Emergency Rural Community Relief Act

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1798 To provide for emergency grants for essential community facilities and tem- porary installations needed in response to COVID–19 pandemic in rural areas. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 11, 2021 Mr. BOST (for himself, Mrs. LURIA, and Mr. HAGEDORN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture A BILL To provide for emergency grants for essential community facilities and temporary installations needed in response to COVID–19 pandemic in rural areas. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Emergency Rural 4 Community Relief Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:51 May 03, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1798.IH H1798 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1798 IH SEC. 2. EMERGENCY GRANTS FOR ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY 1 FACILITIES AND TEMPORARY INSTALLA- 2 TIONS NEEDED IN RESPONSE TO COVID–19 3 PANDEMIC. 4 Section 306(a)(19) of the Consolidated Farm and 5 Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(19)) is amend- 6 ed— 7 (1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘this para- 8 graph’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘sub- 9 paragraph (A)’’; and 10 (2) by adding at the end the following: 11 ‘‘(C) EMERGENCY GRANTS.— 12 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary 13 may make grants during an emergency, as 14 determined by the Secretary, to any entity 15 referred to in subparagraph (A) to pur- 16 chase vehicles, equipment, or services need- 17 ed for the immediate safe operation of an 18 essential community facility or a tem- 19 porary installation necessary to support 20 the public response to the emergency in a 21 rural area. 22 ‘‘(ii) USE OF GRANT.—The Secretary 23 shall, by regulation, determine— 24 ‘‘(I) the kinds of vehicles, equip- 25 ment, and supplies which may be pur- 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:51 May 03, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1798.IH H1798 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1798 IH chased using a grant made under this 1 subparagraph; and 2 ‘‘(II) the kinds of facilities and 3 temporary installations for which such 4 a purchase may be made. 5 ‘‘(iii) APPROPRIATION.— 6 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—Out of any 7 money in the Treasury of the United 8 States not otherwise appropriated, 9 there are appropriated to the Sec- 10 retary $100,000,000 to carry out this 11 subparagraph. 12 ‘‘(II) AVAILABILITY.—The 13 amount made available by clause (i) 14 shall remain available through Decem- 15 ber 31, 2022.’’. 16 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:51 May 03, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1798.IH H1798 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS