Freight for Farms Act

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8472 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8472

To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to support the 
 expansion of freight rail infrastructure to support the transport of 
   agricultural inputs and products to farms, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 21, 2024

 Mr. Courtney (for himself, Mr. Molinaro, and Mr. McGovern) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

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                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to support the 
 expansion of freight rail infrastructure to support the transport of 
   agricultural inputs and products to farms, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Freight for Farms Act''.

SEC. 2. INCLUDING FREIGHT RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE IN COMMUNITY FACILITIES 
              LOANS AND GRANTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and essential community 
        facilities including necessary related equipment'' and 
        inserting ``and essential community facilities (such as freight 
        rail infrastructure that supports access to agricultural and 
        related entities) including necessary related equipment'';
            (2) in each of paragraphs (19)(A), (20)(B), and (21)(A) by 
        striking ``essential community facilities'' and inserting 
        ``essential community facilities (such as freight rail 
        infrastructure that supports access to agricultural and related 
        entities)''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(27) Requirements for freight rail infrastructure 
        projects.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The requirements of sections 
                22905 and 22404 of title 49, United States Code, shall 
                apply to any project for freight rail infrastructure 
                that supports access to agricultural and related 
                entities for which a loan or grant is awarded under 
                this subsection.
                    ``(B) References.--For the purpose of applying the 
                requirements of such sections to such projects--
                            ``(i) references to the Secretary of 
                        Transportation shall be deemed to refer to the 
                        Secretary of Agriculture; and
                            ``(ii) references to `this chapter' shall 
                        be deemed to refer to this subsection.''.
    (b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply beginning on the date that is 60 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act.
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