This bill creates a new support system to help small, struggling rural communities access federal agriculture grants more easily. Right now, many rural towns and counties struggle to compete for Department of Agriculture grants because they don't have staff dedicated to writing grant applications or managing the complex paperwork involved. This bill requires the Agriculture Department to set aside at least 2.5% of funding from all its rural development grant programs to provide free technical help to communities that need it most.

The technical assistance covers everything from teaching communities how to write grant applications, to helping them plan projects, conduct environmental reviews, and handle the paperwork after they win a grant. The Agriculture Department can deliver this help through partnerships with nonprofits, universities, local governments, and private firms that specialize in rural development. Priority goes to communities that have no full-time grant writers on staff, communities that rarely win these grants, and areas dealing with persistent poverty or economic distress. Each state's Agriculture office will identify which communities need the most help and make sure assistance is spread fairly across different regions. The bill requires annual reports to Congress showing how many communities got help and whether more of them are successfully winning grants.