Empowering Rural Communities Act

The "Empowering Rural Communities Act" aims to enhance access to Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development discretionary grant programs for communities with limited capacity. It mandates a 2.5 percent set-aside from the total appropriations for each such grant program, specifically for technical assistance activities. These reserved funds will support a range of services, including technical assistance, application development, and pre-development support , such as engineering and financial feasibility analysis. The Secretary may deliver this assistance through cooperative agreements, grants, or contracts with various eligible entities. Priority will be given to communities that lack full-time grant writing or administrative staff , have historically low participation, or are in persistent poverty, underserved, or high-need rural areas. State Rural Development offices will identify these communities and ensure equitable service delivery, with an annual report to Congress on expenditures and outcomes also required and made publicly available. This initiative utilizes existing appropriations and does not authorize additional funding.