COMMUNITY FACILITIES GRANT PROGRAM FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES WITH EXTREME UNEMPLOYMENT AND SEVERE ECONOMIC DEPRESSION.

SEC. 304. COMMUNITY FACILITIES GRANT PROGRAM FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES WITH EXTREME UNEMPLOYMENT AND SEVERE ECONOMIC DEPRESSION. (a) In General.—Section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following: “(20) Community facilities grant program for rural communities with extreme unemployment and severe economic depression.— “(A) Definition of not employed rate.—In this paragraph, the term ‘not employed rate’, with respect to a community, means the percentage of individuals over the age of 18 who reside within the community and who are ready, willing, and able to be employed but are unable to find employment, as determined by the department of labor of the State in which the community is located. “(B) Grant authority.—The Secretary may make grants to associations, units of general local government, nonprofit corporations, and Indian tribes (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b)) in a State to provide the Federal share of the cost of developing specific essential community facilities in rural communities with respect to which the not employed rate is greater than the lesser of— “(i) 500 percent of the average national unemployment rate on the date of the enactment of this paragraph, as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics; or “(ii) 200 percent of the average national unemployment rate during the Great Depression, as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “(C) Federal share.—Paragraph (19)(B) shall apply to a grant made under this paragraph. 114 STAT. 2071 “(D) Authorization of appropriations.—There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this paragraph $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2001 and such sums as are necessary for each subsequent fiscal year, of which not more than 5 percent of the amount made available for a fiscal year shall be available for community planning and implementation.”. (b) Conforming Amendment.—Section 381E(d)(1)(B) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2009d(d)(1)(B)) is amended by striking “section 306(a)(19)” and inserting “paragraph (19) or (20) of section 306(a)”.