§ 2662.
The Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this subchapter as the “Secretary”) may conduct, in cooperation and coordination with colleges and universities, the following programs to carry out the purposes and achieve the goals of this subchapter.
(f)
, (g) Repealed. [Pub. L. 104–127, title VII, § 792(a)], title VIII, § 871, Apr. 4, 1996, [110 Stat. 1152], 1175
(h)
Rural development extension work
(1)
National program
The Secretary shall establish a national program, to be administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, to provide rural citizens with training in, technical and management assistance regarding, and educational opportunities to enhance their knowledge of—
(A)
beginning businesses through entrepreneurship;
(B)
the procedures necessary to establish new businesses in rural areas;
(C)
self-employment opportunities in rural areas;
(D)
the uses of modern telecommunications and computer technologies;
(E)
business and financial planning; and
(F)
such other training, assistance, and educational opportunities as the Secretary determines are necessary to carry out the program established under this subsection.
(2)
Leadership abilities
The program established under this subsection shall provide assistance designed to increase the leadership abilities of residents in rural areas. Such assistance shall include—
(A)
information relevant to the development of community goals;
(B)
instruction regarding the methods by which State or Federal funding for rural development projects might be obtained;
(C)
instruction regarding the successful writing of applications for loan or grant funds from government and private sources;
(D)
an updated listing of State, Federal, and other economic development programs available to rural areas; and
(E)
such other training, information, and assistance as the Secretary determines necessary to increase the leadership abilities of residents in rural areas.
(3)
Catalog of programs
The National Rural Information Center Clearinghouse of the National Agricultural Library, in cooperation with the Extension Service in each State, should develop, maintain, and provide to each community, and make accessible to any other interested party, a catalog of available State, Federal, or private programs that provide leadership training or other information or services similar or complementary to the training or services required by this subsection. Such catalog should include, at a minimum, the following entities within the State that provide such training or services:
(A)
Any rural electric cooperative.
(B)
Any nonprofit company development corporation.
(C)
Any economic development district that serves a rural community.
(D)
Any nonprofit subsidiary of any private entity.
(E)
Any nonprofit organization whose principal purpose is to promote economic development in rural areas.
(F)
Any investor or publicly owned electric utility.
(G)
Any small business development center or small business investment company.
(H)
Any regional development organization.
(I)
Any vocational or technical school.
(J)
Any Federal, State, or local government agency or department.
(K)
Any other entity that the Secretary deems appropriate.
The extension service in each State should include in the catalog information on the specific training or services provided by each entity in the catalog.
(5)
Coordination of assistance
([Pub. L. 92–419, title V, § 502], as added [Pub. L. 97–98, title XIV, § 1444(a)], Dec. 22, 1981, [95 Stat. 1323]; amended [Pub. L. 99–198, title XIV, § 1440(a)], Dec. 23, 1985, [99 Stat. 1560]; [Pub. L. 100–219, § 2], Dec. 29, 1987, [101 Stat. 1456]; [Pub. L. 101–624, title XXIII], §§ 2346, 2349, 2389(a)–(c)(1), 2390(b)(1), Nov. 28, 1990, [104 Stat. 4032], 4037, 4053–4055; [Pub. L. 102–237, title IV, § 403(a)], title VII, § 704, Dec. 13, 1991, [105 Stat. 1863], 1881; [Pub. L. 104–127, title VII, § 792(a)], title VIII, §§ 871, 886, Apr. 4, 1996, [110 Stat. 1152], 1175, 1180; [Pub. L. 110–234, title VII, § 7511(c)(6)], May 22, 2008, [122 Stat. 1267]; [Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a)], title VII, § 7511(c)(6), June 18, 2008, [122 Stat. 1664], 2029; [Pub. L. 115–334, title VI, § 6101(a)(3)], Dec. 20, 2018, [132 Stat. 4727].)