MADISON COUNTY — On June 20, United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) visited Madison County to announce the reintroduction of the “Rebuild Rural America Act,” legislation that would invest billions of federal dollars into rural economic development, infrastructure, schools, hospitals and small businesses.

According to the senator’s office, the bill, which Gillibrand first introduced in 2019, is aimed at addressing challenges specific to rural communities and making it easier for such communities to access federal funding and other resources.

Gillibrand announced the reintroduction of the Rebuild Rural America Act while standing with local leaders at The Hub, a coworking space and New York State-certified business incubator in the Village of Hamilton.

The senator’s office provided an overview of the bill’s main provisions in a June 20 press release.

According to the release, the legislation calls for the establishment of a Rural Future Partnership Fund that would create a $50 billion block grant program to support long-term rural economic development projects, including investments in childcare centers, public schools, libraries, community centers, health care providers, workforce development programs, emergency preparedness programs, main street revitalization programs, and water and sewer facilities. The fund would provide grantees with five years of guaranteed funding.

The legislation would also establish a United States Department of Agriculture Rural Innovation and Partnership Administration, which would provide local leaders with information on available federal resources, technical assistance, and data to help them develop and implement rural revitalization plans.

Additionally, the bill would launch a Rural Future Corps program to place AmeriCorps fellows in rural communities and help those communities expand services like childcare, health, nutrition assistance, education, and job training.

If passed, the Rebuild Rural America Act would also set up new programs to connect rural regions with the expertise of national technical assistance providers.

During her remarks, Gillibrand acknowledged that small rural areas play an essential role in New York and its overall economy, contributing significantly to not only the state’s agricultural industry but also its education and tourism industries.

“But too often, federal economic policies sideline communities and fail to support their unique needs,” Gillibrand said. “So, I’m reintroducing the Rebuild Rural America Act, which I am pushing to include in the Farm Bill. This is $50 billion for Rural Future Partnership Funds, which would provide multi-year flexible block grants to support regional rural revitalization projects. If passed, this bill would provide local leaders with the ability to implement programs and ideas that they know will best aid their communities, and it would give them the support they need to improve anything from infrastructure, schools, [and] public health facilities [to] business incubators like this one. . . I know that this legislation would help people and businesses in Hamilton and across Madison County, and I will keep working to make sure the federal government is a more effective partner for rural areas like this one.”

Statements were also delivered by Village of Hamilton Mayor RuthAnn Loveless; John Becker, chair of the Madison County Board of Supervisors and supervisor of the Town of Sullivan; Town of Hamilton Supervisor Eve Ann Shwartz; and Jocelyn Gavitt, executive director of the Partnership for Community Development (PCD), a non-profit that works to enhance sustainable economic opportunity and community vitality in the village and town of Hamilton and the surrounding areas. All the speakers voiced their support for Gillibrand’s bill.

“At PCD, we are at the front lines working to foster economic and community development in our region, and we face the obstacles unique to a rural community on a daily basis,” said Gavitt. “This legislation would create tools needed for rural communities to get past many of the hurdles that prevent growth. When the focus shifts to rural America, we are poised to respond.”

The Hub is a partnership between the PCD and Colgate University’s Thought Into Action (TIA) Entrepreneurship Program. For more information, visit hamiltonpcd.org/thehub/.

Following the June 20 event, Village of Cazenovia Mayor Kurt Wheeler and Lauren Lines, executive director of the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, also commented on Gillibrand’s proposal.

“We appreciate the senator’s efforts to support rural communities with her bill,” said Wheeler. “Rural municipalities along with the families and small businesses in them have been under more stress than ever in recent years with the impact of the pandemic followed by record inflation.”

Lines stated that while many economic development programs focus on urban centers, it can be challenging for small, rural communities to keep up with their infrastructure needs.

“We are looking forward to learning more about how these programs will supplement existing opportunities,” she said.

To learn more about Gillibrand and her priorities, visit gillibrand.senate.gov or facebook.com/senkirstengillibrand.