WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman David G. Valadao (CA-22) joined Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) to introduce the Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act. This legislation aims to direct more resources to rural communities through the creation of new flexible federal grant programs specifically for rural areas to support economic and community development.

“Many of our rural communities across the Central Valley have historically been overlooked for critical economic investments, and it’s past time we even the playing field,” said Congressman Valadao. “The Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act would make it easier for rural communities to access federal funding for economic and community development projects. I’m proud to support this bipartisan bill with Rep. Salinas to ensure our rural communities have the resources they need to thrive.”  

“Despite playing a key role in our economy and way of life, rural Oregon has been getting the short end of the stick from our federal government for far too long,” said Rep. Salinas. "Our bipartisan bill would change that by establishing new targeted, direct investments into rural communities, while also providing increased technical assistance to ensure they don't miss out on programs the federal government already has to offer. Overall, this legislation levels the playing field for rural America and will help these communities thrive for generations to come.”

Background

Rural areas have historically been overlooked for economic investment and faced higher barriers in accessing existing federal funding, leading to a widening gap in economic and community development outcomes between rural and urban communities. The Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act would address this disparity by creating a set of grant programs aimed at providing direct support to rural communities through funding and technical assistance:

• The Rural Partnership Program Grant would help to provide direct funding and resources to rural communities. The grant program would provide multiyear (2-5 years), flexible awards to communities to be used to address urgent needs, including but not limited to affordable childcare, housing, and job training.
• The Rural Prosperity Technical Assistance Grant would address the need in many rural areas for assistance with economic and community development activities, including navigating existing federal funding opportunities. Providing rural communities with this assistance helps ensure that rural communities are getting their fair share of private and federal investment.