SEC. 2. TYPES OF ASSISTANCE.
(a) LOAN PROGRAM.—Section 603(d)(1) of the Fed-
eral Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1383(d)(1))
is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (A) by inserting after ‘‘20
years’’ the following: ‘‘and at terms not to exceed 40
years in the case of loans to economically distressed
rural communities’’;
(2) in subparagraph (B) by inserting after ‘‘1
year’’ the following: ‘‘and not later than 3 years in
the case of loans to economically distressed rural
communities’’;
(3) in subparagraph (B) by inserting after ‘‘20
years’’ the following: ‘‘and at terms not to exceed 40
years in the case of loans to economically distressed
rural communities’’; and
(4) by redesignating subparagraphs (C) and
(D) as subparagraphs (D) and (E), respectively, and
inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
‘‘(C) not less than 15 percent of amounts
deposited in the fund after the date of the en-
actment of this subparagraph will be used to
make loans to economically distressed rural
communities;’’.
(b) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—Section 603(d) of
such Act is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph
(6);
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (7) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(8) for providing technical assistance to eco-
nomically distressed rural communities in the oper-
ation, management, and maintenance of waste water
treatment works, including—
‘‘(A) the provision of information and
guidance with respect to financial management,
user fee analysis, budgeting, capital improve-
ment planning, and development of funding
applications;
‘‘(B) the provision of information and
guidance with respect to facility operation and
maintenance requirements, repair schedules,
and other activities necessary to improve treat-
ment plant operations;
‘‘(C) the provision of information and
guidance on management restructuring, includ-
ing physical consolidation, shared use of equip-
ment, and staff functions; and
‘‘(D) the provision of assistance in identi-
fying and evaluating appropriate technologies,
associated management and maintenance costs,
and least cost options;
except that amounts available for providing such
technical assistance shall not exceed 1.5 percent of
all grant awards made after the date of the enact-
ment of this paragraph to such fund under this
title.’’.
(c) DEFINITION.—Section 603 of such Act is further
amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘(i) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this title, the
following definitions apply:
‘‘(1) ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED RURAL COM-
MUNITY.—The term ‘economically distressed rural
community’ means a rural community—
‘‘(A) in which the median household in-
come of the residents of such community is less
than 75 percent of the median statewide
nonmetropolitan household income, as deter-
mined by the latest decennial census of the
United States; or
‘‘(B) in which the rate of poverty for the
residents of such community is greater than the
national poverty rate, as determined annually
by the Office of Management and Budget.
‘‘(2) RURAL
COMMUNITY.—The term ‘rural
community’ means a community which is located in
a nonmetropolitan county and which has a popu-
lation of 3,500 individuals or less, as determined by
the latest decennial census of the United States.’’.
SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.
Section 603(d)(7) of the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1382(d)(7)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘4 percent’’ and inserting ‘‘4.5 percent’’.
SEC. 4. INTENDED USE PLAN.
Section 606(c) of the Federal Water Pollution Con-
trol Act (33 U.S.C. 1386(c)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph
(4);
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (5) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(6) the criteria used to evaluate loan repay-
ment affordability and to determine loan interest
rates.’’.
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