Source:  POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 4/2/19

The 2018 farm bill, H.R. 2 (115) , did not provide a comprehensive definition of what constitutes a rural community for the purposes of eligibility for rural-specific federal programs. During a House Agriculture Committee hearing in late February, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue encouraged lawmakers to remedy a situation that's plagued Congress and USDA officials for years.

Different programs have different population thresholds communities must meet to be eligible. Perdue said rural areas being phased out of rural development programs because of population growth is a "very serious issue."

Implementation on the way: The new farm bill did increase the population limit for eligibility for water, community facilities and broadband programs to 50,000 people. A USDA spokesperson said the department is working on implementing those provisions.