A new Senate bill would reauthorize and expand a federal grant program aimed at boosting job training, small business growth and economic development in rural communities.
The Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) Reauthorization Act of 2026 would amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to continue and reshape the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s RISE grant program.
The bill formally reauthorizes the program and sets funding at $50 million for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031. That would provide a guaranteed authorization level for five years.
The proposal also makes several structural changes to how the program operates.
It revises eligibility language to shift away from a narrow focus on “industry clusters.” The bill strikes or replaces references to “industry clusters” throughout the statute and instead emphasizes broader “industries in the area served by the partnership” and “opportunities and networks.”
In awarding grants, the Secretary of Agriculture would have to “target a broad base of rural community types that will benefit from the program,” with an emphasis on communities with fewer than 20,000 residents.
The bill goes further by requiring that at least 10 percent of the total amount of grants awarded each fiscal year benefit rural communities with populations under 10,000.
The legislation also directs the Secretary to ensure that “a diverse set of industry bases is represented” when selecting projects. In addition, the Secretary could only select an eligible entity to receive a grant with the concurrence of the applicable state office of the rural development mission area.
The bill removes certain prior requirements and references in current law, including deleting a subsection and striking specific language tied to industry cluster terminology. It also makes a conforming amendment to the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to update a cross-reference to the revised section of law.
According to a press release from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s office, the legislation would provide the RISE program with “a minimum of $50 million in discretionary funding,” increase the diversity of industry bases supported and ease requirements for proposed job accelerator partnerships so more communities can participate.
The RISE program, created in 2018, provides federal grant funding to rural job accelerator partnerships that support in-demand job training, business formation and expansion, and broader economic growth.
If enacted, the RISE Reauthorization Act of 2026 would continue that framework while broadening the types of rural communities and industries that can qualify, directing a portion of funds to the smallest towns and setting a clear five-year funding authorization.
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