Clarksville (Tenn.) Online
Blackburn, Perdue, Hyde-Smith Introduce Bill to Remove Regulatory Hurdles Burdening Rural Communities
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), David Perdue (R-Ga.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) introduced S. 2430, the Paving the Way for Rural Communities Act of 2019 to remove outdated, burdensome regulatory hurdles from rural areas. This will increase rural communities’ access to better economic opportunities and infrastructure projects.
“Tennessee’s rural communities are the heart of our state’s agriculture businesses. We should not have laws in place that hinder, rather than help, economic development in these areas,” said Senator Blackburn.
“The Paving the Way for Rural Communities Act provides much needed relief to those who do not have the means to pay for unnecessary and burdensome compliance costs. This bill will help to lift up Tennesseans in rural communities and encourage economic growth,” Senator Blackburn stated.
“Georgia’s rural communities should have access to the same economic opportunities as our metropolitan areas when seeking federal assistance. Too often, federal mandates on local government prevent small and rural communities from applying for federal grant opportunities,” said Senator Perdue.
“By removing these burdensome regulations, rural areas will have more flexibility to implement efficient infrastructure projects, while receiving greater federal investment. This bill will continue President Trump’s work to cut through bureaucratic red tape and unleash economic potential in Georgia and across the country,” Senator Perdue stated.
“We need new approaches to ensure rural towns and communities can compete for federal infrastructure resources. The permitting and review processes now in place are an incredible burden for rural Mississippi, where hiring expensive consultants and lawyer is out of the question,” Senator Hyde-Smith said. “The Paving the Way for Rural Communities Act would eliminate the pitfalls that keep rural communities from upgrading the infrastructure they need to grow and prosper.”
This bill removes Endangered Species Act, National Historic Preservation Act and National Environmental Policy Act requirements from federally funded projects or activities in any area that’s not part of a metropolitan statistical area as designated by the Office of Management and Budget.