This bill requires the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to create a new, shorter application form specifically for small towns and rural areas. It aims to make it easier for communities with limited staff to apply for federal funding for local projects.
The simplified "short form" would be available to any town with a population of 10,000 or fewer, as well as Tribal areas and territories. It also covers areas that the government does not consider part of a major city or metropolitan region.
To make the process better, the government must talk to people living in rural areas to find out which parts of the current paperwork are too long or repetitive. They will look for ways to stop asking for information the government already has on file in other databases.
The bill also requires the government to be more open about how it picks winners. The agency would have to post examples of successful applications and provide clear guides that explain exactly how they grade each request so towns know what to expect.
Milestones
2 milestones2 actions
Mar 3, 2026Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text: CR S764)
Mar 3, 2026
Introduced in Senate
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
EDA Short Form Application Act
Bill NumberS 3965
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text: CR S764)
