CUSHION OF CREDIT PAYMENTS PROGRAM.

SEC. 1403. CUSHION OF CREDIT PAYMENTS PROGRAM. Title III of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (as amended by section 1402 of this Act) is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new section: “SEC. 313. CUSHION OF CREDIT PAYMENTS PROGRAM. “(a) Establishment.— “(1) In general.— The Administrator shall develop and promote a program to encourage borrowers to voluntarily make deposits into cushion of credit accounts established within the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund. “(2) Interest.— Amounts in each cushion of credit account shall accrue interest to the borrower at a rate of 5 percent per annum. “(3) Balance.— A borrower may reduce the balance of its cushion of credit account only if the amount obtained from the reduction is used to make scheduled payments on loans made or guaranteed under this Act. “(b) Uses of Cushion of Credit Payments.— “(1) In general.— “(A) Cash balance.— Cushion of credit payments shall be held in the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund as a cash balance in the cushion of credit accounts of borrowers. “(B) Interest.— All cash balance amounts (obtained from cushion of credit payments, loan payments, and other sources) held by the Fund shall bear interest to the Fund at a rate equal to the weighted average rate on outstanding certificates of beneficial ownership issued by the Fund. “(C) Credits.— The amount of interest accrued on the cash balances shall be credited to the Fund as an offsetting reduction to the amount of interest paid by the Fund on its certificates of beneficial ownership. “(2) Rural economic development subaccount.— “(A) Maintenance of account.— The Administrator shall maintain a subaccount within the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund to which shall be credited, on a monthly basis, a sum determined by multiplying the outstanding cushion of credit payments made after101 STAT. 1330–22 October 1, 1987, by the difference (converted to a monthly basis) between the average weighted interest rate paid on outstanding certificates of beneficial ownership issued by the Fund and the 5 percent rate of interest provided to borrowers on cushion of credit payments. “(B) Grants.— The Administrator is authorized, from the interest differential sums credited this subaccount and from any other funds made available thereto, to provide grants or zero interest loans to borrowers under this Act for the purpose of promoting rural economic development and job creation projects, including funding for project feasibility studies, start-up costs, incubator projects, and other reasonable expenses for the purpose of fostering rural development. “(C) Repayments.— In the case of zero interest loans, the Administrator shall establish such reasonable repayment terms as will ensure borrower participation. “(D) Proceeds.— All proceeds from the repayment of such loans shall be returned to the subaccount. “(E) Number of grants.— Such loans and grants shall be made during each fiscal year to the full extent of the amounts held by the rural economic development subaccount, subject only to limitations as may be from time-to-time imposed by law.“.