U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) on Aug. 28 introduced the bipartisan Council on Rural Community Innovation and Economic Development Act of 2018 to streamline federal efforts that support America’s rural communities through expansion of technology.
“We must work to ensure that rural communities in Ohio and across the country have the resources and technology needed for economic development and job growth,” said Sen. Portman, the original cosponsor of S. 3393, which is sponsored by U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV).
S. 3393 would establish a Council on Rural Community Innovation and Economic Development that would work across executive-level departments, agencies and offices to streamline efforts benefitting the 16 percent of Americans who reside in rural communities.
“The federal government has an important role to play in expanding access to the capital necessary for economic growth, promoting innovation, increasing energy resiliency and reliability, improving access to health care and education, and expanding outdoor recreational activities on public land,” according to the text of the bill in the congressional record.
Toward that goal, the new council would maximize the impact of federal investments across different agencies to promote economic prosperity and quality of life in rural communities, as well as the use of innovative technologies that solve local and regional challenges, according to an Aug. 28 statement from the lawmakers.
“I am pleased to work with Senator Cortez Masto on this legislation to support access to broadband and identify ways in which technology can be used to solve challenges faced by our rural communities,” said Sen. Portman.
Farmers and businesses in Ohio and around the United States must have resources, such as access to broadband, to continue competing globally, he added.
“We must focus on better addressing the unique challenges and needs of rural communities,” Sen. Cortez Masto said, noting that the council authorized under S. 3393, if enacted, also would “look out for the best interests of Nevadans who live in rural areas.”
Sens. Portman and Cortez Masto first introduced their proposed legislation as an amendment to the U.S. Senate-approved 2018 Farm Bill. They said the measure was approved on June 28 as part of that bill, which House and Senate conferees are currently negotiating.
Among several provisions, S. 3393, if passed on its own, would require a report on Rural Smart Communities that details current efforts in rural areas to integrate smart technology designed to solve local challenges related to energy, transportation, health care, law enforcement and housing. The bill also would analyze whether a public benefit existed to create rural smart community demonstration project programs to address such challenges.
S. 3393 has been referred to the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee for consideration.