H. R. 2419—265 
‘‘(10) FEDERAL STATUS.—For purposes of Federal law, a 
member of the National Board shall be considered a special 
Government employee (as defined in section 202(a) of title 
18, United States Code). 
‘‘(f) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—The Secretary, on a reimburs-
able basis from funds made available under section 385H, may 
provide such administrative support to the National Board as the 
Secretary determines is necessary. 
‘‘SEC. 385D. REGIONAL RURAL INVESTMENT BOARDS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—A Regional Rural Investment Board shall 
be a multijurisdictional and multisectoral group that— 
‘‘(1) represents the long-term economic, community, and 
cultural interests of a region; 
‘‘(2) is certified by the Secretary to establish a rural invest-
ment strategy and compete for regional innovation grants; 
‘‘(3) is composed of residents of a region that are broadly 
representative of diverse public, nonprofit, and private sector 
interests in investment in the region, including (to the max-
imum extent practicable) representatives of— 
‘‘(A) units of local, multijurisdictional, or State govern-
ment, including not more than 1 representative from each 
State in the region; 
‘‘(B) nonprofit community-based development organiza-
tions, including community development financial institu-
tions and community development corporations; 
‘‘(C) agricultural, natural resource, and other asset- 
based related industries; 
‘‘(D) in the case of regions with federally recognized 
Indian tribes, Indian tribes; 
‘‘(E) regional development organizations; 
‘‘(F) private business organizations, including chambers 
of commerce; 
‘‘(G)(i) institutions of higher education (as defined in 
section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1001(a))); 
‘‘(ii) tribally controlled colleges or universities (as 
defined in section 2(a) of Tribally Controlled College or 
University Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801(a))); 
and 
‘‘(iii) tribal technical institutions; 
‘‘(H) workforce and job training organizations; 
‘‘(I) other entities and organizations, as determined 
by the Regional Board; 
‘‘(J) cooperatives; and 
‘‘(K) consortia of entities and organizations described 
in subparagraphs (A) through (J); 
‘‘(4) represents a region inhabited by— 
‘‘(A) more than 25,000 individuals, as determined in 
the latest available decennial census conducted under sec-
tion 141(a) of title 13, United States Code; or 
‘‘(B) in the case of a region with a population density 
of less than 2 individuals per square mile, at least 10,000 
individuals, as determined in that latest available decen-
nial census; 
‘‘(5) has a membership of which not less than 25 percent, 
nor more than 40 percent, represents—
H. R. 2419—266 
‘‘(A) units of local government and Indian tribes 
described in subparagraphs (A) and (D) of paragraph (3); 
‘‘(B) nonprofit community and economic development 
organizations and institutions of higher education described 
in subparagraphs (B) and (G) of paragraph (3); or 
‘‘(C) private business (including chambers of commerce 
and cooperatives) and agricultural, natural resource, and 
other asset-based related industries described in subpara-
graphs (C) and (F) of paragraph (3); 
‘‘(6) has a membership that may include an officer or 
employee of a Federal agency, serving as an ex-officio, nonvoting 
member of the Regional Board to represent the agency; and 
‘‘(7) has organizational documents that demonstrate that 
the Regional Board will— 
‘‘(A) create a collaborative public-private strategy 
process; 
‘‘(B) develop, and submit to the Secretary for approval, 
a regional investment strategy that meets the requirements 
of section 385E, with benchmarks— 
‘‘(i) to promote investment in rural areas through 
the use of grants made available under this subtitle; 
and 
‘‘(ii) to provide financial and technical assistance 
to promote a broad-based regional development pro-
gram aimed at increasing and diversifying economic 
growth, improved community facilities, and improved 
quality of life; 
‘‘(C) implement the approved regional investment 
strategy; 
‘‘(D) provide annual reports to the Secretary and the 
National Board on progress made in achieving the bench-
marks of the regional investment strategy, including an 
annual financial statement; and 
‘‘(E) select a non-Federal organization (such as a 
regional development organization) in the local area served 
by the Regional Board that has previous experience in 
the management of Federal funds to serve as fiscal man-
ager of any funds of the Regional Board. 
‘‘(b) URBAN AREAS.—A resident of an urban area may serve 
as an ex-officio member of a Regional Board. 
‘‘(c) DUTIES.—A Regional Board shall— 
‘‘(1) create a collaborative planning process for public-pri-
vate investment within a region; 
‘‘(2) develop, and submit to the Secretary for approval, 
a regional investment strategy; 
‘‘(3) develop approaches that will create permanent 
resources for philanthropic giving in the region, to the max-
imum extent practicable; 
‘‘(4) implement an approved strategy; and 
‘‘(5) provide annual reports to the Secretary and the 
National Board on progress made in achieving the strategy, 
including an annual financial statement.
H. R. 2419—267 
‘‘SEC. 385E. REGIONAL INVESTMENT STRATEGY GRANTS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make regional invest-
ment strategy grants available to Regional Boards for use in devel-
oping, implementing, and maintaining regional investment strate-
gies. 
‘‘(b) REGIONAL INVESTMENT STRATEGY.—A regional investment 
strategy shall provide— 
‘‘(1) an assessment of the competitive advantage of a region, 
including— 
‘‘(A) an analysis of the economic conditions of the 
region; 
‘‘(B) an assessment of the current economic perform-
ance of the region; 
‘‘(C) an overview of the population, geography, 
workforce, transportation system, resources, environment, 
and infrastructure needs of the region; and 
‘‘(D) such other pertinent information as the Secretary 
may request; 
‘‘(2) an analysis of regional economic and community 
development challenges and opportunities, including— 
‘‘(A) incorporation of relevant material from other 
government-sponsored or supported plans and consistency 
with applicable State, regional, and local workforce invest-
ment strategies or comprehensive economic development 
plans; and 
‘‘(B) an identification of past, present, and projected 
Federal and State economic and community development 
investments in the region; 
‘‘(3) a section describing goals and objectives necessary 
to solve regional competitiveness challenges and meet the 
potential of the region; 
‘‘(4) an overview of resources available in the region for 
use in— 
‘‘(A) establishing regional goals and objectives; 
‘‘(B) developing and implementing a regional action 
strategy; 
‘‘(C) identifying investment priorities and funding 
sources; and 
‘‘(D) identifying lead organizations to execute portions 
of the strategy; 
‘‘(5) an analysis of the current state of collaborative public, 
private, and nonprofit participation and investment, and of 
the strategic roles of public, private, and nonprofit entities 
in the development and implementation of the regional invest-
ment strategy; 
‘‘(6) a section identifying and prioritizing vital projects, 
programs, and activities for consideration by the Secretary, 
including— 
‘‘(A) other potential funding sources; and 
‘‘(B) recommendations for leveraging past and potential 
investments; 
‘‘(7) a plan of action to implement the goals and objectives 
of the regional investment strategy; 
‘‘(8) a list of performance measures to be used to evaluate 
implementation of the regional investment strategy, including—
H. R. 2419—268 
‘‘(A) the number and quality of jobs, including self- 
employment, created during implementation of the regional 
rural investment strategy; 
‘‘(B) the number and types of investments made in 
the region; 
‘‘(C) the growth in public, private, and nonprofit invest-
ment in the human, community, and economic assets of 
the region; 
‘‘(D) changes in per capita income and the rate of 
unemployment; and 
‘‘(E) other changes in the economic environment of 
the region; 
‘‘(9) a section outlining the methodology for use in inte-
grating the regional investment strategy with the economic 
priorities of the State; and 
‘‘(10) such other information as the Secretary determines 
to be appropriate. 
‘‘(c) MAXIMUM AMOUNT
OF GRANT.—A regional investment 
strategy grant shall not exceed $150,000. 
‘‘(d) COST SHARING.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), of the share 
of the costs of developing, maintaining, evaluating, imple-
menting, and reporting with respect to a regional investment 
strategy funded by a grant under this section— 
‘‘(A) not more than 40 percent may be paid using 
funds from the grant; and 
‘‘(B) the remaining share shall be provided by the 
applicable Regional Board or other eligible grantee. 
‘‘(2) FORM.—A Regional Board or other eligible grantee 
shall pay the share described in paragraph (1)(B) in the form 
of cash, services, materials, or other in-kind contributions, on 
the condition that not more than 50 percent of that share 
is provided in the form of services, materials, and other in- 
kind contributions. 
‘‘SEC. 385F. REGIONAL INNOVATION GRANTS PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide, on a 
competitive basis, regional innovation grants to Regional 
Boards for use in implementing projects and initiatives that 
are identified in a regional rural investment strategy approved 
under section 385E. 
‘‘(2) TIMING.—After October 1, 2008, the Secretary shall 
provide awards under this section on a quarterly funding cycle. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a regional innovation 
grant, a Regional Board shall demonstrate to the Secretary that— 
‘‘(1) the regional rural investment strategy of a Regional 
Board has been reviewed by the National Board prior to 
approval by the Secretary; 
‘‘(2) the management and organizational structure of the 
Regional Board is sufficient to oversee grant projects, including 
management of Federal funds; and 
‘‘(3) the Regional Board has a plan to achieve, to the 
maximum extent practicable, the performance-based bench-
marks of the project in the regional rural investment strategy. 
‘‘(c) LIMITATIONS.—
H. R. 2419—269 
‘‘(1) AMOUNT RECEIVED.—A Regional Board may not receive 
more than $6,000,000 in regional innovation grants under this 
section during any 5-year period. 
‘‘(2) DETERMINATION
OF
AMOUNT.—The Secretary shall 
determine the amount of a regional innovation grant based 
on— 
‘‘(A) the needs of the region being addressed by the 
applicable regional rural investment strategy consistent 
with the purposes described in subsection (f)(2); and 
‘‘(B) the size of the geographical area of the region. 
‘‘(3) GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY.—The Secretary shall ensure 
that not more than 10 percent of funding made available under 
this section is provided to Regional Boards in any State. 
‘‘(d) COST-SHARING.— 
‘‘(1) LIMITATION.—Subject to paragraph (2), the amount 
of a grant made under this section shall not exceed 50 percent 
of the cost of the project. 
‘‘(2) WAIVER OF GRANTEE SHARE.—The Secretary may waive 
the limitation in paragraph (1) under special circumstances, 
as determined by the Secretary, including— 
‘‘(A) a sudden or severe economic dislocation; 
‘‘(B) significant chronic unemployment or poverty; 
‘‘(C) a natural disaster; or 
‘‘(D) other severe economic, social, or cultural duress. 
‘‘(3) OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE.—For the purpose of deter-
mining cost-share limitations for any other Federal program, 
funds provided under this section shall be considered to be 
non-Federal funds. 
‘‘(e) PREFERENCES.—In providing regional innovation grants 
under this section, the Secretary shall give— 
‘‘(1) a high priority to strategies that demonstrate signifi-
cant leverage of capital and quality job creation; and 
‘‘(2) a preference to an application proposing projects and 
initiatives that would— 
‘‘(A) advance the overall regional competitiveness of 
a region; 
‘‘(B) address the priorities of a regional rural invest-
ment strategy, including priorities that— 
‘‘(i) promote cross-sector collaboration, public-pri-
vate partnerships, or the provision of interim financing 
or seed capital for program implementation; 
‘‘(ii) 
exhibit 
collaborative 
innovation 
and 
entrepreneurship, particularly within a public-private 
partnership; and 
‘‘(iii) represent a broad coalition of interests 
described in section 385D(a); 
‘‘(C) include a strategy to leverage public non-Federal 
and private funds and existing assets, including agricul-
tural, natural resource, and public infrastructure assets, 
with substantial emphasis placed on the existence of real 
financial commitments to leverage available funds; 
‘‘(D) create quality jobs; 
‘‘(E) enhance the role, relevance, and leveraging poten-
tial of community and regional foundations in support of 
regional investment strategies;
H. R. 2419—270 
‘‘(F) demonstrate a history, or involve organizations 
with a history, of successful leveraging of capital for eco-
nomic development and public purposes; 
‘‘(G) address gaps in existing basic services, including 
technology, within a region; 
‘‘(H) address economic diversification, including agri-
cultural and non-agriculturally based economies, within 
a regional framework; 
‘‘(I) improve the overall quality of life in the region; 
‘‘(J) enhance the potential to expand economic develop-
ment successes across diverse stakeholder groups within 
the region; 
‘‘(K) include an effective working relationship with 1 
or more institutions of higher education, tribally controlled 
colleges or universities, or tribal technical institutions; 
‘‘(L) help to meet the other regional competitiveness 
needs identified by a Regional Board; or 
‘‘(M) protect and promote rural heritage. 
‘‘(f) USES.— 
‘‘(1) LEVERAGE.—A Regional Board shall prioritize projects 
and initiatives carried out using funds from a regional innova-
tion grant provided under this section, based in part on the 
degree to which members of the Regional Board are able to 
leverage additional funds for the implementation of the projects. 
‘‘(2) PURPOSES.—A Regional Board may use a regional 
innovation grant— 
‘‘(A) to support the development of critical infrastruc-
ture (including technology deployment and services) nec-
essary to facilitate the competitiveness of a region; 
‘‘(B) to provide assistance to entities within the region 
that provide essential public and community services; 
‘‘(C) to enhance the value-added production, marketing, 
and use of agricultural and natural resources within the 
region, including activities relating to renewable and alter-
native energy production and usage; 
‘‘(D) to assist with entrepreneurship, job training, 
workforce development, housing, educational, or other 
quality of life services or needs, relating to the development 
and maintenance of strong local and regional economies; 
‘‘(E) to assist in the development of unique new 
collaborations that link public, private, and philanthropic 
resources, including community foundations; 
‘‘(F) to provide support for business and entrepre-
neurial investment, strategy, expansion, and development, 
including feasibility strategies, technical assistance, peer 
networks, business development funds, and other activities 
to strengthen the economic competitiveness of the region; 
‘‘(G) to provide matching funds to enable community 
foundations located within the region to build endowments 
which provide permanent philanthropic resources to imple-
ment a regional investment strategy; and 
‘‘(H) to preserve and promote rural heritage. 
‘‘(3) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—The funds made available 
to a Regional Board or any other eligible grantee through 
a regional innovation grant shall remain available for the 7- 
year period beginning on the date on which the award is 
provided, on the condition that the Regional Board or other
H. R. 2419—271 
grantee continues to be certified by the Secretary as making 
adequate progress toward achieving established benchmarks. 
‘‘(g) COST SHARING.— 
‘‘(1) WAIVER OF GRANTEE SHARE.—The Secretary may waive 
the share of a grantee of the costs of a project funded by 
a regional innovation grant under this section if the Secretary 
determines that such a waiver is appropriate, including with 
respect to special circumstances within tribal regions, in the 
event an area experiences— 
‘‘(A) a sudden or severe economic dislocation; 
‘‘(B) significant chronic unemployment or poverty; 
‘‘(C) a natural disaster; or 
‘‘(D) other severe economic, social, or cultural duress. 
‘‘(2) OTHER FEDERAL PROGRAMS.—For the purpose of deter-
mining cost-sharing requirements for any other Federal pro-
gram, funds provided as a regional innovation grant under 
this section shall be considered to be non-Federal funds. 
‘‘(h) NONCOMPLIANCE.—If a Regional Board or other eligible 
grantee fails to comply with any requirement relating to the use 
of funds provided under this section, the Secretary may— 
‘‘(1) take such actions as are necessary to obtain reimburse-
ment of unused grant funds; and 
‘‘(2) reprogram the recaptured funds for purposes relating 
to implementation of this subtitle. 
‘‘(i) PRIORITY TO AREAS WITH AWARDS AND APPROVED STRATE-
GIES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (3), in providing 
rural development assistance under other programs, the Sec-
retary shall give a high priority to areas that receive innovation 
grants under this section. 
‘‘(2) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall consult with the 
heads of other Federal agencies to promote the development 
of priorities similar to those described in paragraph (1). 
‘‘(3) EXCLUSION
OF
CERTAIN
PROGRAMS.—Paragraph (1) 
shall not apply to the provision of rural development assistance 
under any program relating to basic health, safety, or infra-
structure, including broadband deployment or minimum 
environmental needs. 
‘‘SEC. 385G. RURAL ENDOWMENT LOANS PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may provide long-term loans 
to eligible community foundations to assist in the implementation 
of regional investment strategies. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS.—To be eligible to 
receive a loan under this section, a community foundation shall— 
‘‘(1) be located in an area that is covered by a regional 
investment strategy; 
‘‘(2) match the amount of the loan with an amount that 
is at least 250 percent of the amount of the loan; and 
‘‘(3) use the loan and the matching amount to carry out 
the regional investment strategy in a manner that is targeted 
to community and economic development, including through 
the development of community foundation endowments. 
‘‘(c) TERMS.—A loan made under this section shall— 
‘‘(1) have a term of not less than 10, nor more than 20, 
years; 
‘‘(2) bear an interest rate of 1 percent per annum; and
H. R. 2419—272 
‘‘(3) be subject to such other terms and conditions as are 
determined appropriate by the Secretary. 
‘‘SEC. 385H. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
subtitle $135,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2009 through 
2012.’’. 
SEC. 6029. FUNDING OF PENDING RURAL DEVELOPMENT LOAN AND 
GRANT APPLICATIONS. 
(a) DEFINITION
OF APPLICATION.—In this section, the term 
‘‘application’’ does not include an application for a loan or grant 
that, as of the date of enactment of this Act, is in the preapplication 
phase of consideration under regulations of the Secretary in effect 
on the date of enactment of this Act. 
(b) USE OF FUNDS.—Subject to subsection (c), the Secretary 
shall use funds made available under subsection (d) to provide 
funds for applications that are pending on the date of enactment 
of this Act for— 
(1) water or waste disposal grants or direct loans under 
paragraph (1) or (2) of section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm 
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)); and 
(2) emergency community water assistance grants under 
section 306A of that Act (7 U.S.C. 1926a). 
(c) LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) APPROPRIATED AMOUNTS.—Funds made available under 
this section shall be available to the Secretary to provide funds 
for applications for loans and grants described in subsection 
(b) that are pending on the date of enactment of this Act 
only to the extent that funds for the loans and grants appro-
priated in the annual appropriations Act for fiscal year 2007 
have been exhausted. 
(2) PROGRAM
REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary may use 
funds made available under this section to provide funds for 
a pending application for a loan or grant described in subsection 
(b) only if the Secretary processes, reviews, and approves the 
application in accordance with regulations in effect on the date 
of enactment of this Act. 
(3) PRIORITY.—In providing funding under this section for 
pending applications for loans or grants described in subsection 
(b), the Secretary shall provide funding in the following order 
of priority (until funds made available under this section are 
exhausted): 
(A) Pending applications for water systems. 
(B) Pending applications for waste disposal systems. 
(d) FUNDING.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, of 
the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall 
use to carry out this section $120,000,000, to remain available 
until expended.
H. R. 2419—273 
Subtitle B—Rural Electrification Act of 
1936 
SEC. 6101. ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS. 
Sections 2(a) and 4 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 
(7 U.S.C. 902(a), 904) are amended by inserting ‘‘efficiency and’’ 
before ‘‘conservation’’ each place it appears. 
SEC. 6102. REINSTATEMENT OF RURAL UTILITY SERVICES DIRECT 
LENDING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 4 of the Rural Electrification Act 
of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 904) is amended— 
(1) by designating the first, second, and third sentences 
as subsections (a), (b), and (d), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) (as so designated) the 
following: 
‘‘(c) DIRECT LOANS.— 
‘‘(1) DIRECT HARDSHIP LOANS.—Direct hardship loans under 
this section shall be for the same purposes and on the same 
terms and conditions as hardship loans made under section 
305(c)(1). 
‘‘(2) OTHER DIRECT LOANS.—All other direct loans under 
this section shall bear interest at a rate equal to the then 
current cost of money to the Government of the United States 
for loans of similar maturity, plus 1⁄8 of 1 percent.’’. 
(b) ELIMINATION OF FEDERAL FINANCING BANK GUARANTEED 
LOANS.—Section 306 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 
U.S.C. 936) is amended— 
(1) in the third sentence, by striking ‘‘guarantee, accommo-
dation, or subordination’’ and inserting ‘‘accommodation or 
subordination’’; and 
(2) by striking the fourth sentence. 
SEC. 6103. DEFERMENT OF PAYMENTS TO ALLOWS LOANS FOR 
IMPROVED ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND DEMAND REDUC-
TION AND FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND USE AUDITS. 
Section 12 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 
912) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) DEFERMENT OF PAYMENTS ON LOANS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall allow borrowers to 
defer payment of principal and interest on any direct loan 
made under this Act to enable the borrower to make loans 
to residential, commercial, and industrial consumers— 
‘‘(A) to conduct energy efficiency and use audits; and 
‘‘(B) to install energy efficient measures or devices 
that reduce the demand on electric systems. 
‘‘(2) AMOUNT.—The total amount of a deferment under 
this subsection shall not exceed the sum of the principal and 
interest on the loans made to a customer of the borrower, 
as determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(3) TERM.—The term of a deferment under this subsection 
shall not exceed 60 months.’’. 
SEC. 6104. RURAL ELECTRIFICATION ASSISTANCE. 
Section 13 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 
913) is amended to read as follows:
H. R. 2419—274 
‘‘SEC. 13. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this Act: 
‘‘(1) FARM.—The term ‘farm’ means a farm, as defined 
by the Bureau of the Census. 
‘‘(2) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘Indian tribe’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination 
and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b). 
‘‘(3) RURAL AREA.—Except as provided otherwise in this 
Act, the term ‘rural area’ means the farm and nonfarm popu-
lation of— 
‘‘(A) any area described in section 343(a)(13)(C) of the 
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 
1991(a)(13)(C)); and 
‘‘(B) any area within a service area of a borrower 
for which a borrower has an outstanding loan made under 
titles I through V as of the date of enactment of this 
paragraph. 
‘‘(4) TERRITORY.—The term ‘territory’ includes any insular 
possession of the United States. 
‘‘(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary 
of Agriculture.’’. 
SEC. 6105. SUBSTANTIALLY UNDERSERVED TRUST AREAS. 
The Rural Electrification Act of 1936 is amended by inserting 
after section 306E (7 U.S.C. 936e) the following: 
‘‘SEC. 306F. SUBSTANTIALLY UNDERSERVED TRUST AREAS. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE PROGRAM.—The term ‘eligible program’ means 
a program administered by the Rural Utilities Service and 
authorized in— 
‘‘(A) this Act; or 
‘‘(B) paragraph (1), (2), (14), (22), or (24) of section 
306(a) or section 306A, 306C, 306D, or 306E of the Consoli-
dated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a), 
1926a, 1926c, 1926d, 1926e). 
‘‘(2) SUBSTANTIALLY UNDERSERVED TRUST AREA.—The term 
‘substantially underserved trust area’ means a community in 
‘trust land’ (as defined in section 3765 of title 38, United 
States Code) with respect to which the Secretary determines 
has a high need for the benefits of an eligible program. 
‘‘(b) INITIATIVE.—The Secretary, in consultation with local 
governments and Federal agencies, may implement an initiative 
to identify and improve the availability of eligible programs in 
communities in substantially underserved trust areas. 
‘‘(c) AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY.—In carrying out subsection (b), 
the Secretary— 
‘‘(1) may make available from loan or loan guarantee pro-
grams administered by the Rural Utilities Service to qualified 
utilities or applicants financing with an interest rate as low 
as 2 percent, and with extended repayment terms; 
‘‘(2) may waive nonduplication restrictions, matching fund 
requirements, or credit support requirements from any loan 
or grant program administered by the Rural Utilities Service 
to facilitate the construction, acquisition, or improvement of 
infrastructure;
H. R. 2419—275 
‘‘(3) may give the highest funding priority to designated 
projects in substantially underserved trust areas; and 
‘‘(4) shall only make loans or loan guarantees that are 
found to be financially feasible and that provide eligible pro-
gram benefits to substantially underserved trust areas. 
‘‘(d) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this section and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit 
to Congress a report that describes— 
‘‘(1) the progress of the initiative implemented under sub-
section (b); and 
‘‘(2) recommendations for any regulatory or legislative 
changes that would be appropriate to improve services to 
substantially underserved trust areas.’’. 
SEC. 6106. GUARANTEES FOR BONDS AND NOTES ISSUED FOR ELEC-
TRIFICATION OR TELEPHONE PURPOSES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 313A of the Rural Electrification 
Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 940c–1) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘for electrification’’ 
and all that follows through the end and inserting ‘‘for 
eligible electrification or telephone purposes consistent with 
this Act.’’; and 
(B) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(4) ANNUAL
AMOUNT.—The total amount of guarantees 
provided by the Secretary under this section during a fiscal 
year shall not exceed $1,000,000,000, subject to the availability 
of funds under subsection (e).’’; 
(2) in subsection (c), by striking paragraphs (2) and (3) 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(2) AMOUNT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The amount of the annual fee paid 
for the guarantee of a bond or note under this section 
shall be equal to 30 basis points of the amount of the 
unpaid principal of the bond or note guaranteed under 
this section. 
‘‘(B) PROHIBITION.—Except as otherwise provided in 
this subsection and subsection (e)(2), no other fees shall 
be assessed. 
‘‘(3) PAYMENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A lender shall pay the fees required 
under this subsection on a semiannual basis. 
‘‘(B) STRUCTURED
SCHEDULE.—The Secretary shall, 
with the consent of the lender, structure the schedule for 
payment of the fee to ensure that sufficient funds are 
available to pay the subsidy costs for note or bond guaran-
tees as provided for in subsection (e)(2).’’; and 
(3) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘2007’’ and inserting ‘‘2012’’. 
(b) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary shall continue to carry 
out section 313A of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 
940c–1) in the same manner as on the day before the date of 
enactment of this Act, except without regard to the limitations 
prescribed in subsection (b)(1) of that section, until such time as 
any regulations necessary to carry out the amendments made by 
this section are fully implemented.
H. R. 2419—276 
SEC. 6107. EXPANSION OF 911 ACCESS. 
Section 315 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 
940e) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 315. EXPANSION OF 911 ACCESS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (c) and such terms 
and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe, the Secretary may 
make loans under this title to entities eligible to borrow from 
the Rural Utilities Service, State or local governments, Indian tribes 
(as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu-
cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b)), or other public entities 
for facilities and equipment to expand or improve in rural areas— 
‘‘(1) 911 access; 
‘‘(2) integrated interoperable emergency communications, 
including multiuse networks that provide commercial or 
transportation information services in addition to emergency 
communications services; 
‘‘(3) homeland security communications; 
‘‘(4) transportation safety communications; or 
‘‘(5) location technologies used outside an urbanized area. 
‘‘(b) LOAN
SECURITY.—Government-imposed fees related to 
emergency communications (including State or local 911 fees) may 
be considered to be security for a loan under this section. 
‘‘(c) EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT PROVIDERS.— 
The Secretary may make a loan under this section to an emergency 
communication equipment provider to expand or improve 911 access 
or other communications or technologies described in subsection 
(a) if the local government that has jurisdiction over the project 
is not allowed to acquire the debt resulting from the loan. 
‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—The Secretary shall 
use to make loans under this section any funds otherwise made 
available for telephone loans for each of fiscal years 2008 through 
2012.’’. 
SEC. 6108. ELECTRIC LOANS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY. 
Title III of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 is amended 
by inserting after section 316 (7 U.S.C. 940f) the following: 
‘‘SEC. 317. ELECTRIC LOANS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCE.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘renewable energy source’ means an energy conversion 
system fueled from a solar, wind, hydropower, biomass, or geo-
thermal source of energy. 
‘‘(b) LOANS.—In addition to any other funds or authorities other-
wise made available under this Act, the Secretary may make electric 
loans under this title for electric generation from renewable energy 
resources for resale to rural and nonrural residents. 
‘‘(c) RATE.—The rate of a loan under this section shall be 
equal to the average tax-exempt municipal bond rate of similar 
maturities.’’. 
SEC. 6109. BONDING REQUIREMENTS. 
Title III of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 is amended 
by inserting after section 317 (as added by section 6108) the fol-
lowing:
H. R. 2419—277 
‘‘SEC. 318. BONDING REQUIREMENTS. 
‘‘The Secretary shall review the bonding requirements for all 
programs administered by the Rural Utilities Service under this 
Act to ensure that bonds are not required if— 
‘‘(1) the interests of the Secretary are adequately protected 
by product warranties; or 
‘‘(2) the costs or conditions associated with a bond exceed 
the benefit of the bond.’’. 
SEC. 6110. ACCESS TO BROADBAND TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES 
IN RURAL AREAS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 601 of the Rural Electrification Act 
of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 601. ACCESS TO BROADBAND TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES 
IN RURAL AREAS. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to provide loans 
and loan guarantees to provide funds for the costs of the construc-
tion, improvement, and acquisition of facilities and equipment for 
broadband service in rural areas. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) BROADBAND SERVICE.—The term ‘broadband service’ 
means any technology identified by the Secretary as having 
the capacity to transmit data to enable a subscriber to the 
service to originate and receive high-quality voice, data, 
graphics, and video. 
‘‘(2) INCUMBENT SERVICE PROVIDER.—The term ‘incumbent 
service provider’, with respect to an application submitted under 
this section, means an entity that, as of the date of submission 
of the application, is providing broadband service to not less 
than 5 percent of the households in the service territory pro-
posed in the application. 
‘‘(3) RURAL AREA.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘rural area’ means any 
area other than— 
‘‘(i) an area described in clause (i) or (ii) of section 
343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)); and 
‘‘(ii) a city, town, or incorporated area that has 
a population of greater than 20,000 inhabitants. 
‘‘(B) URBAN
AREA
GROWTH.—The Secretary may, by 
regulation only, consider an area described in section 
343(a)(13)(F)(i)(I) of that Act to not be a rural area for 
purposes of this section. 
‘‘(c) LOANS AND LOAN GUARANTEES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make or guarantee 
loans to eligible entities described in subsection (d) to provide 
funds for the construction, improvement, or acquisition of facili-
ties and equipment for the provision of broadband service in 
rural areas. 
‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—In making or guaranteeing loans under 
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give the highest priority 
to applicants that offer to provide broadband service to the 
greatest proportion of households that, prior to the provision 
of the broadband service, had no incumbent service provider. 
‘‘(d) ELIGIBILITY.— 
‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—
H. R. 2419—278 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to obtain a loan or 
loan guarantee under this section, an entity shall— 
‘‘(i) demonstrate the ability to furnish, improve, 
or extend a broadband service to a rural area; 
‘‘(ii) submit to the Secretary a loan application 
at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary may require; and 
‘‘(iii) agree to complete buildout of the broadband 
service described in the loan application by not later 
than 3 years after the initial date on which proceeds 
from the loan made or guaranteed under this section 
are made available. 
‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—An eligible entity that provides tele-
communications or broadband service to at least 20 percent 
of the households in the United States may not receive 
an amount of funds under this section for a fiscal year 
in excess of 15 percent of the funds authorized and appro-
priated under subsection (k) for the fiscal year. 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Except as provided in subpara-
graphs (B) and (C), the proceeds of a loan made or guaran-
teed under this section may be used to carry out a project 
in a proposed service territory only if, as of the date on 
which the application for the loan or loan guarantee is 
submitted— 
‘‘(i) not less than 25 percent of the households 
in the proposed service territory is offered broadband 
service by not more than 1 incumbent service provider; 
and 
‘‘(ii) broadband service is not provided in any part 
of the proposed service territory by 3 or more incum-
bent service providers. 
‘‘(B) EXCEPTION
TO
PERCENT
REQUIREMENT.— 
Subparagraph (A)(i) shall not apply to the proposed service 
territory of a project if a loan or loan guarantee has been 
made under this section to the applicant to provide 
broadband service in the proposed service territory. 
‘‘(C) EXCEPTION
TO
OR
MORE
INCUMBENT
SERVICE 
PROVIDER REQUIREMENT.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—Except as provided in clause 
(ii), subparagraph (A)(ii) shall not apply to an incum-
bent service provider that is upgrading broadband 
service to the existing territory of the incumbent 
service provider. 
‘‘(ii) EXCEPTION.—Clause (i) shall not apply if the 
applicant is eligible for funding under another title 
of this Act. 
‘‘(3) EQUITY AND MARKET SURVEY REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may require an entity 
to provide a cost share in an amount not to exceed 10 
percent of the amount of the loan or loan guarantee 
requested in the application of the entity, unless the Sec-
retary determines that a higher percentage is required 
for financial feasibility. 
‘‘(B) MARKET SURVEY.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may require an 
entity that proposes to have a subscriber projection
H. R. 2419—279 
of more than 20 percent of the broadband service 
market in a rural area to submit to the Secretary 
a market survey. 
‘‘(ii) LESS THAN 20 PERCENT.—The Secretary may 
not require an entity that proposes to have a subscriber 
projection of less than 20 percent of the broadband 
service market in a rural area to submit to the Sec-
retary a market survey. 
‘‘(4) STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND INDIAN TRIBES.— 
Subject to paragraph (1), a State or local government (including 
any agency, subdivision, or instrumentality thereof (including 
consortia thereof)) and an Indian tribe shall be eligible for 
a loan or loan guarantee under this section to provide 
broadband services to a rural area. 
‘‘(5) NOTICE REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary shall publish 
a notice of each application for a loan or loan guarantee under 
this section describing the application, including— 
‘‘(A) the identity of the applicant; 
‘‘(B) each area proposed to be served by the applicant; 
and 
‘‘(C) the estimated number of households without 
terrestrial-based broadband service in those areas. 
‘‘(6) PAPERWORK
REDUCTION.—The Secretary shall take 
steps to reduce, to the maximum extent practicable, the cost 
and paperwork associated with applying for a loan or loan 
guarantee under this section by first-time applicants (particu-
larly first-time applicants who are small and start-up 
broadband service providers), including by providing for a new 
application that maintains the ability of the Secretary to make 
an analysis of the risk associated with the loan involved. 
‘‘(7) PREAPPLICATION PROCESS.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish a process under which a prospective applicant may seek 
a determination of area eligibility prior to preparing a loan 
application under this section. 
‘‘(e) BROADBAND SERVICE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, from time to time 
as advances in technology warrant, review and recommend 
modifications of rate-of-data transmission criteria for purposes 
of the identification of broadband service technologies under 
subsection (b)(1). 
‘‘(2) PROHIBITION.—The Secretary shall not establish 
requirements for bandwidth or speed that have the effect of 
precluding the use of evolving technologies appropriate for rural 
areas. 
‘‘(f) TECHNOLOGICAL NEUTRALITY.—For purposes of determining 
whether to make a loan or loan guarantee for a project under 
this section, the Secretary shall use criteria that are technologically 
neutral. 
‘‘(g) TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR LOANS AND LOAN GUARAN-
TEES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, a loan or loan guarantee under this section shall— 
‘‘(A) bear interest at an annual rate of, as determined 
by the Secretary— 
‘‘(i) in the case of a direct loan, a rate equivalent 
to—
H. R. 2419—280 
‘‘(I) the cost of borrowing to the Department 
of the Treasury for obligations of comparable matu-
rity; or 
‘‘(II) 4 percent; and 
‘‘(ii) in the case of a guaranteed loan, the current 
applicable market rate for a loan of comparable matu-
rity; and 
‘‘(B) have a term of such length, not exceeding 35 
years, as the borrower may request, if the Secretary deter-
mines that the loan is adequately secured. 
‘‘(2) TERM.—In determining the term of a loan or loan 
guarantee, the Secretary shall consider whether the recipient 
is or would be serving an area that is not receiving broadband 
services. 
‘‘(3) RECURRING REVENUE.—The Secretary shall consider 
the existing recurring revenues of the entity at the time of 
application in determining an adequate level of credit support. 
‘‘(h) ADEQUACY OF SECURITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall ensure that the type 
and amount of, and method of security used to secure, any 
loan or loan guarantee under this section is commensurate 
to the risk involved with the loan or loan guarantee, particu-
larly in any case in which the loan or loan guarantee is issued 
to a financially strong and stable entity, as determined by 
the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) DETERMINATION OF AMOUNT AND METHOD OF SECU-
RITY.—In determining the amount of, and method of security 
used to secure, a loan or loan guarantee under this section, 
the Secretary shall consider reducing the security in a rural 
area that does not have broadband service. 
‘‘(i) USE OF LOAN PROCEEDS TO REFINANCE LOANS FOR DEPLOY-
MENT OF BROADBAND SERVICE.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of this Act, the proceeds of any loan made or guaranteed 
by the Secretary under this Act may be used by the recipient 
of the loan for the purpose of refinancing an outstanding obligation 
of the recipient on another telecommunications loan made under 
this Act if the use of the proceeds for that purpose will support 
the construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equip-
ment for the provision of broadband service in rural areas. 
‘‘(j) REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, and annually 
thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report 
that describes the extent of participation in the loan and loan 
guarantee program under this section for the preceding fiscal year, 
including a description of — 
‘‘(1) the number of loans applied for and provided under 
this section; 
‘‘(2)(A) the communities proposed to be served in each 
loan application submitted for the fiscal year; and 
‘‘(B) the communities served by projects funded by loans 
and loan guarantees provided under this section; 
‘‘(3) the period of time required to approve each loan 
application under this section; 
‘‘(4) any outreach activities carried out by the Secretary 
to encourage entities in rural areas without broadband service 
to submit applications under this section;
H. R. 2419—281 
‘‘(5) the method by which the Secretary determines that 
a service enables a subscriber to originate and receive high- 
quality voice, data, graphics, and video for purposes of sub-
section (b)(1); and 
‘‘(6) each broadband service, including the type and speed 
of broadband service, for which assistance was sought, and 
each broadband service for which assistance was provided, 
under this section. 
‘‘(k) FUNDING.— 
‘‘(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is author-
ized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this 
section $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012, 
to remain available until expended. 
‘‘(2) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—From amounts made available for 
each fiscal year under this subsection, the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(i) establish a national reserve for loans and loan 
guarantees to eligible entities in States under this 
section; and 
‘‘(ii) allocate amounts in the reserve to each State 
for each fiscal year for loans and loan guarantees to 
eligible entities in the State. 
‘‘(B) AMOUNT.—The amount of an allocation made to 
a State for a fiscal year under subparagraph (A) shall 
bear the same ratio to the amount of allocations made 
for all States for the fiscal year as— 
‘‘(i) the number of communities with a population 
of 2,500 inhabitants or less in the State; bears to 
‘‘(ii) the number of communities with a population 
of 2,500 inhabitants or less in all States. 
‘‘(C) UNOBLIGATED
AMOUNTS.—Any amounts in the 
reserve established for a State for a fiscal year under 
subparagraph (B) that are not obligated by April 1 of 
the fiscal year shall be available to the Secretary to make 
loans and loan guarantees under this section to eligible 
entities in any State, as determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(l) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—No loan or loan guarantee 
may be made under this section after September 30, 2012.’’. 
(b) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary may implement the amend-
ment made by subsection (a) through the promulgation of an interim 
regulation. 
(c) APPLICATION.—The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
not apply to— 
(1) an application submitted under section 601 of the Rural 
Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb) (as it existed before 
the amendment made by subsection (a)) that— 
(A) was pending on the date that is 45 days prior 
to the date of enactment of this Act; and 
(B) is pending on the date of enactment of this Act; 
or 
(2) a petition for reconsideration of a decision on an applica-
tion described in paragraph (1). 
SEC. 6111. NATIONAL CENTER FOR RURAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS 
ASSESSMENT. 
Title VI of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 
950bb et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
H. R. 2419—282 
‘‘SEC. 602. NATIONAL CENTER FOR RURAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS 
ASSESSMENT. 
‘‘(a) DESIGNATION OF CENTER.—The Secretary shall designate 
an entity to serve as the National Center for Rural Telecommuni-
cations Assessment (referred to in this section as the ‘Center’). 
‘‘(b) CRITERIA.—In designating the Center under subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall take into consideration the following criteria: 
‘‘(1) The Center shall be an entity that demonstrates to 
the Secretary— 
‘‘(A) a focus on rural policy research; and 
‘‘(B) a minimum of 5 years of experience relating to 
rural telecommunications research and assessment. 
‘‘(2) The Center shall be capable of assessing broadband 
services in rural areas. 
‘‘(3) The Center shall have significant experience involving 
other rural economic development centers and organizations 
with respect to the assessment of rural policies and the formula-
tion of policy solutions at the Federal, State, and local levels. 
‘‘(c) BOARD OF DIRECTORS.—The Center shall be managed by 
a board of directors, which shall be responsible for the duties 
of the Center described in subsection (d). 
‘‘(d) DUTIES.—The Center shall— 
‘‘(1) assess the effectiveness of programs carried out under 
this title in increasing broadband penetration and purchase 
in rural areas, especially in rural communities identified by 
the Secretary as having no broadband service before the provi-
sion of a loan or loan guarantee under this title; 
‘‘(2) work with existing rural development centers selected 
by the Center to identify policies and initiatives at the Federal, 
State, and local levels that have increased broadband penetra-
tion and purchase in rural areas and provide recommendations 
to Federal, State, and local policymakers on effective strategies 
to bring affordable broadband services to residents of rural 
areas, particularly residents located outside of the municipal 
boundaries of a rural city or town; and 
‘‘(3) develop and publish reports describing the activities 
carried out by the Center under this section. 
‘‘(e) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—Not later than December 1 
of each applicable fiscal year, the board of directors of the Center 
shall submit to Congress and the Secretary a report describing 
the activities carried out by the Center during the preceding fiscal 
year and the results of any research conducted by the Center 
during that fiscal year, including— 
‘‘(1) an assessment of each program carried out under this 
title; and 
‘‘(2) an assessment of the effects of the policy initiatives 
identified under subsection (d)(2). 
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized 
to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section 
$1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.’’. 
SEC. 6112. COMPREHENSIVE RURAL BROADBAND STRATEGY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, the Chairman of the Federal Communications 
Commission, in coordination with the Secretary, shall submit to 
Congress a report describing a comprehensive rural broadband 
strategy that includes—
H. R. 2419—283 
(1) recommendations— 
(A) to promote interagency coordination of Federal 
agencies in regards to policies, procedures, and targeted 
resources, and to streamline or otherwise improve and 
streamline the policies, programs, and services; 
(B) to coordinate existing Federal rural broadband or 
rural initiatives; 
(C) to address both short- and long-term needs assess-
ments and solutions for a rapid build-out of rural 
broadband solutions and application of the recommenda-
tions for Federal, State, regional, and local government 
policymakers; and 
(D) to identify how specific Federal agency programs 
and resources can best respond to rural broadband require-
ments and overcome obstacles that currently impede rural 
broadband deployment; and 
(2) a description of goals and timeframes to achieve the 
purposes of the report. 
(b) UPDATES.—The Chairman of the Federal Communications 
Commission, in coordination with the Secretary, shall update and 
evaluate the report described in subsection (a) during the third 
year after the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 6113. STUDY ON RURAL ELECTRIC POWER GENERATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct a study on the 
electric power generation needs in rural areas of the United States. 
(b) COMPONENTS.—The study shall include an examination of— 
(1) generation in various areas in rural areas of the United 
States, particularly by rural electric cooperatives;; 
(2) financing available for capacity, including financing 
available through programs authorized under the Rural Elec-
trification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.); 
(3) the impact of electricity costs on consumers and local 
economic development; 
(4) the ability of fuel feedstock technology to meet regu-
latory requirements, such as carbon capture and sequestration; 
and 
(5) any other factors that the Secretary considers appro-
priate. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agri-
culture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report con-
taining the findings of the study under this section. 
Subtitle C—Miscellaneous 
SEC. 6201. DISTANCE LEARNING AND TELEMEDICINE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2333(c)(1) of the Food, Agriculture, 
Conservation and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. Sec. 950aaa–2(a)(1)) 
is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) libraries.’’.