Rural Business—Cooperative Service

Rural Business—Cooperative Service RURAL BUSINESS PROGRAM ACCOUNT (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS) For the cost of direct loans, loan guarantees, and grants, for the rural business development programs authorized by sections 306 and 310B and described in section 310B(f) and 381E(d)(3) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, $87,700,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That of the amount appropriated under this heading, 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 and $3,000,000 shall be for grants to the Delta Regional Authority (7 U.S.C. 1921 et seq.) for any Rural Community Advancement Program purpose as described in section 381E(d) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, of which not more than 5 percent may be used for administrative expenses: Provided further, That $4,000,000 of the amount appropriated under this heading shall be for business grants to 121 STAT. 1865 benefit Federally Recognized Native American Tribes, including $250,000 for a grant to a qualified national organization to provide technical assistance for rural transportation in order to promote economic development: Provided further, That not to exceed $8,300,000 of the amount appropriated under this heading shall be available through June 30, 2008, for authorized empowerment zones and enterprise communities and communities designated by the Secretary of Agriculture as Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones for the rural business and cooperative development programs described in section 381E(d)(3) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act: Provided further, That section 381E–H and 381N of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act are not applicable to funds made available under this heading: Provided further, That any prior balances in the Rural Development, Rural Community Advancement Program account for programs authorized by sections 306 and 310B and described in section 310B(f) and 381E(d)(3) of such Act be transferred and merged with this account and any other prior balances from the Rural Development, Rural Community Advancement Program account that the Secretary determines is appropriate to transfer. rural development loan fund program account (including transfer of funds) For the principal amount of direct loans, as authorized by the Rural Development Loan Fund (42 U.S.C. 9812(a)), $33,772,000. For the cost of direct loans, $14,485,000, as authorized by the Rural Development Loan Fund (42 U.S.C. 9812(a)), of which $1,724,000 shall be available through June 30, 2008, for Federally Recognized Native American Tribes and of which $3,449,000 shall be available through June 30, 2008, for Mississippi Delta Region counties (as determined in accordance with Public Law 100–460): Provided, That such costs, including the cost of modifying such loans, shall be as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Provided further, That of the total amount appropriated, $880,000 shall be available through June 30, 2008, for the cost of direct loans for authorized empowerment zones and enterprise communities and communities designated by the Secretary of Agriculture as Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones. In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out the direct loan programs, $4,774,000 shall be transferred to and merged with the appropriation for “Rural Development, Salaries and Expenses”. Rural Economic Development Loans Program Account (including rescission of funds) For the principal amount of direct loans, as authorized under section 313 of the Rural Electrification Act, for the purpose of promoting rural economic development and job creation projects, $33,077,000. Of the funds derived from interest on the cushion of credit payments, as authorized by section 313 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, $34,000,000 shall not be obligated and $34,000,000 are rescinded.121 STAT. 1866 rural cooperative development grants For rural cooperative development grants authorized under section 310B(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932), $28,023,000, of which $495,000 shall be for a cooperative research agreement with a qualified academic institution to conduct research on the national economic impact of all types of cooperatives; and of which $2,600,000 shall be for cooperative agreements for the appropriate technology transfer for rural areas program: Provided, That not to exceed $1,473,000 shall be for cooperatives or associations of cooperatives whose primary focus is to provide assistance to small, minority producers and whose governing board and/or membership is comprised of at least 75 percent minority; and of which $19,000,000, to remain available until expended, shall be for value-added agricultural product market development grants, as authorized by section 6401 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 1621 note). Rural Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities Grants For grants in connection with empowerment zones and enterprise communities, $8,187,000, to remain available until expended, for designated rural empowerment zones and rural enterprise communities, as authorized by the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 and the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999 (Public Law 105–277): Provided, That the funds provided under this paragraph shall be made available to empowerment zones and enterprise communities in a manner and with the same priorities such funds were made available during the 2007 fiscal year. Renewable Energy Program For the cost of a program of direct loans, loan guarantees, and grants, under the same terms and conditions as authorized by section 9006 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8106), $36,000,000: Provided, That the cost of direct loans and loan guarantees, including the cost of modifying such loans, shall be as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.