I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 813
To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a pilot program to
evaluate the feasibility of county-based rural development boards, develop
a strategy for adoption of national rural development goals and objec-
tives, establish a training program for local county board leaders, provid-
ing roles and responsibilities for State rural development councils, sub-
state regional organizations, and 1862 and 1890 land grant institutions,
and establish a grant program for financing various rural and small
community development initiatives, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 3, 1995
Mr. BAESLER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Agriculture
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a
pilot program to evaluate the feasibility of county-based
rural development boards, develop a strategy for adoption
of national rural development goals and objectives, estab-
lish a training program for local county board leaders,
providing roles and responsibilities for State rural devel-
opment councils, substate regional organizations, and
1862 and 1890 land grant institutions, and establish
a grant program for financing various rural and small
community development initiatives, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—
(1) rural America has serious problems in need
of attention, including lack of off-farm opportunities,
lack of adequate capital for investment, nondiversity
of agriculture economy, declining farm work force,
outmigration of rural youth to urban centers, inad-
equate leadership development, and persistent pov-
erty;
(2) Federal and State policies dealing with non-
farm rural issues are fragmented;
(3) farming remains a most important element
of rural life, but a successful national rural policy
must address the entire spectrum of social, economic
and
cultural
needs
of
citizens
living
in
rural
America;
(4) the creation of jobs and expansion of exist-
ing businesses are of vital importance to the long-
term stability of rural life;
(5) Americans have a right to choose a rural
life, beyond just farming, and consisting of a life of
opportunity in small communities with continued ties
to the land; and
(6) because each rural area across America is
unique, there is no solution which can equally ad-
dress all rural areas, and a Federal initiative in
rural development is dependent on creating a mecha-
nism which allows for locally determined initiatives,
strategies, and solutions.
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are to—
(1) establish a pilot program—
(A) to create and evaluate the feasibility of
using county-based rural development boards as
the local organizational entity through which
the United States Department of Agriculture
will facilitate funding of rural development ini-
tiatives;
(B) to determine whether county boards
can be used to create an understandable initia-
tive under which a comprehensive national pol-
icy for rural development can be devised, and
create a long-term viable local constituency for
development by tapping the energy and talent
at the local level;
(2) establish a time frame, process, and evalua-
tion procedure for the development of clear national
rural development goals;
(3) provide for (through the encouragement of
funding) an expanded and more focused role in rural
development for Land Grant Institutions both the
‘‘1862’’ and ‘‘1890’’ colleges and universities;
(4) create a grant program to provide funding
for rural development projects;
(5) create a national training program bringing
the expertise and knowledge of officials of the De-
partment of Agriculture directly to local county de-
velopment board leaders, State rural development
councils, substate regional organizations, and 1862
and 1890 land grant institutions at the start of the
pilot project; and
(6) provide for a coordinated program of co-
operation among the Department of Agriculture,
State rural development councils, substate regional
organizations, and local boards.
SEC. 2. GRANTS TO COUNTIES FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT.
(a) APPLICATIONS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—A qualified county rural de-
velopment board may apply to the Secretary for
grants for the purposes described in subsection (b).
(2) CONTENTS.—Each application submitted
under paragraph (1) shall include the following:
(A) A description of the board.