1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Council on Rural Community Innovation and Economic Development Act of 2018 . 2. Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) Sixteen percent of the population of the United States lives in rural counties. (2) Strong, sustainable rural communities are essential to future prosperity and ensuring United States competitiveness in the years ahead. (3) Rural communities supply the food, fiber, and energy of the United States, safeguard the natural resources of the United States, and are essential to the development of science and innovation. (4) Though rural communities face numerous challenges, they also present enormous economic potential. (5) The Federal Government has an important role to play in expanding access to the capital necessary for economic growth, promoting innovation, increasing energy resiliency and reliability, improving access to health care and education, and expanding outdoor recreational activities on public land. 3. Purpose The purpose of this Act is to enhance the efforts of the Federal Government to address the needs of rural areas in the United States by— (1) establishing a council to better coordinate Federal programs directed to rural communities; (2) maximizing the impact of Federal investment to promote economic prosperity and quality of life in rural communities in the United States