Office of the Under Secretary for Rural Development

Office of the Under Secretary for Rural Development For necessary salaries and expenses of the Office of the Under Secretary for Rural Development to administer programs under the laws enacted by the Congress for the Rural Housing Service, the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and the Rural Utilities Service, $635,000.119 STAT. 2136 Rural Community Advancement Program (including transfers of funds) For the cost of direct loans, loan guarantees, and grants, as authorized by 7 U.S.C. 1926, 1926a, 1926c, 1926d, and 1932, except for sections 381E–H and 381N of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, $701,941,000, to remain available until expended, of which $82,620,000 shall be for rural community programs described in section 381E(d)(1) of such Act; of which $530,100,000 shall be for the rural utilities programs described in sections 381E(d)(2), 306C(a)(2), and 306D of such Act, of which not to exceed $500,000 shall be available for the rural utilities program described in section 306(a)(2)(B) of such Act, and of which not to exceed $1,000,000 shall be available for the rural utilities program described in section 306E of such Act; and of which $89,221,000 shall be for the rural business and cooperative development programs described in sections 381E(d)(3) and 310B(f) of such Act: Provided, That of the total amount appropriated in this account, $25,000,000 shall be for loans and grants to benefit Federally Recognized Native American Tribes, including grants for drinking water and waste disposal systems pursuant to section 306C of such Act, of which $4,464,000 shall be available for community facilities grants to tribal colleges, as authorized by section 306(a)(19) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, and of which $250,000 shall be available for a grant to a qualified national organization to provide technical assistance for rural transportation in order to promote economic development: Provided further, That of the amount appropriated for rural community programs, $6,350,000 shall be available for a Rural Community Development Initiative: Provided further, That such funds shall be used solely to develop the capacity and ability of private, nonprofit community-based housing and community development organizations, low-income rural communities, and Federally Recognized Native American Tribes to undertake projects to improve housing, community facilities, community and economic development projects in rural areas: Provided further, That such funds shall be made available to qualified private, nonprofit and public intermediary organizations proposing to carry out a program of financial and technical assistance: Provided further, That such intermediary organizations shall provide matching funds from other sources, including Federal funds for related activities, in an amount not less than funds provided: Provided further, That of the amount appropriated for the rural business and cooperative development programs, not to exceed $500,000 shall be made available for a grant to a qualified national organization to provide technical assistance for rural transportation in order to promote economic development; $2,000,000 shall be for grants to the Delta Regional Authority (7 U.S.C. 1921 et seq.) for any purpose under this heading: Provided further, That of the amount appropriated for rural utilities programs, not to exceed $25,000,000 shall be for water and waste disposal systems to benefit the Colonias along the United States/Mexico border, including grants pursuant to section 306C of such Act; $25,000,000 shall be for water and waste disposal systems for rural and native villages in Alaska pursuant to section 306D of such Act, with up to 2 percent available to administer the program and/or improve interagency coordination may be transferred to and merged with the appropriation for “Rural Development, Salaries and Expenses”, of 119 STAT. 2137 which $100,000 shall be provided to develop a regional system for centralized billing, operation, and management of rural water and sewer utilities through regional cooperatives, of which 25 percent shall be provided for water and sewer projects in regional hubs, and the State of Alaska shall provide a 25 percent cost share, and grantees may use up to 5 percent of grant funds, not to exceed $35,000 per community, for the completion of comprehensive community safe water plans; not to exceed $18,250,000 shall be for technical assistance grants for rural water and waste systems pursuant to section 306(a)(14) of such Act, unless the Secretary makes a determination of extreme need, of which $5,600,000 shall be for Rural Community Assistance Programs and not less than $850,000 shall be for a qualified national Native American organization to provide technical assistance for rural water systems for tribal communities; and not to exceed $13,750,000 shall be for contracting with qualified national organizations for a circuit rider program to provide technical assistance for rural water systems: Provided further, That of the total amount appropriated, not to exceed $21,367,000 shall be available through June 30, 2006, for authorized empowerment zones and enterprise communities and communities designated by the Secretary of Agriculture as Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones; of which $1,067,000 shall be for the rural community programs described in section 381E(d)(1) of such Act, of which $12,000,000 shall be for the rural utilities programs described in section 381E(d)(2) of such Act, and of which $8,300,000 shall be for the rural business and cooperative development programs described in section 381E(d)(3) of such Act: Provided further, That of the amount appropriated for rural community programs, $18,000,000 shall be to provide grants for facilities in rural communities with extreme unemployment and severe economic depression (Public Law 106–387), with 5 percent for administration and capacity building in the State rural development offices: Provided further, That of the amount appropriated, $26,000,000 shall be transferred to and merged with the “Rural Utilities Service, High Energy Cost Grants Account” to provide grants authorized under section 19 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 918a): Provided further, That any prior year balances for high cost energy grants authorized by section 19 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 901(19)) shall be transferred to and merged with the “Rural Utilities Service, High Energy Costs Grants Account”.