
                    (D) in paragraph (4) (as so redesignated)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``in 
                        amounts not to exceed $100,000 per grant'' 
                        after ``in the form of grants''; and
                            (ii) by striking subparagraph (C); and
                    (E) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(6) Requirement.--In carrying out this subsection, the 
        Secretary shall not require a second meter for on-farm 
        residential portions of rural projects connected to a power 
        grid.'';
            (2) in subsection (f)--
                    (A) by striking ``Not later'' and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(1) In general.--Not later''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(2) Subsequent report.--Not later than 4 years after the 
        date of the enactment of the Rural Energy Improvement Act, the 
        Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on activities 
        carried out under this section, including the outcomes achieved 
        by projects funded under this section.''; and
            (3) in subsection (g)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)(D), by striking ``2012'' and 
                inserting ``2012 and for each of fiscal years 2014 
                through 2018''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) by striking ``this section 
                        $25,000,000'' and inserting ``this section--
                    ``(A) $25,000,000'';
                            (ii) at the end of subparagraph (A) (as 
                        designated by clause (i)), by striking the 
                        period and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following 
                        new subparagraph:
                    ``(B) $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 
                through 2018.''.
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