Rural counties get easier access to USDA development grants
S. 2618 — MORE USDA Grants Act · Filed by Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) · 4 cosponsors · Introduced Jul 31, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill makes it easier for rural counties with small populations (under 100,000) and significant federal land ownership (over 50%) to access USDA rural development grants. It cuts their required local matching funds in half, gives them priority in grant approvals, provides extra technical help with applications, and allows the USDA Secretary to waive or adjust application barriers that disadvantage small, isolated communities.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is straightforward: it reduces barriers and matching-fund requirements for USDA rural development grants targeting counties with high federal land ownership and small populations. This is a targeted rural-development subsidy, not a hidden carve-out.
What the text implies
- Counties with high federal land ownership (often in the West) may see disproportionate benefit, potentially creating regional winners and losers in rural development funding.
- Reduced matching requirements shift cost burden from local governments to federal taxpayers, which may be justified by capacity constraints but represents a subsidy.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
rural counties and municipalities; tribal governments; rural broadband providers (indirect, via ReConnect Program expansion)