NASULGC's Farm Bill Provisions

453. Rural
Entrepreneurship Development Program

Summary

Authorizes $20 million annually for a program of rural entrepreneurship
research and education projects, with the advice and assistance of certain
regional rural development centers and Regional Administrative Councils.

Legislative
Language

SEC. 453. RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM .

(a) RESEARCH PROJECTS
REQUIRED.—The Secretary shall conduct research and education projects
to obtain data, develop conclusions, demonstrate technologies, and facilitate
multi-jurisdictional initiatives that promote the purposes of this section,
including research and education projects that—

(1) facilitate and increase
investigation and education in order to—

(A) provide the necessary
education, training, and technical assistance in high schools, community
colleges, colleges, universities and through non-formal outreach education
delivery systems to start up and grow rural businesses;

(B) provide the necessary
education, training, and technical assistance in English as well as other
languages serving the needs of minority and immigrant populations;

(C) improve access to a diverse
range of capital resources from microenterprise
loans to venture capital;

(D) determine the best methods to
train entrepreneurs in preparing business plans, recordkeeping, compliance
with tax rules, financial management, and general business practices;

(E) promote entrepreneurship
among rural youth, minority populations, women, and low-income rural
residents; and

(F) create networks of entrepreneurial
support and enabling culture among the business community, government at all
levels, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and other sectors;
and

(2) facilitate the conduct of
projects in order to—

(A) study, to the extent practicable,
the unique entrepreneurial development systems that best align with the
unique needs and strengths of rural areas and rural communities;

(B) study rural entrepreneurs and
the education, training, and technical assistance they employ;

(C) study rural entrepreneurial
development organizations with regard to the education, training, and
technical assistance they provide, and determine what are the most promising
strategies for building a more integrated system of program delivery to rural
entrepreneurs;

(D) take advantage of the
experience and expertise of rural entrepreneurs and rural entrepreneurial
development organizations through their direct participation and leadership
in projects;

(E) transfer practical, reliable,
and timely information to rural entrepreneurs and rural entrepreneurial
development organizations concerning entrepreneurial education, training,
technical assistance, and the development of local and regional
entrepreneurial systems in rural areas and rural communities;

(F) promote partnerships among
rural entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions at all
levels, and governmental institutions and agencies at all levels; and

(G) provide
assistance to local governments regarding the important mix of policies and
programs that can help create and promote entrepreneurial-ready communities
in rural America.

(b) AGREEMENTS.— The
Secretary shall carry out this section through agreements entered into with
land-grant colleges or universities (including their State Cooperative
Extension Services, Agricultural Experiment Stations, and their Regional
Rural Development Centers), other universities or colleges, community
colleges and other two-year institutions of higher education, elementary and
secondary schools, the State cooperative extension services, nonprofit
organizations, or Federal, State or local governmental entities. All
agreements shall be awarded on a competitive basis according to criteria set
forth by the Regional Administrative Councils established under subsection
(f).

(c) SELECTION, PRIORITY, AND
DURATION OF PROJECTS. —

(1) IN GENERAL.—The
Secretary shall select projects to be carried out under this section on the
basis of—–

(A) the relevance of the project
to the purposes of this section;

(B) the appropriateness of the
design of the project;

(C) the likelihood of attaining
the objectives of the project; and

(D) the
national or regional applicability of the findings and outcomes of the
proposed project.

(2) PRIORITY.—In carrying
out projects under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to
projects that—

(A) closely coordinate research
and education activities (including outreach education efforts);

(B) will best disseminate the
findings of the project in a readily usable manner to rural entrepreneurs and
to rural community leaders;

(C) maximize the involvement and
cooperation of rural entrepreneurs;

(D) involve a multidisciplinary
systems approach; and

(E) involve
cooperation between rural entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations, entrepreneurial
development organizations, educational institutions at all levels, and
government agencies at all levels.

(3) PROJECT DURATION.—The
Secretary may approve projects to be conducted under this section that have a
duration of more than 1 fiscal year.

(d) DIVERSIFICATION OF
RESEARCH.—The Secretary shall conduct projects and studies under this
section in areas that are broadly representative of the diversity of the
rural areas of the Unites States and the diversity of rural entrepreneurship
in the United States, including entrepreneurship involving youth, racial
groups, microenterprises, and women, with a focus
on either food and other agriculturally-based businesses (but not directly
production agriculture), or non-agricultural business.

(e) PROGRAM
ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary shall—

(1) administer the programs and
projects conducted under subsection (a) through the Cooperative State
Research Service in close cooperation with the Extension Service,
Agricultural Research Service (or its successor agency), and other
appropriate agencies;

(2) establish a minimum of 4
Regional Administrative Councils in accordance with subsection (f); and

(3) with
the advice of the Regional Administrative Councils, identify the applicable
regional rural development center as the regional host institution or
organization responsible for carrying out such programs or projects, or
identify another regional host institution where appropriate.

(f) REGIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE
COUNCILS.—

(1) MEMBERSHIP.—The
membership of the Regional Administrative Councils shall include
representatives of—

(A) nonprofit organizations that
are involved in the direct services to rural entrepreneurs, small businesses,
and microenterprises, or that have demonstrable
experience in rural entrepreneurship;

(B) regional and state agencies
involved in rural economic development;

(C) State Cooperative Extension
Services in the region that are involved in providing direct services to
rural entrepreneurs, small businesses, and microenterprises,
or to rural communities that are engaged in entrepreneurship development
efforts;

(D) representatives from
philanthropic organizations with a strong interest in rural entrepreneurship
and rural development activities in the region;

(E) self-employed rural
entrepreneurs and owners of rural small businesses with more than 5 and fewer
than 50 employees;

(F) institutions of higher
education with demonstrable experience in rural entrepreneurship or related
activities;

(G) elementary and secondary
educators with demonstrable experience in rural entrepreneurship;

(H) the director or
representative of the Regional
Rural Development
Center located in the
region;

(I) owners of rural businesses
with 5 or fewer employees;

(J) State cooperative extension
services with demonstrable experience in rural entrepreneurship;

(K) nonprofit organizations with
demonstrable experience in rural entrepreneurship;

(L) tribal governments; and

(M) other
persons knowledgeable about rural entrepreneurship and its impact on rural
communities.

(2) RESPONSIBILITIES .— The
Regional Administrative Councils shall—

(A) promote the programs
established under this section at the regional level;

(B) establish goals and criteria
for the selection of projects authorized under this section within the
applicable region;

(C) appoint a technical committee
to evaluate the proposals for projects to be considered for selection under
this section;

(D) review the recommendations of
the technical committee, and coordinate its activities with the regional host
institution; and

(E) prepare
and make available an annual report concerning projects funded under this
section, together with an evaluation of the project activity.

(3) CONFLICT OF INTEREST.—A
member of the Regional Administrative Council or a technical committee may
not participate in the discussion or recommendation of a proposed project if
the member has or had a professional or business interest in, including the
provision of consultancy services to, the organization whose proposal is
under review.

(4) AUTHORIZATION OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this section $20,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2014, to
remain available until expended.