[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1495 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1495

   To require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program to 
  provide support on the use of industrial heat pumps, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 9, 2023

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program to 
  provide support on the use of industrial heat pumps, 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 ``Heat pump Energy Assistance and 
Training Act'' or the ``HEAT Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Industrial heat pump.--The term ``industrial heat 
        pump'' means a vapor compression device that transforms low 
        grade production waste heat by increasing the temperature of 
        air or process fluid, such as water, to meet the heating needs 
        of agricultural, industrial, or commercial processes.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.

SEC. 3. INDUSTRIAL HEAT PUMP PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a working group 
to coordinate activities carried out by the Natural Resources 
Conservation Service, the Rural Utilities Service, the Rural Business-
Cooperative Service, and the National Institute of Food and 
Agriculture--
            (1) to build awareness of the use of industrial heat pumps;
            (2) to create materials for and provide technical support 
        to farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses relating to--
                    (A) the use of industrial heat pumps; and
                    (B) the availability of Federal programs to assist 
                in the adoption to using industrial heat pumps;
            (3) to support an improved technical understanding of the 
        opportunities for and applications of industrial heat pumps in 
        the agricultural experiment station network at land-grant 
        colleges and universities, for the purpose of providing 
        training and assistance to State-level programs serving 
        farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses;
            (4) to increase knowledge of industrial heat pump 
        applications and benefits for rural utilities to support 
        applications of industrial heat pumps for farmers, ranchers, 
        and rural small businesses; and
            (5) to support education on and awareness of industrial 
        heat pump opportunities, applications, and benefits among 
        extension specialists and extension agents.
    (b) Coordination.--The Secretary is encouraged to coordinate with 
the Department of Energy with respect to the implementation of 
industrial heat pump programs.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as are necessary for 
each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028.

SEC. 4. RURAL ENERGY FOR AMERICA PROGRAM.

    Section 9007(c)(1)(A) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act 
of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107(c)(1)(A)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (i)(II), by inserting ``, including to 
        purchase and install industrial heat pumps (as defined in 
        section 2(a) of the Heat pump Energy Assistance and Training 
        Act)'' before ``; and''; and
            (2) in clause (ii), in the matter preceding subclause (I), 
        by striking ``processing'' and inserting ``processing, 
        including industrial heat pumps (as so defined),''.

SEC. 5. REPORTING.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report describing progress made 
in building awareness, creating materials, and providing support for 
farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses under this Act and the 
amendments made by this Act.
    (b) Inclusions.--The report under subsection (a) shall include--
            (1) an identification of important applications of 
        industrial heat pumps in rural markets;
            (2) an assessment of the level of awareness of industrial 
        heat pumps by key market actors, including Department of 
        Agriculture program staff, heat pump suppliers, and rural 
        utilities;
            (3) the number of applications to the Rural Energy for 
        America Program established under section 9007 of the Farm 
        Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107) and 
        the Rural Energy Savings Program established under section 6407 
        of that Act (7 U.S.C. 8107a) for measures incorporating the 
        installation of industrial heat pumps;
            (4) the number of loans and grants provided under the Rural 
        Energy for America Program established under section 9007 of 
        the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 
        8107) and the Rural Energy Savings Program established under 
        section 6407 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 8107a) for measures 
        incorporating the installation of industrial heat pumps; and
            (5) a description of the barriers to adoption of industrial 
        heat pumps in rural markets.
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