2021 US Code
Title 7 - Agriculture
Chapter 55 - Department of Agriculture
Sec. 2204b-2 - Temporary prioritization of rural health assistance

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary, after consultation with such public health officials as may be necessary, may announce through a Federal Register notice pursuant to section 553(b)(3)(B) of title 5 a temporary reprioritization, on a national or multistate basis, for certain rural development loan and grant applications to assist rural communities in responding to a significant public health disruption.

For the purposes of this section, the term "public health disruption" means an unanticipated increase in mortality or morbidity in rural communities, when compared to non-rural communities, caused by identifiable events, actions, or behavioral trends, which can be remediated by the programs of the Rural Development mission area. When measuring a public health disruption, the Secretary may analyze data on a national or multi-state basis.

In the announcement, the Secretary shall—

When announcing the reprioritization, the Secretary shall—

The Secretary may extend an announcement under subsection (a) for no more than 6 years in total, except that nothing shall prevent the Secretary from renewing reprioritizations by making a new announcement under subsection (a).

The Secretary may rescind a reprioritization announcement made under subsection (a) at any time the Secretary determines that the temporary reprioritizations are no longer needed or effective.

Not later than 48 hours after making, extending, or rescinding an announcement under this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, and transmit to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, a written notice of the declaration, extension, or rescission.

(Pub. L. 92–419, title VI, §608, as added Pub. L. 115–334, title VI, §6101(b), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4727.)

Pub. L. 117–2, title I, §1002, Mar. 11, 2021, 135 Stat. 11, provided that:

"(a) Grants.—The Secretary of Agriculture (in this section referred to as the 'Secretary') shall use the funds made available by this section to establish an emergency pilot program for rural development not later than 150 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Mar. 11, 2021] to provide grants to eligible applicants (as defined in section 3570.61(a) of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations) to be awarded by the Secretary based on rural development needs related to the COVID–19 pandemic.

"(b) Uses.—An eligible applicant to whom a grant is awarded under this section may use the grant funds for costs, including those incurred prior to the issuance of the grant, as determined by the Secretary, of facilities which primarily serve rural areas (as defined in section 343(a)(13)(C) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(C)), which are located in a rural area, the median household income of the population to be served by which is less than the greater of the poverty line or the applicable percentage (determined under section 3570.63(b) of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations) of the State nonmetropolitan median household income, and for which the performance of any construction work completed with grant funds shall meet the condition set forth in section 9003(f) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8103(f)), to—

"(c) Funding.—In addition to amounts otherwise available, there is appropriated to the Secretary for fiscal year 2021, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $500,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023, to carry out this section, of which not more than 3 percent may be used by the Secretary for administrative purposes and not more than 2 percent may be used by the Secretary for technical assistance as defined in section 306(a)(26) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(26))."