Cooperating Colleges and Universities.—

Sec. 504. Cooperating Colleges and Universities.— (a) Each of the programs authorized by this title shall be organized and conducted by one or more colleges or universities in each State so as to provide a coordinated program in each State. (b) To assure national coordination with programs under the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 and the Hatch Act (as amended, August 11, 1955), administration of each State program shall be a responsibility of the institution or university accepting the benefits of the Morrill Act of 1862 (12 Stat. 503) as amended. Such administration shall be hi association with the programs conducted under the Smith-Lever Act and the Hatch Act. The Secretary shall pay funds available to each State to said institution or university. (c) All private and publicly supported colleges and universities in a State including the land-grant colleges of 1890 (26 Stat, 417) shall be eligible to conduct or participate in conducting programs authorized under this title. Officials at universities or colleges other than those responsible for administering programs authorized by this title who wish to participate in these programs shall submit program proposals to the university officials responsible for administering these programs and they shall be responsible for approval of said proposals. (d) The university in each State responsible for administering the program authorized by this title shall designate an official who shall be responsible for programs authorized by each part of section 502 and an official who shall be responsible for the overall coordination of said programs. (e) The chief administrative officer of the university in each State responsible for administering the program authorized by this title shall appoint a State Rural Development Advisory Council, consisting of not more than fifteen members. The administrative head of agriculture of that university shall serve as chairman. The administrative head of a principal school of engineering in the State shall be a member. There shall be at least ten additional members who shall include persons representing farmers, business, labor, banking, local government, multicounty planning and development districts, public and private colleges and Federal and State agencies involved in rural development. It shall be the function of the Council to review and approve annual program plans conducted under this title and to advise the chief administrative officer of the university on matters pertaining to the program authorized.