USDA Strips DEI From Rural Programs

The United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Development (RD), which is comprised of the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS), Rural Utilities Service (RUS), and Rural Housing Service (RHS), is amending 14 program funding opportunities to remove references to the Biden Administration’s key priorities and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)-related scoring criteria to bring them into compliance with the Executive Order, ‘‘Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing’’, issued on January 20, 2025. This notice also confirms that previous Administration key priorities and discretionary points will not be considered during application scoring and makes clear that applicants who already have applied need not reapply. Impacted programs include Distance Learning & Telemedicine Grant and Community Connect Grants.