[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8389 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8389
To establish a uniform definition of ``rural area'' for all rural
development programs administered by the Department of Agriculture.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 20, 2026
Mr. Ruiz introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Financial
Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a uniform definition of ``rural area'' for all rural
development programs administered by the Department of Agriculture.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Area Population Act''.
SEC. 2. UNIFORM DEFINITION OF ``RURAL AREA'' FOR USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--Section 343(a)(13) of the Consolidated Farm and
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking ``urbanized'' and
insert ``urban'';
(2) by striking subparagraphs (B) and (C);
(3) in subparagraph (D)--
(A) by striking ``(F)'' each place it appears and
inserting ``(D)''; and
(B) in clause (i), by striking ``urbanized'' each
place it appears and inserting ``urban'';
(4) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``urbanized'' and
inserting ``urban'';
(5) in subparagraph (F)--
(A) in clause (i)(II), by striking ``urbanized''
and inserting ``urban''; and
(B) in clause (ii), by striking ``consider--'' and
all that follows and inserting ``consider an area
described in clause (i)(I) not to be a rural area for
purposes of subparagraph (A).''; and
(6) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) through (I) as
subparagraphs (B) through (G), respectively.
(b) Conforming Amendments to the Rural Electrification Act of
1936.--
(1) Section 13(3) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936
(7 U.S.C. 913(3)) is amended--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``(C)'' each
place it appears and inserting ``(A)''; and
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``loan'' and
inserting ``loan, or has had a loan,'' before ``made
under''.
(2) Section 203(b) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 924(b)) is amended
to read as follows:
``(b) In this title, the term `rural area' shall have the meaning
given the term in 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).''.
(3) Section 601(b)(3) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 950bb(b)(3)) is
amended to read as follows:
``(3) Rural area.--The term `rural area' shall have the
meaning given the term in 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated
Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).''.
(4) Section 604(a)(4) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 950bb-3(a)(4))
is amended to read as follows:
``(4) Rural area.--The term `rural area' shall have the
meaning given the term in 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated
Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).''.
(c) Housing Provisions.--Section 520 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42
U.S.C. 1490) is amended--
(1) by striking the first sentence and inserting the
following: ``(a) In General.--As used in this title, the term
`rural area' shall have the meaning given the term in
343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).'';
(2) by striking ``For purposes of this title'' and
inserting the following:
``(b) Legacy Areas.--For purposes of this title'';
(3) by striking ``, and the city'' and all that follows
through ``year 2000''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Rural Defined.--As used in this title, the term `rural' shall
have the meaning given the term `rural area' in subsection (a).''.
SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF ``RURAL IN CHARACTER'' AUTHORITY.
Section 343(a)(13) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(J) Authority to designate areas with persistent
poverty, high concentration of farmworker households,
or significant infrastructure gaps as rural areas.--
``(i) In general.--The Secretary, in
consultation with the Director of the Bureau of
the Census, may designate an area that is a
census tract, or a census-designated place or
an unincorporated area recognized by a local or
tribal government with fewer than 35,000
inhabitants, as a rural area for purposes of
this paragraph, regardless of whether the area
is within an urban area, if the area exhibits
persistent poverty, a high concentration of
farmworker households, or a significant
infrastructure gap.
``(ii) Definitions.--In this subparagraph:
``(I) Persistent poverty.--The term
`persistent poverty' means, with
respect to an area referred to in
clause (i), that the income of at least
20 percent of the population of the
area was below the poverty line (within
the meaning of section 673(2) of the
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of
1981, including any revision required
by such section applicable to a family
of the size involved), as measured by
the 1990, 2000, and 2010 decennial
censuses.
``(II) High concentration.--The
term `high concentration' means a
percentage that significantly exceeds
the percentage of farmworker households
in the United States or in the State
involved, as determined by the
Secretary.
``(III) Significant infrastructure
gap.--The term `significant
infrastructure gap' means, with respect
to an area referred to in clause (i),
that the area lacks access to potable
water, wastewater treatment, or
reliable electricity that meets Federal
standards, as determined by the
relevant State or local health
department and the relevant USDA Rural
Development field office.''.
SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF HIGH-NEED RURAL POCKETS AS RURAL AREAS.
Section 343(a)(13) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(K) High-need rural pockets.--
``(i) In general.--In making determinations
under this paragraph, the Secretary shall use
indicators (such as Rural-Urban Commuting Area
codes) at the census tract level to prioritize
and maintain eligibility for small,
geographically distinct settlements (whether or
not incorporated) that are surrounded by an
urban area but lack urban services and have a
poverty rate of at least 20 percent, including
tribal lands and farmworker settlements, to be
designated as rural areas.
``(ii) Farmworker settlement.--In this
subparagraph, the term `farmworker settlement'
means an area in which more than 50 percent of
the households derive their primary income from
agricultural labor or are headed by an
individual who is or recently was employed in
agriculture, as verified using American
Community Survey data on industry and
occupation and local data provided by State or
tribal labor agencies.''.
SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 180 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 6. RULEMAKING.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall prescribe such
rules as are necessary with respect to implementing the amendments made
by this Act.
(b) Grandfather Provision.--A rural area designation made under
section 343(a)(13) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act
before the effective date of this Act shall not be changed by reason of
any amendment made by this Act, before data from the 2030 decennial
census is available.
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