PUBLIC LAW 101-624—NOV. 28, 1990 104 STAT. 4037 SEC. 2348. DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS. Grant programs. The Secretary shall establish a program of competitive grants to rural areas to serve as demonstration areas for rurgJ economic development and as models of such development for other areas. In awarding such grants, the Secretary shall favorably consider a request for funds from a rural area that the Secretary determines— (1) demonstrates the ability to supplement the grant funds provided under this section with other funds from State, local, or private sources; (2) demonstrates the ability to use the grant funds to increase employment in the area; and (3) can successfully serve as a demonstration area to share the results of the project to the benefit of other rural areas in the region. SEC. 2349. RURAL DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH ASSISTANCE. Section 502 of the Rural Development Act of 1972 (7 U.S.C. 2662) is amended by adding after the subsection added by section 2346 oif this Act the following: "(h) RESEARCH GRANTS. — "(1) IN GENERAL.— In addition to the programs already conducted under this section, the Secretary shall also establish and carry out a program to award competitive research grants to land-grant colleges and universities, research foundations, and centers established by land-grant universities. State agricultural experiment stations, and to all colleges and universities having demonstrable capability in rural development research, as determined by the Secretary, to carry out research to— "(A) determine factors which impact upon rural economic development whether favorably or unfavorably; "(B) estimate the relative impacts of these factors; "(C) develop methodologies to investigate policy options for rural economic development; "(D) evaluate the impact of Federal and State economic development policies and programs designed to improve economic competitiveness and diversification; "(E) support strategic planning for economic investments; "(F) improve human resources; and "(G) improve the data base for rural development decisionmaking in rural areas. " (2) LIMITATION ON AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— To carry out this subsection, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary not to exceed $3,000,000 in each fiscal year. Amounts appropriated under this subsection shall remain available until expended.". SEC. 2350. ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 7 USC 911a. The Rural Electrification Act of 1936 is amended by inserting after section 11 (7 U.S.C. 911) the following new section: "SEC. 11A. ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. " (a) APPOINTMENT.—The Administrator shall appoint an Assistant Administrator for Economic Development (in this Act referred to as the 'Assistant Administrator') to carry out the programs of the Rural Electrification Administration concerning the involvement of rural electric and telephone systems in community and economic development.
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