[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1821 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1821

 To amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to modify 
        provisions relating to the rural energy savings program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 6, 2023

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to modify 
        provisions relating to the rural energy savings 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 Savings Act''.

SEC. 2. RURAL ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM MODIFICATIONS.

    Section 6407 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 
(7 U.S.C. 8107a) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``or'' 
                        at the end;
                            (ii) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as 
                        subparagraph (E); and
                            (iii) by inserting after subparagraph (B) 
                        the following:
                    ``(C) any Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of 
                the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
                Act (25 U.S.C. 5304));
                    ``(D) any public, quasipublic, or nonprofit entity 
                that uses innovative financing techniques and market 
                development tools to accelerate the deployment of clean 
                energy technology (commonly known as a `green bank'); 
                and''; and
                    (B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(2) Energy efficiency measure.--The term `energy 
        efficiency measure', with respect to any property served by an 
        eligible entity, means--
                    ``(A) a structural improvement or investment in a 
                cost-effective, commercial technology to increase 
                energy efficiency (including cost-effective on- or off-
                grid renewable energy or energy storage systems); and
                    ``(B) the replacement of a manufactured housing 
                unit or large appliance with a substantially similar 
                manufactured housing unit or appliance, respectively, 
                if that replacement is a cost-effective option with 
                respect to energy savings.'';
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``and 
                Grants'' after ``Loans'';
                    (B) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to the requirements of this 
        subsection, the Secretary shall provide--
                    ``(A) loans to eligible entities that agree to use 
                the loan funds to make loans under subsection (d) to 
                qualified consumers for the purpose of implementing 
                energy efficiency measures; and
                    ``(B) at the election of any eligible entity that 
                receives a loan under subparagraph (A), a grant in 
                accordance with paragraph (10).'';
                    (C) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in the paragraph heading, by inserting 
                        ``for loans'' after ``Requirements''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (A)(i), by striking 
                        ``that is'';
                    (D) in paragraph (5)--
                            (i) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and 
                        (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively, and 
                        indenting the clauses appropriately;
                            (ii) in the matter preceding clause (i) (as 
                        so redesignated), by striking ``With respect to 
                        a loan under paragraph (1)'' and inserting the 
                        following:
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), 
                with respect to a loan under paragraph (1)(A)''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) Extensions.--The Secretary may extend the 
                term of a loan under subparagraph (A)(i), or the 
                deadline for the repayment of an advance under 
                subparagraph (A)(ii), as the Secretary determines to be 
                appropriate.'';
                    (E) in paragraph (7)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
                        ``paragraph (1)'' and inserting ``paragraph 
                        (1)(A)''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (C), in the matter 
                        preceding clause (i), by striking ``Repayment 
                        of the special advance'' and inserting 
                        ``Subject to an applicable extension under 
                        paragraph (5)(B), repayment of a special 
                        advance under this paragraph'';
                    (F) in paragraph (8), by striking ``paragraph (1)'' 
                and inserting ``paragraph (1)(A)''; and
                    (G) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(10) Grants.--
                    ``(A) In general.--At the election of an eligible 
                entity that receives a loan under this subsection, the 
                Secretary shall provide to the eligible entity a grant 
                to pay for a portion of the costs incurred in--
                            ``(i) applying for the loan;
                            ``(ii) making a loan to a qualified 
                        consumer under subsection (d);
                            ``(iii) making repairs to the property of a 
                        qualified consumer that facilitate the energy 
                        efficiency measures for the property financed 
                        through a loan provided to the qualified 
                        consumer under subsection (d);
                            ``(iv) entering into a contract under 
                        subsection (e); or
                            ``(v) carrying out any other duties of the 
                        eligible entity under this section.
                    ``(B) Amount.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Except as provided in 
                        clause (ii), the amount of a grant provided to 
                        an eligible entity under this paragraph shall 
                        be equal to not more than 5 percent of the 
                        amount of the loan provided to the eligible 
                        entity under this subsection.
                            ``(ii) Persistent poverty counties.--The 
                        amount of a grant provided under this paragraph 
                        to an eligible entity that will use the grant 
                        to make loans under subsection (d) to qualified 
                        consumers located in a persistent poverty 
                        county (as determined by the Secretary) shall 
                        be equal to 10 percent of the amount of the 
                        loan provided to the eligible entity under this 
                        subsection.'';
            (3) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
                        (A), by inserting ``or grant'' before 
                        ``funds'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B)--
                                    (I) by striking ``(B) shall 
                                finance'' and inserting the following:
                    ``(B)(i) may have a term and amortization schedule 
                the length of which is the useful life of the energy 
                efficiency measures implemented using the loan, 
                provided that the loan to the qualified consumer does 
                not exceed 20 years; and
                    ``(ii) shall finance''; and
                                    (II) in clause (ii) (as so 
                                designated), by striking ``a loan term 
                                of not more than 10 years'' and 
                                inserting ``the applicable loan term 
                                described in clause (i)''; and
                            (iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
                        ``unless the personal property is or becomes 
                        attached to real property (including a 
                        manufactured home) as a fixture;'' and 
                        inserting ``unless the personal property--
                            ``(i) is a manufactured housing unit or 
                        large appliance described in subsection 
                        (b)(2)(B); or
                            ``(ii) is or becomes attached to real 
                        property as a fixture;''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Clarification of eligibility.--Notwithstanding any 
        other provision of law (including regulations), an eligible 
        entity may make a loan under this subsection to any qualified 
        consumer located within the service territory of the eligible 
        entity, regardless of whether the qualified consumer is located 
        in a rural area.'';
            (4) in subsection (e)--
                    (A) in the subsection heading, by inserting 
                ``Outreach,'' after ``Training,'';
                    (B) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and 
                        technical assistance of the program'' and 
                        inserting ``outreach, and technical assistance 
                        relating to the program under this section''; 
                        and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by inserting 
                        ``, outreach,'' after ``technical assistance''; 
                        and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Funding.--Of the amounts made available under 
        subsection (i), the Secretary may use such sums as are 
        necessary to provide outreach, training, and technical 
        assistance under this subsection.''; and
            (5) in subsection (i), by striking ``2023'' and inserting 
        ``2033''.
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