[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2604 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2604

   To amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to 
    provide grants for outdoor recreation projects to spur economic 
development, with a focus on rural communities, and to provide training 
for rural communities on funding opportunities for outdoor recreation, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 27, 2023

Mr. Bennet (for himself and Mr. Schumer) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 
                              Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to 
    provide grants for outdoor recreation projects to spur economic 
development, with a focus on rural communities, and to provide training 
for rural communities on funding opportunities for outdoor recreation, 
                        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 Outdoor Investment Act''.

SEC. 2. OUTDOOR RECREATION GRANTS.

    Title II of the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 
is amended by inserting after section 207 (42 U.S.C. 3147) the 
following:

``SEC. 208. OUTDOOR RECREATION GRANTS.

    ``(a) Definition of Outdoor Recreation.--In this section, the term 
`outdoor recreation' means all recreational activities undertaken for 
pleasure that--
            ``(1) generally involve some level of intentional physical 
        exertion; and
            ``(2) occur in nature-based environments outdoors.
    ``(b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall make grants to eligible 
recipients for outdoor recreation projects to spur economic 
development, with a focus on rural communities.
    ``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary for each of fiscal years 2024 through 
2028--
            ``(1) $30,000,000 for grants under section 201 for outdoor 
        recreation projects to spur economic development, with a focus 
        on rural communities;
            ``(2) $5,000,000 for grants under section 203 for outdoor 
        recreation projects to spur economic development, with a focus 
        on rural communities; and
            ``(3) $2,500,000 for grants under section 207 for outdoor 
        recreation projects to spur economic development, with a focus 
        on rural communities.''.

SEC. 3. TRAINING FOR RURAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUTDOOR 
              RECREATION.

    Beginning not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, 
in consultation with the Administrator of the Small Business 
Administration and the Secretary of Agriculture, shall develop a 
partnership agreement--
            (1) to provide for the development of--
                    (A) basic training, including in-person or modular 
                training sessions, for small business concerns (as 
                defined in section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 
                U.S.C. 632)) and rural communities relating to existing 
                funding opportunities for outdoor recreation, including 
                funding opportunities for--
                            (i) business development;
                            (ii) community planning;
                            (iii) infrastructure investment;
                            (iv) community capacity building; and
                            (v) marketing and communications;
                    (B) informational materials relating to existing 
                funding opportunities described in subparagraph (A); 
                and
                    (C) opportunities to coordinate among Federal 
                departments and agencies to share the basic training 
                and informational materials developed under 
                subparagraphs (A) and (B) with those departments and 
                agencies and relevant nongovernmental organizations;
            (2) to provide the basic training and informational 
        materials developed under paragraph (1)--
                    (A) through electronic formats, including internet-
                based webinars; and
                    (B) at physical locations, including offices of the 
                rural development mission area; and
            (3) to make the basic training and informational materials 
        developed under paragraph (1) available to rural business 
        development entities that partner with programs of the rural 
        development mission area, including institutions of higher 
        education, nonprofit organizations, business incubators, and 
        business accelerators.

SEC. 4. RECREATION ECONOMY FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES.

    (a) Definition of Program.--In this section, the term ``program'' 
means the Recreation Economy for Rural Communities planning assistance 
program sponsored by the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the 
Under Secretary for Rural Development, the Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency, and the Secretary of Agriculture, 
acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.
    (b) Partnerships.--To build on the program, the Secretary of 
Agriculture, acting through the Under Secretary for Rural Development, 
in partnership with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency and the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of 
the Forest Service, shall develop partnerships to connect the program 
to--
            (1) the Economic Development Administration and the Small 
        Business Administration; and
            (2) the basic training and informational materials 
        described in section 3.
    (c) Grants.--The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Under 
Secretary for Rural Development, in partnership with the Administrator 
of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary of 
Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall 
carry out a competitive grant program to assist entities otherwise 
eligible to receive assistance under the program in carrying out an 
action plan developed under the program.
    (d) Consultation.--
            (1) In general.--On request of a regional commission 
        described in paragraph (2), the entities carrying out the 
        program shall consult with the requesting regional commission 
        in carrying out the program.
            (2) Regional commissions described.--A regional commission 
        referred to in paragraph (1) is any of the following:
                    (A) The Appalachian Regional Commission established 
                by section 14301(a) of title 40, United States Code.
                    (B) The Delta Regional Authority established under 
                subtitle F of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
                Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2009aa et seq.).
                    (C) The Denali Commission established under the 
                Denali Commission Act of 1998 (42 U.S.C. 3121 note; 
                title III of division C of Public Law 105-277).
                    (D) The Great Lakes Authority established by 
                section 15301(a)(4) of title 40, United States Code.
                    (E) The Northern Border Regional Commission 
                established by section 15301(a)(3) of title 40, United 
                States Code.
                    (F) The Northern Great Plains Regional Authority 
                established under subtitle G of the Consolidated Farm 
                and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2009bb et seq.).
                    (G) The Southeast Crescent Regional Commission 
                established by section 15301(a)(1) of title 40, United 
                States Code.
                    (H) The Southwest Border Regional Commission 
                established by section 15301(a)(2) of title 40, United 
                States Code.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out the program $12,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 
        through 2028.
            (2) Grants.--Beginning with fiscal year 2025, of the funds 
        made available under paragraph (1) for each fiscal year, not 
        less than 50 percent shall be used to carry out the grant 
        program under subsection (c).
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