the Council, in coordination with the Secretary, shall 
establish performance measures and reporting re-
quirements that shall be met by the end of each year 
for which the Council receives funds under the 
Fund. 
‘‘(2) VIOLATIONS.—If the Secretary determines 
that a Council has failed to meet any requirements 
of the applicable agreement under paragraph (1), is 
not making reasonable progress towards meeting 
that requirement, or is otherwise in violation of that 
agreement, the Secretary may— 
‘‘(A) withhold funds under the Fund until 
the Council remedies the applicable violation; or 
‘‘(B) terminate the agreement. 
‘‘SEC. 385E. RURAL PARTNERSHIP PLANS. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Each Council shall estab-
lish, maintain, evaluate, and report to the Secretary 
progress on a rural partnership plan in accordance with 
this section. 
‘‘(b) COORDINATION WITH OTHER PLANS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In developing a Plan under 
this section, a Council is encouraged to utilize exist-
ing Federal plans, and existing State, regional, or 
Tribal plans, so as to reduce duplicative efforts and 
align Federal investment. 
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‘‘(2) FEDERAL PLANS.—Existing Federal plans 
referred to in paragraph (1) include— 
‘‘(A) the Comprehensive Economic Devel-
opment Strategy of the Economic Development 
Administration; 
‘‘(B) a local plan, as defined in section 3 
of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 
Act (29 U.S.C. 3102); 
‘‘(C) the Consolidated Plan of the Depart-
ment of Housing and Urban Development; 
‘‘(D) plans developed by metropolitan plan-
ning organizations under section 134 of title 
23, United States Code; 
‘‘(E) plans developed by regional transpor-
tation planning organizations designated under 
section 135(m) of title 23, United States Code, 
or section 5304(l) of title 49, United States 
Code (commonly known as a ‘rural transpor-
tation planning organization’); 
‘‘(F) emergency preparedness and hazard 
mitigation plans required by the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency; 
‘‘(G) the Drinking Water Action Plan of 
the Environmental Protection Agency; 
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‘‘(H) a good neighbor agreement (as de-
fined in section 8206(a) of the Agricultural Act 
of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a(a))); and 
‘‘(I) strategic plans developed by Federal 
regional commissions, including— 
‘‘(i) the Appalachian Regional Com-
mission established by section 14301(a) of 
title 40, United States Code; 
‘‘(ii) the Delta Regional Authority es-
tablished under subtitle F of the Consoli-
dated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 
U.S.C. 2009aa et seq.); 
‘‘(iii) the Denali Commission estab-
lished under the Denali Commission Act of 
1998 (42 U.S.C. 3121 note; title III of di-
vision C of Public Law 105–277); 
‘‘(iv) the Northern Border Regional 
Commission 
established 
by 
section 
15301(a)(3) of title 40, United States 
Code; 
‘‘(v) the Northern Great Plains Re-
gional Authority established under subtitle 
G of the Consolidated Farm and Rural De-
velopment Act (7 U.S.C. 2009bb et seq.); 
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‘‘(vi) the Southeast Crescent Regional 
Commission 
established 
by 
section 
15301(a)(1) of title 40, United States 
Code; and 
‘‘(vii) the Southwest Border Regional 
Commission 
established 
by 
section 
15301(a)(2) of title 40, United States 
Code. 
‘‘(c) CONTENTS.—To the maximum extent prac-
ticable, a Plan shall include— 
‘‘(1) a plan to coordinate and build capacity 
across jurisdictions in the applicable area to develop 
and implement the Plan, including by targeting as-
sistance to high-poverty and other struggling areas 
within that region; 
‘‘(2) a plan that outlines feasible steps and 
achievable goals, timelines, and strategies for imple-
menting the Plan, including making interjurisdic-
tional agreements that provide for cooperative and 
coordinated approaches to achieving the goals of the 
Plan; 
‘‘(3) a prioritization of projects for funding and 
implementation, when practicable, including by pro-
viding— 
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‘‘(A) a description of each prioritized 
project proposed to be carried out; and 
‘‘(B) a budget for each project described in 
subparagraph (A) that includes— 
‘‘(i) preliminary actions that have 
been or must be taken at the local or re-
gional level to implement the project; 
‘‘(ii) the anticipated Federal share of 
the cost of the project; and 
‘‘(iii) a description of the source of 
the non-Federal share of funds or in-kind 
contributions for the project; 
‘‘(4) an assessment of current and future 
trends in the applicable area, which may include— 
‘‘(A) population growth or loss, and demo-
graphic changes, in the region; 
‘‘(B) accessibility of job centers within the 
region to public transportation facilities and 
housing; 
‘‘(C) infrastructure needs in the region, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(i) 
projected 
water 
needs 
and 
sources; 
‘‘(ii) any need for sewer infrastruc-
ture; 
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‘‘(iii) the existence of flood plains; 
‘‘(iv) the needs of local and regional 
food systems, agricultural producers, and 
value-added agricultural industries; and 
‘‘(v) any need for affordable, high- 
speed internet, including new technologies 
for mobile internet services and for afford-
able, reliable cellular phone coverage; 
‘‘(D) challenges in basic services within the 
region, including pressing health challenges; 
‘‘(E) skills and education for in-demand, 
quality jobs and for regional economic develop-
ment, which may include retraining and edu-
cation of incumbent or displaced workers; and 
‘‘(F) access to private debt and investment 
capital; 
‘‘(5) a plan to develop opportunities for eco-
nomic diversification and innovation within the ap-
plicable area, with particular attention to— 
‘‘(A) agricultural diversification and supply 
chain development; 
‘‘(B) the conversion of existing businesses 
to employee or local ownership, such as a coop-
erative; 
‘‘(C) entrepreneurial support; 
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‘‘(D) clean energy; 
‘‘(E) manufacturing; and 
‘‘(F) technological innovation; 
‘‘(6) a plan for improving environmental resil-
iency, efficient land use, remediation of brownfields 
and other contaminated properties for re-use, mixed- 
use development, and the preservation of agricul-
tural, green, and open space, including— 
‘‘(A) an assessment of projected loss of ag-
ricultural and rural land and other green space 
to development; and 
‘‘(B) a description of methods to minimize 
loss described in subparagraph (A); 
‘‘(7) a plan for ensuring that no community or 
county in the applicable area is excluded from re-
ceiving assistance through the rural partnership 
block grant, including timelines and goals for tar-
geting assistance to high-poverty census tracts in-
cluded in the area; 
‘‘(8) a plan for building greater collaboration 
between— 
‘‘(A) rural population centers and neigh-
boring rural areas of the applicable area; and 
‘‘(B) the applicable area and neighboring 
urban areas; 
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‘‘(9) a plan for the creation and preservation of 
workforce housing and affordable, energy-efficient 
housing for all ages, incomes, races, and ethnicities, 
including— 
‘‘(A) cooperative housing; and 
‘‘(B) limited equity cooperative housing; 
‘‘(10) a plan to develop opportunities to revi-
talize existing communities, including infill develop-
ment and utilizing existing assets, such as natural 
assets and public infrastructure; and 
‘‘(11) such other information or plans as a 
Council or the Secretary determines to be appro-
priate. 
‘‘(d) APPROVAL.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not less frequently than 
annually, each Council shall approve a Plan by a 
majority vote of the members of the Council for sub-
mission to the Secretary for final approval under 
paragraph (2). 
‘‘(2) APPROVAL BY SECRETARY.—On receipt of 
a Plan under paragraph (1), the Secretary may ap-
prove or disapprove the Plan. 
‘‘SEC. 385F. USE OF GRANT FUNDS. 
‘‘(a) PLANNING.—During the first 2 years of the 
term of a rural partnership block grant, a Council may 
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use the funds for comprehensive planning and capacity 
building to implement a Plan. 
‘‘(b) IMPLEMENTATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A Council shall use funds 
under a rural partnership block grant to implement 
a Plan. 
‘‘(2) PERMISSIBLE
USES.—In using funds to 
implement a Plan under paragraph (1), a Council 
may use the funds— 
‘‘(A) to support the development of critical 
infrastructure necessary to facilitate economic 
development in the applicable area, including 
high-speed internet, including new technologies 
for mobile internet services and for affordable, 
reliable cellular phone coverage; 
‘‘(B) to support activities to achieve great-
er economic and environmental resiliency, in-
cluding for emergency preparedness, disaster 
recovery, and hazard mitigation; 
‘‘(C) to provide assistance to entities with-
in the applicable area that provide basic public 
services, such as— 
‘‘(i) child care centers; 
‘‘(ii) nonprofit health care, including 
community health centers, primary and 
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emergency medical care, mental health, 
and substance abuse treatment providers; 
‘‘(iii) public libraries; 
‘‘(iv) community centers; 
‘‘(v) public schools; and 
‘‘(vi) nonprofit technology centers, in-
cluding business incubators and business 
accelerators; 
‘‘(D) to provide assistance with education, 
job training, workforce development, or other 
needs relating to the development and mainte-
nance of a strong workforce and support of 
youth, unemployed, underemployed, dislocated, 
disabled, adult, and incumbent workers and in-
dividuals with a barrier to employment; 
‘‘(E) to provide assistance in the develop-
ment of innovative collaborations that link pub-
lic, private, and philanthropic resources to 
achieve collaboratively designed regional ad-
vancement; 
‘‘(F) to promote and use employee owner-
ship, cooperatives, and local ownership in the 
development of infrastructure, businesses, and 
community services; 
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‘‘(G) to acquire, or demolish improvements 
on, real property; 
‘‘(H) to construct or rehabilitate residen-
tial or nonresidential structures; 
‘‘(I) to develop new affordable low-income 
and workforce housing options that ensure 
mixed-income development; 
‘‘(J) to construct public facilities and im-
provements, such as water and sewer facilities, 
streets, community centers, and the conversion 
of school buildings for other purposes that are 
eligible for funding under this subsection; 
‘‘(K) to establish new connections between 
rural population centers and neighboring rural 
areas within the applicable area, and between 
the applicable area and urban areas, relating to 
systems such as the supply of clean energy, 
workforce sheds, food systems, supply chains, 
commuting patterns, and outdoor recreation; 
‘‘(L) to carry out activities relating to— 
‘‘(i) energy conservation; 
‘‘(ii) the development, storage, and 
use of clean energy resources; and 
‘‘(iii) bio-based manufacturing; 
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‘‘(M) to rebuild and modernize infrastruc-
ture and expand investment to support agricul-
tural diversification and supply chain develop-
ment; 
‘‘(N) to promote integrated transportation, 
housing, energy, and economic development ac-
tivities carried out across policy areas and gov-
ernmental jurisdictions; 
‘‘(O) to coordinate business development, 
land use, housing, transportation, and infra-
structure planning processes across jurisdictions 
and agencies; 
‘‘(P) to address public health needs, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(i) access to mental health and sub-
stance abuse services; and 
‘‘(ii) access to healthy, locally, and re-
gionally grown foods; 
‘‘(Q) to encourage entrepreneurship and 
the scale-up of existing business operations 
by— 
‘‘(i) improving access to capital, in-
cluding market-based financing, such as 
angel, venture, equity, and equity-like cap-
ital; 
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‘‘(ii) facilitating collaboration between 
entrepreneurs and institutions of higher 
education and applied research institutions 
for the purposes of commercialization of 
research or adoption of technology or proc-
esses; 
‘‘(iii) assisting with integration into a 
supply chain; and 
‘‘(iv) providing mentor, networking, 
and support services for entrepreneurs, in-
cluding establishing business incubators or 
accelerators; 
‘‘(R) to develop innovative public and pri-
vate collaborations for investments in the appli-
cable area; 
‘‘(S) to use arts and culture for improve-
ments in economic development, education, 
training, and quality of life; 
‘‘(T) to revitalize downtown corridors and 
other community centers to create vibrant, 
mixed-use neighborhoods; 
‘‘(U) to expand access to domestic and 
international markets for businesses and agri-
cultural producers; 
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‘‘(V) to lead development programming for 
organizations or cohorts of organizations in-
cluded in the Plan; 
‘‘(W) to provide matching funds for other 
Federal funding if that other Federal funding is 
for a project that is in accordance with the 
goals of the Plan; 
‘‘(X) to promote the use of energy effi-
ciency in applicable projects; and 
‘‘(Y) to provide technical assistance for co-
operative conversions, startups, and expansions, 
including education on cooperative governance. 
‘‘SEC. 385G. ACCESS TO FEDERAL PROGRAMS. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITION OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT PRO-
GRAM.—In this section, the term ‘rural development pro-
gram’ means— 
‘‘(1) community facility direct and guaranteed 
loans under section 306(a); 
‘‘(2) water or waste disposal grants or direct or 
guaranteed loans under paragraph (1) or (2) of sec-
tion 306(a); 
‘‘(3) community facility grants under paragraph 
(19), (20), or (21) of section 306(a); 
‘‘(4) the rural cooperative development grant 
program established under section 310B(e); 
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‘‘(5) business and industry guaranteed loans 
under section 310B(g); 
‘‘(6) the rural microentrepreneur assistance 
program established under section 379E; 
‘‘(7) the rural broadband access program estab-
lished under title VI of the Rural Electrification Act 
of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb et seq.); 
‘‘(8) value-added producer grants under section 
210A(d)(5) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 
1946 (7 U.S.C. 1627c(d)(5)); 
‘‘(9) the Healthy Food Financing Initiative es-
tablished under section 243 of the Department of 
Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 
6953); 
‘‘(10) the Rural Energy for America Program 
established under section 9007 of the Farm Security 
and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107); 
‘‘(11) the rural energy savings program under 
section 6407 of the Farm Security and Rural Invest-
ment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107a); 
‘‘(12) rural rental housing direct loans under 
section 515 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 
1485); 
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‘‘(13) the housing preservation grant program 
under section 533 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 
U.S.C. 1490m); 
‘‘(14) loan guarantees for multifamily rental 
housing in rural areas under section 538 of the 
Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490p–2); 
‘‘(15) housing preservation and revitalization 
demonstration loans and grants provided by the 
Rural Housing Service; and 
‘‘(16) multifamily housing transfer and prepay-
ment technical assistance grants provided by the 
Rural Housing Service. 
‘‘(b) WAIVER
OF
MATCHING
FUNDS
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—The Secretary shall waive any matching funds 
requirement under a rural development program for a 
project that is carried out in an applicable area that is 
within or comprises a census tract, or a group of contig-
uous census tracts, that has a poverty rate of 20 percent 
or greater. 
‘‘(c) PRIORITY CONSIDERATION FOR OTHER RURAL 
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS.—The Secretary shall give pri-
ority under a rural development program for an applica-
tion for a project that— 
‘‘(1) is included in and supports a Plan; 
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‘‘(2) is eligible for the applicable program from 
which the funds were set aside; and 
‘‘(3) is carried out in the applicable area cov-
ered by the Plan. 
‘‘(d) OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The Secretary of 
Agriculture, acting as the Chair of the Council on Rural 
Community Innovation and Economic Development estab-
lished by section 6306 of the Agriculture Improvement Act 
of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 2204b–3), may invite a member of that 
Council to give priority under the programs carried out 
by the member for a project that satisfies the criteria de-
scribed in paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (c). 
‘‘SEC. 385H. CAPACITY BUILDING AND TECHNICAL ASSIST-
ANCE PARTNERS. 
‘‘(a) CAPACITY BUILDING.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide 
to a Council training, education, support, and advice 
to enhance the technical assistance, research, organi-
zational, and other capacities of the Council in car-
rying out activities under the Fund. 
‘‘(2) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out paragraph 
(1), the Secretary, in coordination with the Rural 
Development Innovation Center established by the 
Secretary of Agriculture or through a contract for 
services entered into with an eligible technical assist-
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ance provider, may provide training, education, sup-
port, and advice that addresses— 
‘‘(A) emergent innovative opportunities 
that are not covered by an existing Plan; 
‘‘(B) entrepreneurial opportunities to ad-
vance the goals of the Fund; 
‘‘(C) opportunities to advance a more inte-
grative rural policy framework for the United 
States, including building regional connections 
between urban areas and rural areas; 
‘‘(D) with support from the Chief Informa-
tion Officer of the Department of Agriculture, 
the tracking, collection, and analysis of data 
and measurements for assessing the progress of 
Plans; and 
‘‘(E) best practices based on— 
‘‘(i) the experiences of Councils; and 
‘‘(ii) domestic and international rural 
development practices. 
‘‘(b) RURAL FUTURE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish a Rural Future Leadership Institute (referred to 
in this subsection as the ‘Institute’). 
‘‘(2) SELECTION OF ENTITIES.— 
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Under the Institute, 
each year the Secretary shall select individuals 
to participate in the Institute. 
‘‘(B) PREFERENCE.—In selecting individ-
uals to participate in the Institute under sub-
paragraph (A), the Secretary shall give pref-
erence to an individual residing in, or directly 
assisting, an area represented by a Council. 
‘‘(3) ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary shall provide 
to each individual that is selected to participate in 
the Institute under paragraph (2) year-long pro-
gramming such as— 
‘‘(A) skill-building seminars; 
‘‘(B) best practice reviews; 
‘‘(C) site visits; 
‘‘(D) performance measurement and data 
analytics; and 
‘‘(E) other training and capacity building 
activities. 
‘‘(4) PEER EXCHANGE PROGRAM.—In carrying 
out the Institute, the Secretary shall establish a peer 
exchange program within and across areas rep-
resented by Councils to promote industry-leading 
practices, innovations relating to the organizational 
development, program delivery, and regional initia-
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tives of the Councils, and opportunities to build col-
laborative relationships between urban leaders and 
rural leaders. 
‘‘(c) RURAL FUTURE CORPS.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITION
OF
AMERICORPS
PARTICI-
PANT.—In this subsection, the term ‘AmeriCorps 
participant’ means a participant under subtitle C of 
title I of the National and Community Service Act 
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571 et seq.) who received an 
approved national service position provided under 
section 121(b) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 12571(b)). 
‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall 
enter into an agreement with the Corporation for 
National and Community Service under section 
121(b) of the National and Community Service Act 
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571(b)) to establish a Rural 
Future Corps in which AmeriCorps participants 
shall serve in areas represented by Councils, to im-
plement the Plans of the Councils, including serving 
through— 
‘‘(A) expansion of critical services such as 
child care, health, nutrition assistance, edu-
cation, and job training; and 
‘‘(B) strengthening the capacity of units of 
local government and economic, community, 
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and cooperative development organizations to 
implement community and economic develop-
ment activities. 
‘‘(3) PRIORITY FOR AMERICORPS PARTICIPANTS 
FROM A RURAL AREA.—In selecting AmeriCorps par-
ticipants for the Rural Future Corps established 
under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall give pri-
ority to any individual who resides, or who has re-
sided, in the area in which the individual seeks to 
serve. 
‘‘(4) PARTNERSHIPS.—In carrying out the 
Rural Future Corps established under paragraph 
(2), the Secretary, in coordination with the Corpora-
tion for National and Community Service, may enter 
into partnerships with private entities to build re-
gional capacity, recruit participants, and engage in 
workforce development activities. 
‘‘(5) RETENTION.—On completion of service of 
an AmeriCorps participant in the Rural Future 
Corps, the Secretary shall encourage the retention of 
the participant in the applicable area in which the 
participant served. 
‘‘(6) RELATIONSHIP
TO
NATIONAL
SERVICE 
PROGRAMS.—Notwithstanding section 122(a) of the 
National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 
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U.S.C. 12752(a)), for purposes of that Act, the ap-
proved national service positions provided under the 
agreement for the Rural Future Corps program will 
be considered to be used to support a national serv-
ice program under section 122(b) of that Act (42 
U.S.C. 12572(b)). 
‘‘(d) MAP.—The Secretary, in coordination with the 
Chief Information Officer of the Department of Agri-
culture, shall make publicly available on a website a map 
of areas represented by Councils, including, with respect 
to each area, the members of the Council. 
‘‘(e) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PARTNERS.—The Sec-
retary may enter into a cooperative agreement under sec-
tion 607(b)(4) of the Rural Development Act of 1972 (7 
U.S.C. 2204b(b)(4)) with an eligible technical assistance 
provider to provide technical assistance to the Secretary 
and Councils in carrying out the Fund. 
‘‘SEC. 385I. EVALUATION AND REPORTING. 
‘‘(a) EVALUATIONS.—Not later than the last day of 
the fourth year of the first rural partnership block grant 
awarded to a Council, and annually thereafter— 
‘‘(1) the Secretary shall evaluate the perform-
ance of the Council in carrying out the Plan of the 
Council in relation to the benchmarks established 
under subsection (b); and 
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‘‘(2) the Council shall use the evaluation under 
paragraph (1) in updating the Plan under section 
385E(d)(1). 
‘‘(b) REPORTING BENCHMARKS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in coordina-
tion with Councils and national providers of tech-
nical assistance under section 385H(e), shall estab-
lish annual reporting benchmarks relating to the 
purposes of the Fund. 
‘‘(2) EXISTING MEASURES.—In establishing re-
porting benchmarks under paragraph (1), the Sec-
retary shall consider relevant existing performance 
measures used in programs of the rural development 
mission area— 
‘‘(A) to achieve alignment with those pro-
grams; and 
‘‘(B) to allow for opportunities for a part-
nership block grant to leverage other funding 
provided under those programs. 
‘‘(c) REPORTS.—The Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) not less frequently than annually, prepare 
and submit to Congress a report describing— 
‘‘(A) the implementation of the Fund; and 
‘‘(B) an assessment of future goals for the 
Fund; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:00 Aug 23, 2023
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