[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4480 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4480

   To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program to 
 provide to rural communities technical assistance in recovering from 
                   disasters, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 5, 2024

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program to 
 provide to rural communities technical assistance in recovering from 
                   disasters, 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 Recovery Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. RURAL DEVELOPMENT DISASTER RECOVERY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Disaster.--The term ``disaster'' means a major disaster 
        declared by the President under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
        Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).
            (2) Eligible rural community.--The term ``eligible rural 
        community'' means each rural community all or part of which is 
        within an area covered by a disaster.
            (3) Program.--The term ``program'' means the program 
        established under subsection (b).
            (4) Rural community.--
                    (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the 
                term ``rural community'' means any census designated 
                place with a population of less than 20,000.
                    (B) Modification; waiver.--The Secretary may, as 
                the Secretary determines to be necessary--
                            (i) modify the definition of ``rural 
                        community'' under subparagraph (A); or
                            (ii) waive the applicability of the 
                        definition of ``rural community'' under this 
                        paragraph to a particular area.
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
    (b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish within the rural 
development mission area a program to provide technical assistance for 
eligible rural communities.
    (c) Providers of Technical Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--Technical assistance under the program 
        shall be provided by--
                    (A) a State office of the rural development mission 
                area;
                    (B) an entity described in paragraph (2) that 
                enters into a contract with a State office of the rural 
                development mission area; or
                    (C) both entities described in subparagraphs (A) 
                and (B).
            (2) Eligibility of contractors.--
                    (A) In general.--An entity eligible to enter into a 
                contract under paragraph (1)(B) is a public body or 
                private nonprofit corporation described in section 
                306(a)(26)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
                Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(26)(A)).
                    (B) Priority.--In entering into contracts under 
                paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary shall give priority to 
                entities described in section 306(a)(26)(B) of the 
                Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 
                1926(a)(26)(B)).
            (3) Coordination.--A provider of technical assistance under 
        the program shall, to the extent practicable, coordinate with 
        State governments and local stakeholders to ensure the 
        equitable distribution of outreach to eligible rural 
        communities.
    (d) Requirements of Technical Assistance.--A provider of technical 
assistance under the program shall provide technical assistance to 
eligible rural communities relating to disaster recovery--
            (1) including assistance in--
                    (A) planning, and identifying issues, potential 
                solutions, and sources of funding, with respect to 
                disaster recovery;
                    (B) preparing and submitting applications with 
                respect to assistance for disaster recovery to Federal 
                agencies, such as the Economic Development 
                Administration, the Federal Emergency Management 
                Agency, and the rural development mission area, and 
                State agencies;
                    (C) addressing denials of applications described in 
                subparagraph (B); and
                    (D) implementing funding received for disaster 
                recovery from Federal agencies and State agencies 
                described in subparagraph (B); and
            (2) which may involve--
                    (A) telecommunications;
                    (B) water infrastructure;
                    (C) housing;
                    (D) energy infrastructure;
                    (E) community facilities;
                    (F) business infrastructure; and
                    (G) local government infrastructure.
    (e) Duration.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible rural community may receive 
        technical assistance under the program during the 3-year period 
        beginning on the date on which a disaster is declared for the 
        area within which all or part of the eligible rural community 
        lies.
            (2) Extension.--The Secretary may extend the period of 
        eligibility described in paragraph (1) for an additional 3-year 
        period with respect to an eligible rural community on a case-
        by-case basis.
    (f) Multiple Recipients.--More than 1 eligible rural community all 
or part of which are within an area covered by a disaster may receive 
technical assistance under the program.
    (g) Funding.--
            (1) Provision.--As soon as practicable after the date on 
        which a disaster is declared for the area within which all or 
        part of an eligible rural community lies, the Secretary shall 
        make available to the applicable State office of the rural 
        development mission area amounts available to carry out this 
        section, without any requirement for the submission of an 
        application by such State office.
            (2) Allocation.--The Secretary shall allocate amounts made 
        available to carry out this section for each fiscal year to 
        eligible rural communities in accordance with a formula 
        established by the Secretary that is based on the population of 
        individuals affected by a disaster, as determined using data 
        from the most recent decennial census.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $50,000,000 for 
each fiscal year.
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