H. R. 4818—18
RURAL COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)
For the cost of direct loans, loan guarantees, and grants, as
authorized by 7 U.S.C. 1926, 1926a, 1926c, 1926d, and 1932, except
for sections 381E–H and 381N of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act, $716,049,000, to remain available until expended,
of which $89,180,000 shall be for rural community programs
described in section 381E(d)(1) of such Act; of which $552,689,000
shall be for the rural utilities programs described in sections
381E(d)(2), 306C(a)(2), and 306D of such Act, of which not to exceed
$500,000 shall be available for the rural utilities program described
in section 306(a)(2)(B) of such Act, and of which not to exceed
$1,000,000 shall be available for the rural utilities program
described in section 306E of such Act; and of which $74,180,000
shall be for the rural business and cooperative development pro-
grams described in sections 381E(d)(3) and 310B(f) of such Act:
Provided, That of the total amount appropriated in this account,
$25,000,000 shall be for loans and grants to benefit Federally Recog-
nized Native American Tribes, including grants for drinking water
and waste disposal systems pursuant to section 306C of such Act,
of which $4,500,000 shall be available for community facilities
grants to tribal colleges, as authorized by section 306(a)(19) of
the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, and of which
$250,000 shall be available for a grant to a qualified national
organization to provide technical assistance for rural transportation
in order to promote economic development: Provided further, That
of the amount appropriated for rural community programs,
$6,350,000 shall be available for a Rural Community Development
Initiative: Provided further, That such funds shall be used solely
to develop the capacity and ability of private, nonprofit community-
based housing and community development organizations, low-
income rural communities, and Federally Recognized Native Amer-
ican Tribes to undertake projects to improve housing, community
facilities, community and economic development projects in rural
areas: Provided further, That such funds shall be made available
to qualified private, nonprofit and public intermediary organizations
proposing to carry out a program of financial and technical assist-
ance: Provided further, That such intermediary organizations shall
provide matching funds from other sources, including Federal funds
for related activities, in an amount not less than funds provided:
Provided further, That of the amount appropriated for the rural
business and cooperative development programs, 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; $1,000,000 shall be
for grants to the Delta Regional Authority (7 U.S.C. 1921 et seq.)
for any purpose under this heading: Provided further, That of the
amount appropriated for rural utilities programs, not to exceed
$25,000,000 shall be for water and waste disposal systems to benefit
the Colonias along the United States/Mexico border, including
grants pursuant to section 306C of such Act; not to exceed
$26,000,000 shall be for water and waste disposal systems for
rural and native villages in Alaska pursuant to section 306D of
such Act, with up to 2 percent available to administer the program
and/or improve interagency coordination may be transferred to and
merged with the appropriation for ‘‘Rural Development, Salaries
H. R. 4818—19
and Expenses’’, of which $100,000 shall be provided to develop
a regional system for centralized billing, operation, and manage-
ment of rural water and sewer utilities through regional coopera-
tives, of which 25 percent shall be provided for water and sewer
projects in regional hubs, and the State of Alaska shall provide
a 25 percent cost share, and grantees may use up to 5 percent
of grant funds, not to exceed $35,000 per community, for the comple-
tion of comprehensive community safe water plans; not to exceed
$18,250,000 shall be for technical assistance grants for rural water
and waste systems pursuant to section 306(a)(14) of such Act,
of which $5,600,000 shall be for Rural Community Assistance Pro-
grams and not less than $800,000 shall be for a qualified national
Native American organization to provide technical assistance for
rural water systems for tribal communities; and not to exceed
$13,500,000 shall be for contracting with qualified national
organizations for a circuit rider program to provide technical assist-
ance for rural water systems: Provided further, That of the total
amount appropriated, not to exceed $22,166,000 shall be available
through June 30, 2005, for authorized empowerment zones and
enterprise communities and communities designated by the Sec-
retary of Agriculture as Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones;
of which $1,081,000 shall be for the rural community programs
described in section 381E(d)(1) of such Act, of which $12,582,000
shall be for the rural utilities programs described in section
381E(d)(2) of such Act, and of which $8,503,000 shall be for the
rural business and cooperative development programs described
in section 381E(d)(3) of such Act: Provided further, That of the
amount appropriated for rural community programs, not to exceed
$21,000,000 shall be to provide grants for facilities in rural commu-
nities with extreme unemployment and severe economic depression
(Public Law 106–387), with 5 percent for administration and
capacity building in the State rural development offices: Provided
further, That of the amount appropriated, $28,000,000 shall be
transferred to and merged with the ‘‘Rural Utilities Service, High
Energy Cost Grants Account’’ to provide grants authorized under
section 19 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 918a):
Provided further, That any prior year balances for high cost energy
grants authorized by section 19 of the Rural Electrification Act
of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 901(19)) shall be transferred to and merged
with the ‘‘Rural Utilities Service, High Energy Costs Grants
Account’’.
RURAL DEVELOPMENT SALARIES AND EXPENSES
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)
For necessary expenses for carrying out the administration
and implementation of programs in the Rural Development mission
area, including activities with institutions concerning the develop-
ment and operation of agricultural cooperatives; and for cooperative
agreements; $148,452,000: Provided, That of funds appropriated
under this title for salaries and expenses, not less than $5,000,000
shall be used to complete the consolidation of Rural Development
activities in St. Louis, to the Goodfellow facility also in St. Louis:
Provided further, That notwithstanding any other provision of law,
funds appropriated under this section may be used for advertising
and promotional activities that support the Rural Development
mission area: Provided further, That not more than $10,000 may
H. R. 4818—20
be expended to provide modest nonmonetary awards to non-USDA
employees: Provided further, That any balances available from prior
years for the Rural Utilities Service, Rural Housing Service, and
the Rural Business-Cooperative Service salaries and expenses
accounts shall be transferred to and merged with this appropriation.
RURAL HOUSING SERVICE
RURAL HOUSING INSURANCE FUND PROGRAM ACCOUNT
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)
For gross obligations for the principal amount of direct and
guaranteed loans as authorized by title V of the Housing Act of
1949, to be available from funds in the rural housing insurance
fund, as follows: $4,459,297,000 for loans to section 502 borrowers,
as determined by the Secretary, of which $1,150,000,000 shall be
for direct loans, and of which $3,309,297,000 shall be for unsub-
sidized guaranteed loans; $35,000,000 for section 504 housing repair
loans; $100,000,000 for section 515 rental housing; $100,000,000
for section 538 guaranteed multi-family housing loans; $5,045,000
for section 524 site loans; $11,501,000 for credit sales of acquired
property, of which up to $1,501,000 may be for multi-family credit
sales; and $10,000,000 for section 523 self-help housing land
development loans.
For the cost of direct and guaranteed loans, including the
cost of modifying loans, as defined in section 502 of the Congres-
sional Budget Act of 1974, as follows: section 502 loans,
$166,778,000, of which $133,170,000 shall be for direct loans, and
of which $33,608,000, to remain available until expended, shall
be for unsubsidized guaranteed loans; section 504 housing repair
loans, $10,171,000; section 515 rental housing, $47,090,000; section
538 multi-family housing guaranteed loans, $3,490,000; multi-
family credit sales of acquired property, $727,000: Provided, That
of the total amount appropriated in this paragraph, $7,100,000
shall be available through June 30, 2005, for authorized empower-
ment zones and enterprise communities and communities des-
ignated by the Secretary of Agriculture as Rural Economic Area
Partnership Zones: Provided further, That any funds under this
paragraph initially allocated by the Secretary for housing projects
in the State of Alaska that are not obligated by September 30,
2005, shall be carried over until September 30, 2006, and made
available for such housing projects only in the State of Alaska.
In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry
out the direct and guaranteed loan programs, $448,342,000, which
shall be transferred to and merged with the appropriation for
‘‘Rural Development, Salaries and Expenses’’.
RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
For rental assistance agreements entered into or renewed
pursuant to the authority under section 521(a)(2) or agreements
entered into in lieu of debt forgiveness or payments for eligible
households as authorized by section 502(c)(5)(D) of the Housing
Act of 1949, $592,000,000; and, in addition, such sums as may
be necessary, as authorized by section 521(c) of the Act, to liquidate
debt incurred prior to fiscal year 1992 to carry out the rental
assistance program under section 521(a)(2) of the Act: Provided,
H. R. 4818—21
That of this amount, $5,900,000 shall be available for debt forgive-
ness or payments for eligible households as authorized by section
502(c)(5)(D) of the Act, and not to exceed $20,000 per project for
advances to nonprofit organizations or public agencies to cover
direct costs (other than purchase price) incurred in purchasing
projects pursuant to section 502(c)(5)(C) of the Act: Provided further,
That agreements entered into or renewed during the current fiscal
year shall be funded for a four-year period: Provided further, That
any unexpended balances remaining at the end of such four-year
agreements may be transferred and used for the purposes of any
debt reduction; maintenance, repair, or rehabilitation of any existing
projects; preservation; and rental assistance activities authorized
under title V of the Act.
MUTUAL AND SELF-HELP HOUSING GRANTS
For grants and contracts pursuant to section 523(b)(1)(A) of
the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490c), $34,000,000, to remain
available until expended: Provided, That of the total amount appro-
priated, $1,000,000 shall be available through June 30, 2005, for
authorized empowerment zones and enterprise communities and
communities designated by the Secretary of Agriculture as Rural
Economic Area Partnership Zones.
RURAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE GRANTS
For grants and contracts for very low-income housing repair,
supervisory and technical assistance, compensation for construction
defects, and rural housing preservation made by the Rural Housing
Service, as authorized by 42 U.S.C. 1474, 1479(c), 1490e, and
1490m, $43,992,000, to remain available until expended: Provided,
That $3,000,000 shall be made available for loans to private non-
profit organizations, or such non-profit organizations’ affiliate loan
funds and State housing finance agencies, to carry out a housing
demonstration program to provide revolving loans for the preserva-
tion of low-income multi-family housing projects: Provided further,
That loans under such demonstration program shall have an
interest rate of not more than 1 percent direct loan to the recipient:
Provided further, That the Secretary may defer the interest and
principal payment to the Rural Housing Service for up to 3 years
and the term of such loans shall not exceed 30 years: Provided
further, That of the total amount appropriated, $1,800,000 shall
be available through June 30, 2005, for authorized empowerment
zones and enterprise communities and communities designated by
the Secretary of Agriculture as Rural Economic Area Partnership
Zones.
FARM LABOR PROGRAM ACCOUNT
For the cost of direct loans, grants, and contracts, as authorized
by 42 U.S.C. 1484 and 1486, $34,118,000, to remain available
until expended, for direct farm labor housing loans and domestic
farm labor housing grants and contracts.