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(d) ADDITIONAL STATES AND COMPACTS.—The Sec-
retary shall evaluate and incorporate into the evaluation
required under subsection (b) an evaluation of the economic
impact of adding additional States to the Compact for the
purpose of increasing prices paid to milk producers.
SEC. 730. From proceeds earned from the sale of grain
in the disaster reserve established in the Agricultural Act
of 1970, the Secretary may use up to an additional
$23,000,000 to implement a livestock indemnity program
as established in Public Law 105–18.
SEC. 731. PLANTING OF WILD RICE ON CONTRACT
ACREAGE.—None of the funds appropriated in this Act may
be used to administer the provision of contract payments
to a producer under the Agricultural Market Transition Act
(7 U.S.C. 7201 et seq.) for contract acreage on which wild
rice is planted unless the contract payment is reduced by
an acre for each contract acre planted to wild rice.
SEC. 732. INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION OF AGRI-
CULTURAL PROCESSING EQUIPMENT. (a) IN GENERAL.—
Except as provided in subsection (b), none of the funds
made available by this Act or any other Act for any fiscal
year may be used to carry out section 203(h) of the Agricul-
tural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1622(h)) unless the
Secretary of Agriculture inspects and certifies agricultural
processing equipment, and imposes a fee for the inspection
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and certification, in a manner that is similar to the inspec-
tion and certification of agricultural products under that
section, as determined by the Secretary.
(b) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAW.—Subsection (a)
shall not affect the authority of the Secretary to carry out
the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) or
the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 451 et seq.).
SEC. 733. RURAL HOUSING PROGRAMS. (a) HOUSING
IN UNDERSERVED AREAS PROGRAM.—The first sentence of
section 509(f)(4)(A) of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C.
1479(f)(4)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘fiscal year 1997’’
and inserting ‘‘fiscal year 1998’’.
(b) HOUSING AND RELATED FACILITIES FOR ELDERLY
PERSONS AND FAMILIES AND OTHER LOW-INCOME PER-
SONS AND FAMILIES.—
(1) AUTHORITY
TO
MAKE
LOANS.—Section
515(b)(4) of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C.
1485(b)(4)) is amended by striking ‘‘September 30,
1997’’ and inserting ‘‘September 30, 1998’’.
(2) SET-ASIDE FOR NONPROFIT ENTITIES.—The
first sentence of section 515(w)(1) of the Housing Act
of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1485(w)(1)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘fiscal year 1997’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal year
1998’’.
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(3) LOAN TERM.—Section 515 of the Housing
Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1485) is amended—
(A) in subsection (a)(2), by striking ‘‘up to
fifty’’ and inserting ‘‘up to 30’’; and
(B) in subsection (b)—
(i) by striking paragraph (2) and in-
serting the following:
‘‘(2) such a loan may be made for a period of
up to 30 years from the making of the loan, but the
Secretary may provide for periodic payments based
on an amortization schedule of 50 years with a final
payment of the balance due at the end of the term of
the loan;’’;
(ii) in paragraph (5), by striking
‘‘and’’ at the end;
(iii) in paragraph (6), by striking the
period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’;
and
(iv) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(7) the Secretary may make a new loan to the
current borrower to finance the final payment of the
original loan for an additional period not to exceed
twenty years, if—
‘‘(A) the Secretary determines—
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‘‘(i) it is more cost-efficient and serves
the tenant base more effectively to maintain
the current property than to build a new
property in the same location; or
‘‘(ii) the property has been maintained
to such an extent that it warrants retention
in the current portfolio because it can be ex-
pected to continue providing decent, safe,
and affordable rental units for the balance
of the loan; and
‘‘(B) the Secretary determines—
‘‘(i) current market studies show that a
need for low-income rural rental housing
still exists for that area; and
‘‘(ii) any other criteria established by
the Secretary has been met.’’.
(c) LOAN GUARANTEES FOR MULTIFAMILY RENTAL
HOUSING IN RURAL AREAS.—Section 538 of the Housing
Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490p–2) is amended—
(1) in subsection (q), by striking paragraph (2)
and inserting the following:
‘‘(2) ANNUAL LIMITATION ON AMOUNT OF LOAN
GUARANTEE.—In each fiscal year, the Secretary may
enter into commitments to guarantee loans under this
section only to the extent that the costs of the guaran-
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tees entered into in such fiscal year do not exceed such
amount as may be provided in appropriation Acts for
such fiscal year.’’;
(2) by striking subsection (t) and inserting the
following:
‘‘(t) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are
authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 1998 for costs
(as such term is defined in section 502 of the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974) of loan guarantees made under this
section such sums as may be necessary for such fiscal year.’’;
and
(3) in subsection (u), by striking ‘‘1996’’ and in-
serting ‘‘1998’’.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Agriculture, Rural De-
velopment, Food and Drug Administration, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998’’.
Passed the House of Representatives July 24, 1997.
Attest:
ROBIN H. CARLE,
Clerk.
Passed the Senate September 3, 1997.
Attest:
GARY SISCO,
Secretary.