734 
to a State rural development council, including ad-
ministering the financial assistance available to the 
State rural development council. 
‘‘(e) MATCHING REQUIREMENTS FOR STATE RURAL 
DEVELOPMENT COUNCILS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), a State rural development council shall 
provide matching funds, or in-kind goods or services, 
to support the activities of the State rural develop-
ment council in an amount that is not less than 33 
percent of the amount of Federal funds received 
from a Federal agency under subsection (f)(2). 
‘‘(2) EXCEPTIONS TO MATCHING REQUIREMENT 
FOR
CERTAIN
FEDERAL
FUNDS.—Paragraph (1) 
shall not apply to funds, grants, funds provided 
under contracts or cooperative agreements, gifts, 
contributions, or technical assistance received by a 
State rural development council from a Federal 
agency that are used— 
‘‘(A) to support 1 or more specific pro-
gram or project activities; or 
‘‘(B) to reimburse the State rural develop-
ment council for services provided to the Fed-
eral agency providing the funds, grants, funds 
provided under contracts or cooperative agree-
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ments, gifts, contributions, or technical assist-
ance. 
‘‘(3) DEPARTMENT’S
SHARE.—The Secretary 
shall develop a plan to decrease, over time, the share 
of the Department of Agriculture of the cost of the 
core operations of State rural development councils. 
‘‘(f) FUNDING.— 
‘‘(1) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 
through 2018. 
‘‘(2) FEDERAL AGENCIES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law limiting the ability of an 
agency, along with other agencies, to provide 
funds to a State rural development council in 
order to carry out the purposes of this section, 
a Federal agency may make grants, gifts, or 
contributions to, provide technical assistance to, 
or enter into contracts or cooperative agree-
ments with, a State rural development council. 
‘‘(B) ASSISTANCE.—Federal agencies are 
encouraged to use funds made available for pro-
grams that have an impact on rural areas to 
provide assistance to, and enter into contracts 
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with, a State rural development council, as de-
scribed in subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(3) CONTRIBUTIONS.—A State rural develop-
ment council may accept private contributions. 
‘‘(g) TERMINATION.—The authority provided under 
this section shall terminate on September 30, 2018. 
‘‘CHAPTER 4—DELTA REGIONAL 
AUTHORITY 
‘‘SEC. 3801. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this chapter: 
‘‘(1) AUTHORITY.—The term ‘Authority’ means 
the Delta Regional Authority established by section 
3802. 
‘‘(2) FEDERAL
GRANT
PROGRAM.—The term 
‘Federal grant program’ means a Federal grant pro-
gram to provide assistance in— 
‘‘(A) acquiring or developing land; 
‘‘(B) constructing or equipping a highway, 
road, bridge, or facility; or 
‘‘(C) carrying out other economic develop-
ment activities. 
‘‘(3) REGION.—The term ‘region’ means the 
Lower Mississippi (as defined in section 4 of the 
Delta Development Act (42 U.S.C. 3121 note; Pub-
lic Law 100–460)). 
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‘‘SEC. 3802. DELTA REGIONAL AUTHORITY. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—There is established the 
Delta Regional Authority. 
‘‘(2) COMPOSITION.—The Authority shall be 
composed of— 
‘‘(A) a Federal member, to be appointed 
by the President, with the advice and consent 
of the Senate; and 
‘‘(B) the Governor (or a designee of the 
Governor) of each State in the region that 
elects to participate in the Authority. 
‘‘(3) COCHAIRPERSONS.—The Authority shall 
be headed by— 
‘‘(A) the Federal member, who shall serve 
as— 
‘‘(i) the Federal cochairperson; and 
‘‘(ii) a liaison between the Federal 
Government and the Authority; and 
‘‘(B) a State cochairperson, who shall be— 
‘‘(i) a Governor of a participating 
State in the region; and 
‘‘(ii) elected by the State members for 
a term of not less than 1 year. 
‘‘(4) ALABAMA.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, the State of Alabama shall be a full 
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member of the Authority and shall be entitled to all 
rights and privileges that the membership affords to 
all other participating States in the Authority. 
‘‘(b) ALTERNATE MEMBERS.— 
‘‘(1) STATE ALTERNATES.—The State member 
of a participating State may have a single alternate, 
who shall be— 
‘‘(A) a resident of that State; and 
‘‘(B) appointed by the Governor of the 
State. 
‘‘(2) ALTERNATE FEDERAL COCHAIRPERSON.— 
The President shall appoint an alternate Federal co-
chairperson. 
‘‘(3) QUORUM.—A State alternate shall not be 
counted toward the establishment of a quorum of 
the Authority in any instance in which a quorum of 
the State members is required to be present. 
‘‘(4) DELEGATION OF POWER.—No power or 
responsibility of the Authority specified in para-
graphs (2) and (3) of subsection (c), and no voting 
right of any Authority member, shall be delegated to 
any person— 
‘‘(A) who is not an Authority member; or 
‘‘(B) who is not entitled to vote in Author-
ity meetings. 
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