Introduced in Senate

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2456 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2456

       To establish rural export centers, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 24, 2025

  Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mr. Hoeven, Ms. Smith, and Mr. Cramer)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
            Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

       To establish rural export centers, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Promoting Rural Exports Act of
2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Rural businesses are often located far from information
        clusters and major transportation corridors.
            (2) Because of their location, rural businesses face higher
        barriers to accessing international markets.
            (3) A dedicated National Rural Export Center within the
        United States and Foreign Commercial Service, and regional
        rural export centers, providing business- and product-specific
        support can help companies in the United States looking to
        export their products.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF RURAL EXPORT CENTERS.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF RURAL EXPORT CENTERS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary''
        means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General
        of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service appointed
        pursuant to section 2301(a)(2) of the Export Enhancement Act of
        1988 (15 U.S.C. 4721(a)(2)).
            (2) Commercial service.--The term ``Commercial Service''
        means the United States and Foreign Commercial Service
        established under section 2301(a)(1) of the Export Enhancement
        Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4721(a)(1)).
    (b) Establishment of the National Rural Export Center.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
        the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall
        establish a National Rural Export Center for the purpose of
        providing businesses located in rural areas in the United
        States with resources to help those businesses export their
        products.
            (2) Location of the national rural export center.--
                    (A) In general.--The National Rural Export Center
                shall be established at an office of the Commercial
                Service in the United States in existence before the
                date of the enactment of this Act.
                    (B) Criteria for selecting location.--In selecting
                a location for the National Rural Export Center, the
                Assistant Secretary shall give preference--
                            (i) based on expertise and operations at
                        Commercial Service offices that support rural
                        businesses exporting to new markets before the
                        date of the enactment of this Act; and
                            (ii) to such offices not located in major
                        metropolitan areas.
                    (C) Location of staff.--Any researcher or staff
                directly supporting the operation of the National Rural
                Export Center shall be primarily based at the National
                Rural Export Center.
    (c) Establishment of Regional Rural Export Centers.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
        the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall
        establish not more than 9 regional rural export centers for the
        purposes of providing businesses located in rural areas within
        their regions with resources to help those businesses export
        their products.
            (2) Subordination.--The programs, activities, and
        expenditures of the regional rural export centers shall be
        subordinate to and delegated by the National Rural Export
        Center.
    (d) Export Center Operations.--
            (1) In general.--The National Rural Export Center and
        regional rural export centers shall--
                    (A) provide in-depth, customized, and actionable
                market research services that--
                            (i) a business may opt into based on need;
                        and
                            (ii) are--
                                    (I) focused on actionable and
                                measurable results for a business;
                                    (II) business- and product-
                                specific;
                                    (III) based on high-quality data,
                                including data from international trade
                                association subscription databases; and
                                    (IV) based on market analysis and
                                export services of the Commercial
                                Service available before the date of
                                the enactment of this Act, including
                                the Rural Export Center Research
                                Program; and
                    (B) conduct strategic planning and export support
                services for rural businesses as needed.
            (2) Measure of effectiveness.--To measure the effectiveness
        of the National Rural Export Center and regional rural export
        centers, the centers shall collect and make available data on--
                    (A) the number of businesses that sign up for
                market research assistance;
                    (B) the number of export assistance services a
                business engages in following the research assistance,
                including--
                            (i) trade shows;
                            (ii) trade missions; and
                            (iii) other services facilitated by the
                        Commercial Service; and
                    (C) the total monetary value of exports facilitated

by the services provided by the centers.
            (3) Websites.--The National Rural Export Center and each
        regional rural export center shall maintain an internet website
        that includes--
                    (A) data collected by the center;
                    (B) best practices for rural businesses beginning
                to evaluate export opportunities; and
                    (C) appropriate contact information for staff at
                the center.
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