America’s rural communities would receive more federal resources under a bipartisan bill cosponsored on Feb. 23 by U.S. Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) that aims to help them thrive economically.
“Many of our rural communities across the Central Valley have historically been overlooked for critical economic investments, and it’s past time we even the playing field,” said Rep. Valadao, who introduced the Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act, H.R. 7444, alongside bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-OR).
If enacted, H.R. 7444 would create new flexible federal grant programs specifically for rural areas to support economic and community development, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
“The Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act would make it easier for rural communities to access federal funding for economic and community development projects,” Rep. Valadao said. “I’m proud to support this bipartisan bill with Rep. Salinas to ensure our rural communities have the resources they need to thrive.”
Specifically, H.R. 7444 would create a set of grant programs aimed at providing direct support to rural communities through funding and technical assistance.
For instance, the newly created Rural Partnership Program Grant would help provide direct funding and resources to rural communities through multi-year, flexible awards that could be used to address urgent needs, including but not limited to affordable childcare, housing, and job training, the summary says.
In addition, the Rural Prosperity Technical Assistance Grant would address the need in many rural areas for assistance with economic and community development activities, including navigating existing federal funding opportunities, according to the summary.
H.R. 7444 would establish “new targeted, direct investments into rural communities, while also providing increased technical assistance to ensure they don’t miss out on programs the federal government already has to offer,” said Rep. Salinas. “Overall, this legislation levels the playing field for rural America and will help these communities thrive for generations to come.”