Rural Opportunities Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-541
Sponsor: Sen. Feingold, Russell D. [D-WI]
Introduced: 2007-02-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Agricultural conservation
Agricultural credit
Agricultural education
Agricultural extension work
Agricultural innovations
Agricultural pollution
Agricultural research
Agricultural subsidies
Alternative energy sources
Animals
Armed Forces and National Security
Authorization
Biomass energy
Broadband
Cellulose
Commerce
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Dairy industry
Defense contracts
Demography
Department of Agriculture
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Elementary and secondary education
Employee training
Energy
Energy crops
Environmental Protection
Executive reorganization
Families
Farmers
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to education
Finance and Financial Sector
Food relief
Food stamps
Forestry
Fruit
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government procurement
Government spending reductions
Grants-in-aid
Higher education
Housing and Community Development
Internet
Labor and Employment
Law
Livestock
Marketing of farm produce
Minorities
Minority business enterprises
Organic farming
Pest control
Pesticides
Produce trade
Protection of animals
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Rural economic development
School lunch program
Science, Technology, Communications
Small farms
Social Welfare
Sustainable agriculture
Technology transfer
Vegetables
WIC program

Summary:
action_date: 2007-02-08
text: 
Rural Opportunities Act of 2007 - Amends the Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) make state grants for extension, education, applied research, and development activities at institutions of higher education, state agencies, or partnerships for local and regional bioenergy and biobased product use and production; and (2) provide funds for basic research on next generation technology.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to make supplemental rural cooperative development grants.
 
Amends the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 to direct the Secretary to: (1) establish regional bonus grant funds for bioenergy and biobased products competitive research, education, and extension programs; and (2) carry out agroforestry conversion and cellulosic production pilot programs.
 
Extends: (1) the renewable energy systems and energy improvements program; and (2) the value-added agricultural grant program.
 
Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to direct the Secretary to make state grants for development of the next generation of farmers, ranchers, and other land managers. Directs the Secretary to carry out specified pilot programs.
 
Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to extend: (1) the beginning farmer and rancher development program; and (2) the organic certification cost-share program.
 
Directs the Secretary to identify barriers to small, beginning, limited resource, and socially disadvantaged producers in conservation and farm support programs.
 
Authorizes funds for rural technology transfers.
 
Amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to extend the best utilization of biological applications program. Establishes a federal-state matching grant program.
 
Extends: (1) the national training program; (2) the organic agriculture research and extension program; and (3) the socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers outreach and technical assistance program.
 
Amends the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 to direct the Secretary to establish a national organic agriculture conversion and stewardship incentives program. 
 
Authorizes geographic produce and food procurement preferences for certain Department of Defense and Department of Agriculture programs.
 
Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to extend the women, infants, and children (WIC) farmers' market nutrition program. 
 
Amends the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976 to extend the farmers market promotion program.
 
Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to extend, and revise funding provisions for, assistance for community food projects.
 
Requires: (1) broadband service providers to provide the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with specified information; and (2) the FCC to provide Congress with demographic information for underserved areas.
 
Sets forth specified offset provisions.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-02-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1800-1808)
action_date: 2007-02-08
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1796-1800)
action_date: 2007-02-08
text: Introduced in Senate