{
  "id": "RL34126",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL34126",
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  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
  "versions": [
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      "id": 343082,
      "date": "2009-01-16",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T02:53:23.357043",
      "title": "Rural Development Provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill",
      "summary": "Congress has expressed its concern with rural communities most directly through periodic omnibus farm bill legislation, most recently in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-246). Congress uses periodic farm bills to address emerging rural issues as well as to reauthorize and/or amend a wide range of rural programs administered by USDA\u2019s three rural development mission agencies: Rural Housing Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and Rural Utilities Service.\nTitle VI addresses a wide range of policy issues concerning rural America. In the 2002 farm bill, these issues included provisions such as equity capital development in rural areas, regional economic planning and development, essential community facilities, infrastructure needs, value-added agricultural development, and broadband telecommunications development. The 2008 farm bill considers similar issues and addresses several new ones. The new farm bill expands broadband access in rural areas, creates a new micro-entrepreneurial assistance program and a new rural collaborative investment program, and authorizes three new regional economic development commissions. The bill also authorizes $120 million for a one-time funding of pending water and wastewater infrastructure projects.\nSeveral programs authorized with mandatory spending in the 2002 farm bill are reauthorized with discretionary funding in the new farm bill (Rural Firefighters and Emergency Personnel, Rural Strategic Investment Program, Rural Business Investment Program, and the Access to Broadband Services in Rural Areas). The Value-Added Grants Program, similarly authorized in the 2002 farm bill, is also reauthorized by P.L. 110-246 with $15 million of mandatory funding and $40 million of discretionary funding. A side-by-side comparison of House- and Senate-passed provisions and the 2002 and 2008 farm bills is provided at the end of the report in the Appendix.\nThe 2008 farm bill modifies the 2002 definition of \u201crural\u201d to include \u201careas rural in character.\u201d This modification in the definition of \u201crural\u201d establishes criteria for defining rural areas contiguous to urban areas. The bill further directs the Secretary of Agriculture to produce a report within two years on the various definitions of \u201crural\u201d used by USDA in providing assistance. The report will also assess the impacts these various definitions have on the delivery of rural development programs with the objective of better targeting assistance where it is most needed.\nThe 2008 farm bill also reauthorizes and/or amends through FY2012 many long-standing programs funded through annual appropriations\u2014water and waste disposal grants, technical assistance for rural water systems, emergency community water assistance, business opportunity grants, water assistance to Native villages in Alaska, community facilities for Tribal colleges, distance learning and telemedicine.\nThis report will be updated.",
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    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc94112/",
      "id": "RL34126_2008Sep18",
      "date": "2008-09-18",
      "retrieved": "2012-07-24T12:39:36",
      "title": "Rural Development Provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill",
      "summary": "This report discusses the provisions under Title VI of the 2008 farm bill (P.L. 110-246, Food, Conservation, and Energy Act), which addresses development and issues in rural areas.  The report includes background on the policies, issues, and programs involved in rural development as well as a breakdown of the provisions in the 2008 farm bill, such as broadband and telecommunications, rural utilities infrastructure, business and community development, regional development, and other provisions.  It also includes a comparison of rural development provisions in the 2002 and 2008 farm bills.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
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      "active": false,
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      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Rural economic development",
          "name": "Rural economic development"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Federal aid to rural areas",
          "name": "Federal aid to rural areas"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Rural policy",
          "name": "Rural policy"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Economic development",
          "name": "Economic development"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc808425/",
      "id": "RL34126_2008Jun06",
      "date": "2008-06-06",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "Rural Development Provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
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      "active": false,
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      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc96786/",
      "id": "RL34126_2008Jan03",
      "date": "2008-01-03",
      "retrieved": "2012-08-07T13:52:45",
      "title": "Rural Development and the 2007 Farm Bill",
      "summary": "This report offers an overview and background information regarding the 2007 farm bill. It addresses emerging rural issues and rural programs administered by USDA.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
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      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Agricultural policies",
          "name": "Agricultural policies"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Agriculture",
          "name": "Agriculture"
        },
        {
          "source": "KWD",
          "id": "government policies",
          "name": "government policies"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Rural development",
          "name": "Rural development"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc815961/",
      "id": "RL34126_2007Aug10",
      "date": "2007-08-10",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "Rural Development and the 2007 Farm Bill",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
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  "topics": [
    "Appropriations"
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}