I
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. R. 2728
To require the Small Business Administration, the Appalachian Regional
Commission, and the Delta Regional Authority to enter into an agree-
ment to carry out activities to expand rural entrepreneurship, and for
other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL8, 2025
Ms. L
ETLOW(for herself and Mr. DELUZIO) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, and Financial
Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned
A BILL
To require the Small Business Administration, the Appa-
lachian Regional Commission, and the Delta Regional
Authority to enter into an agreement to carry out activi-
ties to expand rural entrepreneurship, and for other pur-
poses.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Growing Regional En-2
trepreneurship and Access To Economic Resilience Act’’ 3
or the ‘‘GREATER Act’’. 4
SEC. 2. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING TO EXPAND 5
RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SUPPORT 6
TO SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS WITHIN AP-7
PALACHIAN REGION AND THE DELTA RE-8
GION. 9
(a) I
NGENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 10
date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of 11
the Small Business Administration, the appropriate head 12
of the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the appro-13
priate head of the Delta Regional Authority (in this sec-14
tion referred to as the ‘‘covered officials’’) shall enter into 15
a memorandum of understanding or other appropriate 16
agreement to carry out activities within the Appalachian 17
region and the Delta region, as applicable, to expand rural 18
entrepreneurship and to support covered small business 19
concerns. 20
(b) M
EMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING OR AGREE-21
MENT.—The covered officials shall carry out and coordi-22
nate the activities described in subsection (a) by entering 23
into one or more memoranda of understanding or other 24
appropriate agreements, as jointly determined by the cov-25
ered officials. 26
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(c) INCLUSION OFCOVEREDSMALLBUSINESSCON-1
CERNS.—In carrying out the activities described in sub-2
section (a), the covered officials shall ensure the inclusion 3
of covered small business concerns in such activities, as 4
appropriate. 5
(d) O
THERREQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the ac-6
tivities described in subsection (a), the covered officials 7
may— 8
(1) carry out reimbursable agreements between 9
the Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta Re-10
gional Authority, the Small Business Administra-11
tion, and other appropriate entities in order to maxi-12
mize the effectiveness of activities carried out pursu-13
ant to a memorandum or agreement described in 14
subsection (b); and 15
(2) collaborate with other Federal agencies as 16
appropriate to carry out such activities. 17
(e) R
EPORT.—Not later than two years after the date 18
of the enactment of this Act, the covered officials shall 19
jointly submit to Congress a report on activities carried 20
out pursuant to a memorandum or agreement described 21
in subsection (b) that includes the following: 22
(1) Coordination between the covered officials 23
involved in such activities. 24
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(2) Potential opportunities to expand the ability 1
of the Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta Re-2
gional Authority, and the Small Business Adminis-3
tration to provide assistance to rural entrepreneurs 4
or covered small business concerns, as applicable. 5
(3) The number of rural entrepreneurs or cov-6
ered small business concerns assisted through activi-7
ties carried out pursuant to such memorandum or 8
agreement. 9
(4) Areas of future collaboration among the 10
covered officials for the benefit of rural entre-11
preneurs or covered small business concerns located 12
within the Appalachian region or Delta region, as 13
applicable. 14
(5) Plans of the covered officials to continue co-15
ordination on activities described in subsection (a). 16
(f) D
EFINITIONS.—In this Act: 17
(1) C
OVERED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN .—The 18
term ‘‘covered small business concern’’ means a 19
small business concern (as defined under section 3 20
of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)) located 21
within the Appalachian region or Delta region. 22
(2) A
PPALACHIAN REGIONAL COMMISSION .— 23
The term ‘‘Appalachian Regional Commission’’ 24
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means the commission established by section 1
14301(a) of title 40, United States Code. 2
(3) D
ELTA REGION.—The term ‘‘Delta region’’ 3
has the meaning given the term ‘‘region’’ in section 4
382A of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Develop-5
ment Act (7 U.S.C. 2009aa). 6
(4) D
ELTA REGIONAL AUTHORITY .—The term 7
‘‘Delta Regional Authority’’ means the entity estab-8
lished under subtitle F of the Consolidated Farm 9
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2009aa et 10
seq.). 11
Æ
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