Bipartisan Rural Prosperity Act aims to cut red tape, establish 'one-stop-shop' for federal funding for rural areas

On Thursday, Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y,), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) "introduced The Rural Prosperity Act, bipartisan legislation that would cut bureaucratic red tape by establishing the Office of Rural Prosperity, a permanent office in the White House tasked with coordinating federal efforts to support and connect America’s rural communities to federal programs and resources in order to improve outcomes for rural families and economies.," Sean Golightly reports for the Arizona Daily Sun. "Currently, there are more than 400 federal programs dedicated to helping rural communities, spread across 13 departments, and over 50 offices and sub-agencies, which can create duplicative and ineffective bureaucracy."

The bill would establish a Rural Prosperity Council with members from the heads of all executive branch departments, agencies and offices with programs that serve rural areas. The council would help resolve interagency disputes and coordinate cross-agency efforts, Golightly reports.

Kelly told Golightly that the proposed office would be a "one-stop-shop" for rural communities to get federal support. A companion House bill will be introduced by Reps. Ange Craig (D-Minn.), Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), Cindy Axne (D-Iowa), Tom O'Halleran (D-Ariz.), and Adrian Smith (R-Neb.).

Matt Hildreth, executive director of Rural Organizing, applauded the bill, saying he liked that the proposed office would try to coordinate rural economic development but not override local authorities. "The last thing we want is the strategies to be developed at the federal government," Hildreth told Golightly. "Local people know how to solve local problems. That’s the point." Hildreth said he believes the new office would make it easier for rural communities to access federal funding.