H. R. 2160—14
NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE
CONSERVATION OPERATIONS
For necessary expenses for carrying out the provisions of the
Act of April 27, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 590a–f) including preparation
of conservation plans and establishment of measures to conserve
soil and water (including farm irrigation and land drainage and
such special measures for soil and water management as may
be necessary to prevent floods and the siltation of reservoirs and
to control agricultural related pollutants); operation of conservation
plant materials centers; classification and mapping of soil; dissemi-
nation of information; acquisition of lands, water, and interests
therein for use in the plant materials program by donation,
exchange, or purchase at a nominal cost not to exceed $100 pursuant
to the Act of August 3, 1956 (7 U.S.C. 428a); purchase and erection
or alteration or improvement of permanent and temporary build-
ings; and operation and maintenance of aircraft, $633,231,000, to
remain available until expended (7 U.S.C. 2209b), of which not
less than $5,835,000 is for snow survey and water forecasting
and not less than $8,825,000 is for operation and establishment
of the plant materials centers: Provided, That appropriations here-
under shall be available pursuant to 7 U.S.C. 2250 for construction
and improvement of buildings and public improvements at plant
materials centers, except that the cost of alterations and improve-
ments to other buildings and other public improvements shall not
exceed $250,000: Provided further, That when buildings or other
structures are erected on non-Federal land, that the right to use
such land is obtained as provided in 7 U.S.C. 2250a: Provided
further, That this appropriation shall be available for technical
assistance and related expenses to carry out programs authorized
by section 202(c) of title II of the Colorado River Basin Salinity
Control Act of 1974 (43 U.S.C. 1592(c)): Provided further, That
no part of this appropriation may be expended for soil and water
conservation operations under the Act of April 27, 1935 (16 U.S.C.
590a–f) in demonstration projects: Provided further, That this
appropriation shall be available for employment pursuant to the
second sentence of section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 1944 (7
U.S.C. 2225) and not to exceed $25,000 shall be available for
employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109: Provided further, That qualified
local engineers may be temporarily employed at per diem rates
to perform the technical planning work of the Service (16 U.S.C.
590e–2): Provided further, That the Secretary is authorized to trans-
fer ownership of land, buildings and related improvements of the
plant materials facilities located at Bow, Washington, to the Skagit
Conservation District.
WATERSHED SURVEYS AND PLANNING
For necessary expenses to conduct research, investigation, and
surveys of watersheds of rivers and other waterways, and for small
watershed investigations and planning, in accordance with the
Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act approved August
4, 1954 (16 U.S.C. 1001–1009), $11,190,000: Provided, That this
appropriation shall be available for employment pursuant to the
second sentence of section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 1944 (7
U.S.C. 2225), and not to exceed $110,000 shall be available for
employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109.
H. R. 2160—15
WATERSHED AND FLOOD PREVENTION OPERATIONS
For necessary expenses to carry out preventive measures,
including but not limited to research, engineering operations,
methods of cultivation, the growing of vegetation, rehabilitation
of existing works and changes in use of land, in accordance with
the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act approved
August 4, 1954 (16 U.S.C. 1001–1005, 1007–1009), the provisions
of the Act of April 27, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 590a–f), and in accordance
with the provisions of laws relating to the activities of the Depart-
ment, $101,036,000, to remain available until expended (7 U.S.C.
2209b) (of which up to $15,000,000 may be available for the water-
sheds authorized under the Flood Control Act approved June 22,
1936 (33 U.S.C. 701, 16 U.S.C. 1006a)): Provided, That not to
exceed $50,000,000 of this appropriation shall be available for tech-
nical assistance: Provided further, That this appropriation shall
be available for employment pursuant to the second sentence of
section 706(a) of the Organic Act of 1944 (7 U.S.C. 2225), and
not to exceed $200,000 shall be available for employment under
5 U.S.C. 3109: Provided further, That not to exceed $1,000,000
of this appropriation is available to carry out the purposes of
the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Public Law 93–205), including
cooperative efforts as contemplated by that Act to relocate endan-
gered or threatened species to other suitable habitats as may be
necessary to expedite project construction.
RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT
For necessary expenses in planning and carrying out projects
for resource conservation and development and for sound land use
pursuant to the provisions of section 32(e) of title III of the
Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (7 U.S.C. 1010–1011; 76 Stat.
607), the Act of April 27, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 590a–f), and the Agri-
culture and Food Act of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3451–3461), $34,377,000,
to remain available until expended (7 U.S.C. 2209b): Provided,
That this appropriation shall be available for employment pursuant
to the second sentence of section 706(a) of the Organic Act of
1944 (7 U.S.C. 2225), and not to exceed $50,000 shall be available
for employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109.
FORESTRY INCENTIVES PROGRAM
For necessary expenses, not otherwise provided for, to carry
out the program of forestry incentives, as authorized in the Coopera-
tive Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2101), including
technical assistance and related expenses, $6,325,000, to remain
available until expended, as authorized by that Act.
OUTREACH FOR SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS
For grants and contracts pursuant to section 2501 of the Food,
Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279),
$3,000,000, to remain available until expended.
H. R. 2160—16
TITLE III
RURAL ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS
OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT
For necessary salaries and expenses of the Office of the Under
Secretary for Rural Development to administer programs under
the laws enacted by the Congress for the Rural Housing Service,
the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and the Rural Utilities
Service of the Department of Agriculture, $588,000.
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, and 1932, except for
sections 381E–H, 381N, and 381O of the Consolidated Farm and
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2009f), $652,197,000, to remain
available until expended, of which $27,062,000 shall be for rural
community programs described in section 381E(d)(1) of the Consoli-
dated Farm and Rural Development Act; of which $577,242,000
shall be for the rural utilities programs described in section
381E(d)(2) of such Act; and of which $47,893,000 shall be for the
rural business and cooperative development programs described
in section 381E(d)(3) of such Act: Provided, That section
381E(d)(3)(B) of such Act is amended by inserting after the phrase
‘‘business and industry’’, the words ‘‘direct and’’: Provided further,
That of the amount appropriated for the rural business and coopera-
tive 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: Provided further, That of the amount appro-
priated for rural utilities programs, not to exceed $20,000,000 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 $15,000,000 shall be
for water and waste disposal systems for rural and native villages
in Alaska pursuant to section 306D of such Act; not to exceed
$15,000,000 shall be for technical assistance grants for rural waste
systems pursuant to section 306(a)(14) of such Act; and not to
exceed $5,200,000 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
amounts appropriated, not to exceed $20,048,000 shall be available
through June 30, 1998, for empowerment zones and enterprise
communities, as authorized by Public Law 103–66, of which
$1,200,000 shall be for rural community programs described in
section 381E(d)(1) of such Act; of which $18,700,000 shall be for
the rural utilities programs described in section 381E(d)(2) of such
Act; of which $148,000 shall be for the rural business and coopera-
tive development programs described in section 381E(d)(3) of such
Act: Provided further, That any obligated and unobligated balances
available for prior years for the ‘‘Rural Water and Waste Disposal
Grants’’, ‘‘Rural Water and Waste Disposal Loans Program
Account’’, ‘‘Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants’’, ‘‘Solid
H. R. 2160—17
Waste Management Grants’’, the community facility grant program
in the ‘‘Rural Housing Assistance Program Account’’, ‘‘Community
Facility Loans Program Account’’, ‘‘Rural Business Enterprise
Grants’’, ‘‘Rural Business and Industry Loans Program Account’’,
and ‘‘Local Technical Assistance and Planning Grants’’ shall be
transferred to and merged with this account.
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: $4,000,000,000 for loans to section 502 borrowers,
as determined by the Secretary, of which $3,000,000,000 shall be
for unsubsidized guaranteed loans; $30,000,000 for section 504
housing repair loans; $19,700,000 for section 538 guaranteed
multi-family housing loans; $15,000,000 for section 514 farm labor
housing; $128,640,000 for section 515 rental housing; $600,000 for
section 524 site loans; $25,000,000 for credit sales of acquired
property; and $587,000 for section 523 self-help housing land devel-
opment 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,
$135,000,000, of which $6,900,000 shall be for unsubsidized guaran-
teed loans; section 504 housing repair loans, $10,300,000; section
538 multi-family housing guaranteed loans, $1,200,000; section 514
farm labor housing, $7,388,000; section 515 rental housing,
$68,745,000; credit sales of acquired property, $3,492,000; and
section 523 self-help housing land development loans, $17,000.
In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry
out the direct and guaranteed loan programs, $354,785,000, which
shall be transferred to and merged with the appropriation for
‘‘Rural Housing Service—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, $541,397,000; 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,
That of this amount not more than $5,900,000 shall be available
for debt forgiveness or payments for eligible households as author-
ized by section 502(c)(5)(D) of the Act, and not to exceed $10,000
per project for advances to nonprofit organizations or public agencies
to cover direct costs (other than purchase price) incurred in purchas-
ing projects pursuant to section 502(c)(5)(C) of the Act: Provided
further, That agreements entered into or renewed during fiscal
year 1998 shall be funded for a five-year period, although the