Last progress July 31, 2025 (4 months ago)
Introduced on July 31, 2025 by Catherine Marie Cortez Masto
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
This bill makes it easier for rural counties where most land is owned or managed by the federal government to win USDA grants. It cuts local matching costs in half and offers extra help with applications. The goal is to level the playing field for small, remote places and Tribal governments in those areas that often struggle to meet federal grant rules and paperwork burdens ().
It lowers the local match by 50%, provides added technical help before and during each annual application period, and gives priority to applicants that haven’t received support from the program in the last 10 years. The USDA can also prioritize Tribal governments for help and ease common barriers, like scoring rules that favor bigger populations, partner requirements when partners aren’t nearby, cash-on-hand rules, and overly technical applications ().