We have received text from H.R. 7609: Rural Development Modernization Act. This bill was received on 2026-02-20, and currently has 3 cosponsors.
Here is a short summary of the bill:
This bill, titled the Rural Development Modernization Act, aims to update and harmonize the population thresholds for various programs overseen by the Department of Agriculture which serve rural communities. Below is a summary of its key provisions:
Changing Population Thresholds
The bill proposes significant increases in the population thresholds for certain rural development programs as follows:
- Broadband, telemedicine, and distance learning programs will increase the population threshold from 20,000 to 25,000 inhabitants.
- Loans for telephone services will raise the threshold from 5,000 to 25,000 inhabitants.
- Loans for water, wastewater, and essential community facilities will also see an increase to 25,000 inhabitants .
- Emergency and imminent community water assistance grants will change from 10,000 to 25,000 .
- Changes for rural housing criteria will make similar adjustments, including raising thresholds for specific types of assistance.
Exclusions for Military and Incarcerated Populations
The bill seeks to eliminate the cap on excluding military base populations from the rural population counts and disregarding the populations of incarcerated individuals when determining if an area qualifies as rural. This means that more communities will be seen as rural for the purposes of accessing federal assistance.
Amendments for Water Supply and Infrastructure Projects
The bill also addresses definitions and eligibility for rural water supply projects, allowing for more projects to qualify under federal funding by streamlining the criteria.
Inclusion of U.S. Territories
In recognition of existing U.S. territories, the bill clarifies that various rural development programs apply to communities within these regions, expanding the availability of federal resources to these populations.
Annual Reassessment of Population Thresholds
To ensure the relevance and accuracy of rural determinations, the Secretary of Agriculture is required to conduct an annual reassessment of the population threshold used to define rural areas. This will take into consideration census data, regional classifications, and trends that may affect rural character.
Technical Amendments
The legislation includes various technical corrections and conforming amendments to ensure consistency across related laws, reflecting updates and changes made by the act.
Relevant Companies
- TWC (Charter Communications) - As a major provider of broadband services, changes in federal programs could affect funding or priorities for expanding rural broadband access.
- VZ (Verizon Communications) - Similar to Charter, Verizon may see changes in its rural service delivery and investment strategies due to modified population thresholds affecting subsidy eligibility.
Representative Jim Costa Bill Proposals
Here are some bills which have recently been proposed by Representative Jim Costa:
- H.R.7609: Rural Development Modernization Act
- H.R.5875: COWS Act of 2025
- H.R.5796: BUILD Act
- H.R.5747: Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act of 2025
- H.R.5728: Rural Homeownership Continuity Act of 2025
- H.R.5677: RIDE FAST Act
You can track bills proposed by Representative Jim Costa on Quiver Quantitative's politician page for Costa.
Representative Jim Costa Net Worth
Quiver Quantitative estimates that Representative Jim Costa is worth $4.4M, as of February 24th, 2026. This is the 177th highest net worth in Congress, per our live estimates.
Costa has approximately $0 invested in publicly traded assets which Quiver is able to track live.
You can track Representative Jim Costa's net worth on Quiver Quantitative's politician page for Costa.
Representative Jim Costa Stock Trading
We have data on up to $15.0K of trades from Representative Jim Costa, which we parsed from STOCK Act filings.
You can track Representative Jim Costa's stock trading on Quiver Quantitative's politician page for Costa.
2026 California's 21st Congressional District Election
There has been approximately $2,553,588 of spending in California's 21st congressional district elections over the last two years, per our estimates.
Approximately $60,132 of this has been from outside spending by PACs and Super PACs.
The rating for this race is currently "Likely D".
You can track this election on our matchup page for the 2026 California's 21st congressional district election.
This article is not financial advice. See Quiver Quantitative's disclaimers for more information.
