H.R. 8389

119 HR 8389 IH: Rural Area Population Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2026-04-20
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 I  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  H. R. 8389  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.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Rural Area Population Act  .
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).
 .
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.
 .
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.
 .
5.
Effective date
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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.