12 2 STA T . 11 6 6 PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 2 34—M A Y 22 , 200 8SEC.6013 . RU R AL C O O P ERA TIV E D EVELOP M E N T G RANTS. (a)ELIG I B ILI TY.—Section310B (e)( 5 )o f t h e C on s o l i d ated F a rm and Ru ral D e v elo p ment A ct( 7U .S.C. 1 9 3 2 (e)(5)) is amended— (1) in su b para g raph (A) , b y stri k ing ‘ ‘administering a nationally coordinated, regionally or State -w ide operated pro j ect ’ ’ and inserting ‘‘carrying out activities to promote and assist the development of cooperatively and mutually owned businesses’’
(2) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘to promote and assist the development of cooperatively and mutually owned businesses’’ before the semicolon; (3) by striking subparagraph (D); ( 4 ) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as subparagraph (D); (5) in subparagraph (D) (as so redesignated), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; ( 6 ) by inserting after subparagraph (D) (as so redesignated) the following
‘‘(E) demonstrate a commitment to— ‘‘(i) networking with and sharing the results of the efforts of the center with other cooperative develop- ment centers and other organi z ations involved in rural economic development efforts; and ‘‘(ii) developing multiorganization and multistate approaches to addressing the economic development and cooperative needs of rural areas; and’’; and (7) in subparagraph (F), by striking ‘‘providing greater than’’ and inserting ‘‘providing’’. (b) A U T HOR ITYTOA WA R DM ULTIY E AR G RA N T S .—Section 310B(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(e)) is amended by striking paragraph (6) and inserting the following: ‘‘(6) GRANT P ERIOD.— ‘‘(A) I N GENERAL.—A grant awarded to a center that has received no prior funding under this subsection shall be made for a period of 1 year. ‘‘(B) MULTIYEAR GRANTS.—If the Secretary determines it to be in the best interest of the program, the Secretary shall award grants for a period of more than 1 year, but not more than 3 years, to a center that has successfully met the parameters described in paragraph (5), as deter- mined by the Secretary.’’. (c) AUTHORITY TO E X TEND GRANT P ERIOD.—Section 310B(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(e)) is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraphs (7), ( 8 ), and (9) as para- graphs (8), (9), and (12), respectively; and (2) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following: ‘‘(7) AUTHORITY TO EXTEND GRANT PERIOD.— T he Secretary may e x tend for 1 additional 12-month period the period in which a grantee may use a grant made under this subsection.’’. (d) COOPERATI V E RESEAR C H PROGRA M .—Section 310B(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(e)) is amended by inserting after paragraph (9) (as redesignated by subsection (c)(1)) the following: ‘‘(10) COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall enter into a cooperative research agreement with 1 or Contrac t s.
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