America’s rural communities would have improved access to federal funding and resources under a bipartisan bill unveiled on Nov. 15 by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE).
“Rural Nebraskans deserve to see their tax dollars invested in projects that help their communities,” Sen. Fischer said. “Our bipartisan legislation would optimize federal funding for local communities and enhance their access to federal programs.”
Sen. Fischer cosponsored the Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act of 2023, S. 3309, alongside bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) to authorize the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to create Rural Partnership Program Grants and Rural Prosperity Technical Assistance Grants, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
Rural Partnership Program Grants would provide direct federal support for economic and community development activities. The grant program would provide multiyear, flexible awards to communities to be used to address urgent needs, including but not limited to affordable child care, housing, and job training, the summary says.
Rural Prosperity Technical Assistance Grants would help rural areas access assistance with economic and community development activities and help them better navigate existing federal funding sources. Rural stakeholders also would be able to access technical assistance via awarded providers, who could help them pursue funding and carry out community development and planning activities, according to the summary.
If enacted, S. 3309 would also reinforce efforts to formalize a whole-of-government approach to rural development via provisions aimed at improving supportive services offered by the federal government to rural communities, including by activating federal agencies in new ways and facilitating better cross-agency coordination.
“Our rural communities deserve a fair shot to grow their economies and improve their quality of life,” said Sen. Casey. “This legislation will put rural communities on a level playing field to compete for federal resources alongside our cities and suburban areas.”