Bill · S. 2618· Senate(119-S-2618)
MORE USDA Grants Act
- Introduced
- 7/31/2025
- Last activity
- 7/31/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Sponsored by
- Catherine Cortez Masto
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 3
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The MORE USDA Grants Act aims to improve the grant award process for specific counties and local or Tribal governments. It focuses on "High-Density Public Land Counties," which are defined as areas with populations under 100,000 where more than 50 percent of the land is federally owned or managed. The bill targets several qualifying grant programs within the Department of Agriculture. It introduces a 50 percent reduction in local matching fund requirements for these specific entities. Additionally, it mandates technical assistance and establishes priority for applications that have not received support in the last 10 years.
Yes· 3 of 9
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?+6
The act specifically targets the economic and infrastructural needs of residents in rural, high-density public land counties.
Does this invest in rural communities?+6
The bill significantly lowers barriers for rural and Tribal governments to access USDA development and utility grants.
Would Native Americans be better off under this?+5
The bill prioritizes Tribal governments in high-density public land counties for various USDA grant programs.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Reduced Financial Burdens: Local governments and Tribal governments in High-Density Public Land Counties will see their local matching fund requirements reduced by 50 percent for qualifying grant programs. (Section 3(a))
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Increased Technical Support: The Secretary of Agriculture will provide additional technical assistance to these counties and their local or Tribal governments before and during the annual application period upon request. (Section 3(b))
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Greater Access to Funding: The bill directs the Secretary to give priority to applications from these areas that have not received support under qualifying programs in the previous 10 years. (Section 3(c)(1))
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Removal of Application Barriers: The Secretary can offer flexibility regarding requirements that might disadvantage small communities, such as scoring based on numerical size, requirements to partner with outside institutions, or overly complicated application processes. (Section 3(d))
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts or burdens are explicitly mentioned in the text provided.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Rural Residents+6Good For Native Americans+5Good For Low Income Households+2
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Economic Growth+4Increases Job Creation+3
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Rural Development+6
- Education And Technology
- Improves Internet Access+4
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+2
- 7/31/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- 4 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
Mike CrapoRepublican · Idaho
Steve DainesRepublican · Montana
James RischRepublican · Idaho
Adam SchiffDemocrat · California