[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3489 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3489

 To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to establish 
  an energy circuit rider program to disseminate technical and other 
assistance to rural communities to support energy efficiency and clean 
 energy projects that save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 13, 2023

  Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Welch) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
           Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to establish 
  an energy circuit rider program to disseminate technical and other 
assistance to rural communities to support energy efficiency and clean 
 energy projects that save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

    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 ``Energy Circuit Riders Act''.

SEC. 2. ENERGY CIRCUIT RIDER PROGRAM.

    Subtitle D of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act is 
amended by inserting after section 378 (7 U.S.C. 2008m) the following:

``SEC. 379. ENERGY CIRCUIT RIDER PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means--
                    ``(A) a State;
                    ``(B) an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of 
                the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
                Act (25 U.S.C. 5304));
                    ``(C) a nonprofit organization;
                    ``(D) a cooperative extension service;
                    ``(E) an institution of higher education; and
                    ``(F) a regional planning commission or other 
                public entity serving 2 or more rural areas.
            ``(2) Energy circuit rider.--The term `Energy Circuit 
        Rider' means an individual who is trained to provide and 
        support, on a professional basis, assistance (including 
        technical assistance) and informed decisionmaking in the 
        planning, financing, and implementation of energy efficiency or 
        clean energy projects, including with respect to 1 or more of 
        the following:
                    ``(A) Energy planning.
                    ``(B) Energy audits.
                    ``(C) Applicable Federal funding opportunities and 
                tax incentives.
                    ``(D) Applicable State, local, and utility-based 
                incentives, including, as appropriate, coordinating 
                with the State energy office in that State.
                    ``(E) Project financing.
                    ``(F) Grant writing.
                    ``(G) Community-based capacity building.
            ``(3) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary, 
        acting through the Under Secretary for Rural Development.
    ``(b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a program, to 
be known as the `Energy Circuit Rider Program', under which the 
Secretary shall provide to eligible entities grants for the hiring, 
training, and retention by eligible entities of 1 or more Energy 
Circuit Riders.
    ``(c) Grants.--
            ``(1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        the Energy Circuit Rider Program, an eligible entity shall 
        submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such 
        manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
        require.
            ``(2) Term.--The term of a grant provided under the Energy 
        Circuit Rider Program shall be more than 3, but not more than 
        6, years, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate to 
        achieve the purposes of this section.
            ``(3) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of 
        carrying out activities under the grant shall be not more than 
        75 percent.
            ``(4) Priority.--In providing grants under the Energy 
        Circuit Rider Program, the Secretary shall give priority to an 
        eligible entity the application under paragraph (1) of which is 
        recommended by the director of the relevant State rural 
        development office.
    ``(d) Energy Circuit Rider Assistance.--An Energy Circuit Rider 
employed by an eligible entity using a grant provided under this 
section--
            ``(1) shall offer assistance and support described in 
        subsection (a)(2) to not fewer than 2 rural areas served by, or 
        in the vicinity of, the eligible entity; and
            ``(2) may provide technical assistance to the eligible 
        entity in applying for--
                    ``(A) loans under section 6407(c) of the Farm 
                Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U. S.C. 
                8107a(c)); and
                    ``(B) financial assistance under the Rural Energy 
                for America Program established under section 9007 of 
                that Act (7 U.S.C. 8107).
    ``(e) Information Sharing.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall facilitate the 
        sharing among Energy Circuit Riders of information relating to 
        best practices.
            ``(2) Information from other agencies.--The Secretary, in 
        consultation with the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of 
        Transportation, the Secretary of the Treasury, the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Chief 
        of Engineers, and the heads of such other Federal departments 
        and agencies as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, 
        shall make available to Energy Circuit Riders information 
        relating to other Federal incentives available to eligible 
        entities for energy efficiency and clean energy projects.
    ``(f) Reports to Congress.--Not less frequently than annually, the 
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing the 
accomplishments of the Energy Circuit Rider Program, including with 
respect to--
            ``(1) energy savings;
            ``(2) monetary savings to communities; and
            ``(3) reductions in carbon emissions.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $25,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028.''.
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