REA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE UNIT.

SEC. 2343. REA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE UNIT. Title I of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: “SEC. 17. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE UNIT. “(a) Establishment.— The Administrator shall establish a technical assistance unit to perform the duties described in subsection (b). “(b) Duties.— The technical assistance unit established under subsection (a) shall— “(1) provide advice and guidance to electric and telephone borrowers under this Act concerning the effective and prudent use by such borrowers of the investment authority under section 312 to promote rural development; “(2) provide technical advice, troubleshooting, and guidance concerning the operation of programs or systems that receive assistance under this Act; 104 STAT. 4028 “(3) establish and administer various pilot projects through electric and telephone borrowers that the Administrator determines are useful or necessary, and recommend specific rural development projects for rural areas; “(4) act as an information clearinghouse (using, to the extent practicable, the resources of the National Agricultural Library) and conduit to provide information to electric and telephone borrowers under this Act concerning useful and effective rural development efforts that such borrowers may wish to apply in their areas of operation and concerning State, regional, or local plans for long-term rural economic development; “(5) provide information to electric and telephone borrowers under this Act concerning the eligibility of such borrowers to apply for financial assistance, loans, or grants from other Federal agencies and non-Federal sources to enable such borrowers to expand their rural development efforts; and “(6) promote local partnerships and other coordination between borrowers under this Act and community organizations, States, counties, or other entities, to improve rural development. “(c) Funding.— Not less than 2 percent of the salaries and expenses of the Rural Electrification Administration shall be made available during each fiscal year to the technical assistance unit established under this section.”.