Rural Area Population Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 8389 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8389 To establish a uniform definition of ``rural area'' for all rural development programs administered by the Department of Agriculture. _______________________________________________________________________ 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. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Area Population Act''. SEC. 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