12 2 STA T . 1 9 2 8PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 2 46—J U NE 18 , 2008 (7)insubpar a g rap h ( F ) , b y s t ri k ing ‘ ‘pr ov i d ing gr e ater than ’ ’ and inserting ‘‘providing’’ . (b) AUTHORI T Y TOA WA R DM U L TIY E AR G RA N T S . —S e c tion 310B (e) o f the C onso l idated Far m and R ural D evelopment Act (7 U .S.C. 1 9 3 2 (e)) is amended by striking paragraph ( 6 ) and inserting the follo w ing
‘‘(6) GRANT P ERIOD.— ‘‘(A) I N G ENERAL.—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 EX 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 more q ualified academic institutions in each fiscal year to con- duct research on the effects of all types of cooperatives on the national economy.’’. (e) ADDRESSING N EEDS O F MINORITY COMMUNITIES.—Section 310B(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(e)) is amended by inserting after paragraph (10) (as added by subsection (d)) the following: ‘‘(11) ADDRESSING NEEDS OF MINORITY COMMUNITIES.— ‘‘(A) DEFINITION OF SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED GROUP.— In this paragraph, the term ‘socially disadvantaged group’ has the meaning given the term in section 355(e). ‘‘(B) RESERVATION OF FUNDS.— ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—If the total amount appropriated under paragraph (12) for a fiscal year exceeds $ 7,500,000, the Secretary shall reserve an amount equal to 20 percent of the total amount appropriated for grants for cooperative development centers, indi- vidual cooperatives, or groups of cooperatives— ‘‘(I) that serve socially disadvantaged groups; and ‘‘(II) a ma j ority of the boards of directors or governing boards of which are comprised of individ- uals who are members of socially disadvantaged groups. ‘‘(ii) INSUFFICIENT APPLICATIONS.—To the extent there are insufficient applications to carry out clause Contrac t s.
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