H. R. 1105—22 
counties (as determined in accordance with Public Law 100–460): 
Provided, That such costs, including the cost of modifying such 
loans, shall be as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget 
Act of 1974: Provided further, That of the total amount appro-
priated, $880,000 shall be available through June 30, 2009, for 
the cost of direct loans for authorized empowerment zones and 
enterprise communities and communities designated by the Sec-
retary of Agriculture as Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones. 
In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out the direct 
loan programs, $4,853,000 shall be transferred to and merged with 
the appropriation for ‘‘Rural Development, Salaries and Expenses’’. 
RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LOANS PROGRAM ACCOUNT 
(INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS) 
For the principal amount of direct loans, as authorized under 
section 313 of the Rural Electrification Act, for the purpose of 
promoting rural economic development and job creation projects, 
$33,077,000. 
Of the funds derived from interest on the cushion of credit 
payments, as authorized by section 313 of the Rural Electrification 
Act of 1936, $20,000,000 shall not be obligated and $20,000,000 
are rescinded. 
RURAL COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS 
For rural cooperative development grants authorized under 
section 310B(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 
Act (7 U.S.C. 1932), $12,636,000, of which $300,000 shall be for 
a cooperative research agreement with a qualified academic institu-
tion to conduct research on the national economic impact of all 
types of cooperatives; and of which $2,582,000 shall be for coopera-
tive agreements for the appropriate technology transfer for rural 
areas program: Provided, That not to exceed $1,463,000 shall be 
for cooperatives or associations of cooperatives whose primary focus 
is to provide assistance to small, socially disadvantaged producers 
and whose governing board and/or membership is comprised of 
at least 75 percent socially disadvantaged members; and of which 
$3,867,000, to remain available until expended, shall be for value- 
added agricultural product market development grants, as author-
ized by section 231 of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 
(7 U.S.C. 1621 note). 
RURAL EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES GRANTS 
For grants in connection with empowerment zones and enter-
prise communities, $8,130,000, to remain available until expended, 
for designated rural empowerment zones and rural enterprise 
communities, as authorized by the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 
and the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental 
Appropriations Act, 1999 (Public Law 105–277): Provided, That 
the funds provided under this paragraph shall be made available 
to empowerment zones and enterprise communities in a manner 
and with the same priorities such funds were made available during 
the 2007 fiscal year.
H. R. 1105—23 
RURAL ENERGY FOR AMERICA PROGRAM 
For the cost of a program of loan guarantees and grants, 
under the same terms and conditions as authorized by section 
9007 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 
(7 U.S.C. 8107), $5,000,000: Provided, That the cost of loan guaran-
tees, including the cost of modifying such loans, shall be as defined 
in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. 
RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE 
RURAL WATER AND WASTE DISPOSAL PROGRAM ACCOUNT 
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS) 
For the cost of direct loans, loan guarantees, and grants for 
the rural water, waste water, waste disposal, and solid waste 
management programs authorized by sections 306, 306A, 306C, 
306D, and 310B and described in sections 306C(a)(2), 306D, and 
381E(d)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, 
$556,268,000, to remain available until expended, of which not 
to exceed $497,000 shall be available for the rural utilities program 
described in section 306(a)(2)(B) of such Act, and of which not 
to exceed $993,000 shall be available for the rural utilities program 
described in section 306E of such Act: Provided, That $65,000,000 
of the amount appropriated under this heading shall be for loans 
and grants including water and waste disposal systems grants 
authorized by 306C(a)(2)(B) and 306D of the Consolidated Farm 
and Rural Development Act and for Federally-recognized Native 
American Tribes authorized by 306C(a)(1): Provided further, That 
not to exceed $19,000,000 of the amount appropriated under this 
heading shall be for technical assistance grants for rural water 
and waste systems pursuant to section 306(a)(14) of such Act, 
unless the Secretary makes a determination of extreme need, of 
which $5,600,000 shall be made available for a grant to a qualified 
non-profit multi-state regional technical assistance organization, 
with experience in working with small communities on water and 
waste water problems, the principal purpose of such grant shall 
be to assist rural communities with populations of 3,300 or less, 
in improving the planning, financing, development, operation, and 
management of water and waste water systems, and of which 
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: Provided further, That not 
to exceed $14,000,000 of the amount appropriated under this 
heading shall be for contracting with qualified national organiza-
tions for a circuit rider program to provide technical assistance 
for rural water systems: Provided further, That not to exceed 
$12,700,000 of the amount appropriated under this heading shall 
be available through June 30, 2009, for authorized empowerment 
zones and enterprise communities and communities designated by 
the Secretary of Agriculture as Rural Economic Area Partnership 
Zones for the rural utilities programs described in section 381E(d)(2) 
of such Act: Provided further, That $17,500,000 of the amount 
appropriated under this heading 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 Elec-
trification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 918a): Provided further, That any
H. R. 1105—24 
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: Provided further, That sections 
381E–H and 381N of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Develop-
ment Act are not applicable to the funds made available under 
this heading: Provided further, That any prior balances in the 
Rural Development, Rural Community Advancement Program 
account programs authorized by sections 306, 306A, 306C, 306D, 
and 310B and described in sections 306C(a)(2), 306D, and 381E(d)(2) 
of such Act be transferred to and merged with this account and 
any other prior balances from the Rural Development, Rural 
Community Advancement Program account that the Secretary 
determines is appropriate to transfer. 
RURAL ELECTRIFICATION AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS LOANS PROGRAM 
ACCOUNT 
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS) 
The principal amount of direct and guaranteed loans as author-
ized by section 305 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 
U.S.C. 935) shall be made as follows: 5 percent rural electrification 
loans, $100,000,000; loans made pursuant to section 306 of that 
Act, rural electric, $6,500,000,000; 5 percent rural telecommuni-
cations loans, $145,000,000; cost of money rural telecommunications 
loans, $250,000,000; and for loans made pursuant to section 306 
of that Act, rural telecommunications loans, $295,000,000. 
For the cost, as defined in section 502 of the Congressional 
Budget Act of 1974, including the cost of modifying loans, of direct 
and guaranteed loans authorized by sections 305 and 306 of the 
Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 935 and 936), as follows: 
the cost of telecommunications loans, $525,000: Provided, That not-
withstanding section 305(d)(2) of the Rural Electrification Act of 
1936, borrower interest rates may exceed 7 percent per year. 
In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry 
out the direct and guaranteed loan programs, $39,245,000, which 
shall be transferred to and merged with the appropriation for 
‘‘Rural Development, Salaries and Expenses’’. 
DISTANCE LEARNING, TELEMEDICINE, AND BROADBAND PROGRAM 
(INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS) 
For the principal amount of broadband telecommunication 
loans, $400,487,000. 
For grants for telemedicine and distance learning services in 
rural areas, as authorized by 7 U.S.C. 950aaa et seq., $34,755,000, 
to remain available until expended: Provided, That the Secretary 
may use funds under this heading for grants authorized by 379(g) 
of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act: Provided 
further, That $4,965,000 shall be made available to convert analog 
to digital operation those noncommercial educational television 
broadcast stations that serve rural areas and are qualified for 
Community Service Grants by the Corporation for Public Broad-
casting under section 396(k) of the Communications Act of 1934, 
including associated translators and repeaters, regardless of the 
location of their main transmitter, studio-to-transmitter links, and