Rural Development Innovation Center

Subtitle D of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1981 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 379J. Rural Development Innovation Center (a) Establishment There is established within the rural development mission area a Rural Development Innovation Center (referred to in this section as the Innovation Center) to promote and facilitate innovation in the administration and implementation of rural development programs and initiatives. (b) Functions The Innovation Center shall— (1) review all processes for rural development mission area programs to identify inefficiencies, redundancies, and barriers to access, including— (A) overly burdensome application processes that prohibit participation in rural development programs; (B) high application costs; and (C) deficiencies in technical assistance for programs; (2) establish and maintain an ongoing public process for public and private stakeholders to provide perspectives on the challenges faced when applying for, utilizing, or participating in rural development mission area programs; (3) identify and assess any innovative strategies and collaborative models to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of rural development programs and initiatives; (4) foster and maintain partnerships with public and private stakeholders to leverage expertise and resources for the rural development mission area; (5) promote cross-agency collaborations and identify best practices in rural economic development; (6) identify and implement technological solutions and software applications to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of rural development mission area programs, including enhancing data management systems; (7) conduct research, analysis, and evaluation to modernize, simplify, and improve rural development mission area programs, and ensure that the programs are accessible, transparent, and user- friendly; and (8) disseminate information, guidance, and training materials to rural development mission area personnel and stakeholders on innovative rural development practices and opportunities. (c) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 and each fiscal year thereafter..