SE Wyoming News

U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) have introduced the USDA Grant Simplification Act, aimed at creating a standardized "short form" grant application for United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grants. This initiative targets rural municipalities and political subdivisions focused on infrastructure management and maintenance, with the goal of easing the application process for federal funds.

“Washington’s overburdensome application process is holding Wyoming’s rural communities back from getting the important funding they need,” said Barrasso. “Wyoming and other rural states will benefit greatly from a shorter, more simplified process. This important bill I joined with Senator Lummis will streamline the application process and ensure Wyoming communities have better access to these vital grant programs.”

Lummis emphasized the challenges faced by smaller communities: “The most rural portions of Wyoming are often the areas most in need of federal funding, yet few small communities have the manpower to sift through the federal government’s lengthy grant application process. In order to ensure Wyoming’s smallest communities have access to the federal funding they need, I have partnered with Senator Barrasso to streamline the grant application process and remove unnecessary roadblocks for the Cowboy State’s smallest communities.”

The legislation mandates that the Secretary of Agriculture develop a "short-form" version of grant applications within 180 days post-enactment. This form will be available for incorporated municipalities, tribal areas, and territories with populations under 10,000 residents. Additionally, local entities such as water districts, irrigation districts, road and bridge districts, and fire districts will also be eligible.

The act further instructs the secretary to gather input from a representative group of rural communities on issues including application length, requested information, and question applicability. An additional 90 days is provided to identify which grants most require short-form applications.

Full text can be found here.