[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 991 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 991

To direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Energy to 
undertake initiatives to address certain needs in the Lower Mississippi 
                 Delta Region, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                May 19 (legislative day, April 19), 1993

   Mr. Johnston (for himself, Mr. Bumpers, Mr. Ford, and Mr. Shelby) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
               Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Energy to 
undertake initiatives to address certain needs in the Lower Mississippi 
                 Delta Region, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be 
referred to as the ``Lower Mississippi Delta Initiatives Act of 1993''.

SECTION 1. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Sec. 1. Table of Contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
       TITLE I--INITIATIVES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Sec. 101. Definitions.
Sec. 102. Natural Resources and Environmental Education Initiatives.
Sec. 103. Lower Mississippi Delta Region Heritage Study.
Sec. 104. Delta Heritage Trails and Cultural Centers.
Sec. 105. Historic and Prehistoric Structures Survey.
         TITLE II--INITIATIVES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Sec. 201. Definitions.
Sec. 202. Delta Energy Technology and Business Development Center.
Sec. 203. Institutional Conservation Program for the Lower Mississippi 
                            Delta Region.
Sec. 204. Energy Related Education Initiatives.
Sec. 205. Integrated Biomass Energy Systems.
Sec. 206. Weatherization Assistance Program for the Lower Mississippi 
                            Delta Region.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    (a) The Congress finds that--
            (1) in 1988 Congress enacted Public Law 100-460, which 
        established the Lower Mississippi Delta Development Commission 
        to assess the needs, problems and opportunities of people 
        living in the Lower Mississippi Delta Region which includes 219 
        counties and parishes within the States of Arkansas, Illinois, 
        Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee;
            (2) the Commission conducted a thorough investigation to 
        assess these needs, problems, and opportunities, and held 
        several public hearings throughout the Lower Mississippi Delta 
        Region;
            (3) on the basis of these investigations, the Commission 
        issued the Delta Initiatives Report, which included 
        recommendations on natural resource protection, historic 
        preservation, and enhancing educational and other opportunities 
        in the areas of math and science and technology for Delta 
        residents;
            (4) the Delta Initiatives Report recommended the 
        implementation of pre-college enrichment programs in math and 
        science as well as other initiatives to enhance the education 
        and technical capabilities of the Delta Region's workforce;
            (5) the Delta Initiatives Report recommended that States 
        and local school systems seek ways of expanding the pool of 
        qualified educators in math and sciences;
            (6) the Delta Initiatives Report recommended that 
        institutions of higher education in the Lower Mississippi Delta 
        Region should work with local school districts to promote math 
        and science education;
            (7) the Delta Initiatives Report recommended that all 
        Federal grant making agencies target more research and 
        development monies in selected areas to institutions of higher 
        education, including Historically Black Colleges and 
        Universities, in the Lower Mississippi Delta Region;
            (8) the Delta Initiatives Report recommended that 
        institutions of higher education establish a regional 
        consortium to provide technical assistance and training to 
        increase international trade between businesses in the Delta 
        Region and other countries;
            (9) the Commission included recommendations for designation 
        of the Great River Road as a scenic byway, and for the 
        designation of other hiking and motorized trails throughout the 
        Lower Mississippi Delta Region;
            (10) the Delta Initiatives Report recommended that the 
        Federal government identify sites of historic and prehistoric 
        importance throughout the Lower Mississippi Delta Region;
            (11) the Delta Initiatives Report recommended the further 
        study of potential new units of the National Park System within 
        the Lower Mississippi Delta Region;
            (12) the Delta Initiatives Report recommended that the 
        Federal government should create economic incentives to 
        encourage the location of value-added facilities for processing 
        agricultural products within the Lower Mississippi Delta 
        Region; and
            (13) the Delta Initiatives Report recommended that Congress 
        provide practical incentives to encourage the construction of 
        alternative fuel production facilities in the region.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act, the term--
            (1) ``Commission'' means the Lower Mississippi Delta 
        Development Commission established pursuant to Public Law 100-
        460;
            (2) ``Delta Initiatives Report'' means the Final Report of 
        the Commission entitled ``The Delta Initiatives: Realizing the 
        Dream . . . Fulfilling the Potential'' and dated May 14, 1990;
            (3) ``Delta Region'' means the Lower Mississippi Delta 
        Region including the 219 counties and parishes within the 
        States of Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, 
        Missouri, and Tennessee, as defined in the ``Final Report The 
        Delta Initiatives: A Report by the Lower Mississippi Delta 
        Development Commission'' dated May 14, 1990, except that, for 
        any State for which the Delta Region as defined in such report 
        comprises more than half of the geographic area of such State, 
        the entire State shall be considered as part of the Delta 
        Region for purposes of this Act;
            (4) ``disadvantaged'' has the same meaning as that term has 
        in section 8(a) (5) and (6) of the Small Business Act (15 
        U.S.C. 637(a) (5) and (6));
            (5) ``Historically Black College or University'' means a 
        college or university that would be considered a `part B 
        institution' by section 322(2) of the Higher Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2)); and
            (6) ``minority college or university'' means a historically 
        black college or university that would be considered a ``part B 
        institution'' by section 322(2) of the Higher Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2)) or any other institution of higher 
        education where enrollment includes a substantial percentage of 
        students who are disadvantaged.

       TITLE I--INITIATIVES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

SEC. 101. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this title, the term--
            (1) ``Department'' means the United States Department of 
        the Interior, unless otherwise specifically stated; and
            (2) ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior, 
        unless otherwise specifically stated.

SEC. 102. NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION INITIATIVES.

    (a) Minority Colleges or University Initiative.--(1) Within one 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources of the United States Senate and to the United States 
House of Representatives a report addressing opportunities for minority 
colleges and universities to participate in programs and activities 
carried out by the Department. The Secretary shall consult with 
representatives of minority colleges or universities in preparing the 
report. Such report shall--
            (A) describe current education and training programs 
        carried out by the Department with respect to, or in 
        conjunction with, minority colleges or universities in the 
        areas of natural resources, the environment, the sciences, 
        cultural resource management, historic preservation, 
        archeology, and related subjects;
            (B) describe current research, development or demonstration 
        programs involving the Department and minority colleges or 
        universities;
            (C) describe funding levels for the programs referred to in 
        subparagraphs (A) and (B);
            (D) identify ways for the Department to assist minority 
        colleges or universities in providing education and training in 
        the fields of natural resources, the environment, the sciences, 
        cultural resource management, historic preservation, 
        archeology, and related subjects;
            (E) make specific proposals and recommendations for 
        providing assistance to minority colleges and universities to 
        enter into memoranda of understanding and other appropriate 
        forms of agreement with the Department in order to plan and 
        develop programs to foster greater involvement of these schools 
        in the contract, research, education, training, and recruitment 
        activities of the Department;
            (F) address the need for, and potential role of, the 
        Department in providing minority colleges or universities with:
                    (i) increased research opportunities for faculty 
                and students;
                    (ii) assistance in faculty development and 
                recruitment;
                    (iii) curriculum enhancement and development; and
                    (iv) improved laboratory instrumentation and 
                equipment, through purchase, loan, or other transfer 
                mechanisms;
            (G) address the need for and potential role of the 
        Department in providing financial and technical assistance for 
        the development of infrastructure, including buildings and 
        laboratory facilities, at minority colleges and universities; 
        and
            (H) make specific proposals and recommendations, together 
        with estimates of necessary funding levels, for initiatives to 
        be carried out by the Department in order to assist minority 
        colleges and universities in providing education and training 
        in the areas of natural resources, the environment, the 
        sciences, cultural resource management, historic preservation, 
        archeology, and related subjects, and in order to enter into 
        memoranda of understanding and other appropriate forms of 
        agreement with the Department as referred to in subparagraph 
        (E).
    (2) The Secretary shall encourage memoranda of understanding and 
other appropriate forms of agreement between the Department and 
minority colleges and universities directed at jointly planning and 
developing programs to foster greater involvement of minority colleges 
and universities in research, education, training, and recruitment 
activities of the Department.
    (b) Scholarship Program.--The Secretary shall establish a 
scholarship program for students pursuing degrees in natural resource 
and environmental related fields, including but not limited to: 
biology, wildlife biology, forestry, botany, horticulture, historic 
preservation, cultural resource management, archeology, anthropology, 
geology, petroleum engineering, the environment, the sciences, and 
ecology, at colleges and universities in the Delta Region. The 
scholarship program shall include tuition assistance. Recipients of 
such scholarships shall be students deemed by the Secretary to have 
demonstrated (1) a need for financial assistance and (2) academic 
potential in the particular area of study.
    (c) Pre-College Enrichment.--The Secretary shall undertake 
activities to encourage pre-college enrichment programs in subjects 
relating to natural resources, the environment, the sciences, cultural 
resource management, historic preservation, archeology, and related 
subjects, for students in the Delta Region. Such activities shall 
include, but not be limited to the following:
            (1) cooperation with, and assistance to, State departments 
        of education and local school districts in the Delta Region to 
        develop and carry out after school and summer enrichment 
        programs for elementary, middle, and secondary school students 
        in subjects relating to natural resources, the environment, the 
        sciences, cultural resource management, historic preservation, 
        archeology, and related subjects;
            (2) cooperation with, and assistance to, institutions of 
        higher education in the Delta Region to develop and carry out 
        pre-college enrichment programs in subjects relating to natural 
        resources, the environment, the sciences, cultural resource 
        management, historic preservation, archeology, and related 
        subjects, for middle and secondary students;
            (3) cooperation with, and assistance to, State departments 
        of education and local school districts in the Delta Region in 
        the development and use of curriculum and educational materials 
        in subjects relating to natural resources, the environment, the 
        sciences, cultural resource management, historic preservation, 
        archeology, and related subjects; and
            (4) the establishment of enrichment programs in subjects 
        relating to natural resources, the environment, the sciences, 
        cultural resource management, historic preservation, 
        archeology, and related subjects, for elementary, middle, and 
        secondary school teachers in the Delta Region at research 
        facilities of the Department.
    (d) Volunteer Program.--The Secretary shall establish and carry out 
a program to encourage the involvement on a voluntary basis of 
qualified employees of the Department in education enrichment programs 
relating to natural resources, the environment, the sciences, cultural 
resource management, historic preservation, archeology, and related 
subjects, in cooperation with State departments of education and local 
school districts in the Delta Region.
    (e) Women and Minorities in the Sciences.--The Secretary shall 
establish and carry out a program to encourage women and minority 
students in the Delta Region to study and pursue careers in the 
sciences.
    (f) Coordination With Other Federal Agencies.--The Secretary shall 
ensure that the programs authorized in this section are coordinated 
with, and complimentary to, education assistance programs administered 
by other Federal agencies in the Delta Region. These agencies include, 
but are not limited to, the Department of Energy, the Department of 
Agriculture, the Department of Education, the National Science 
Foundation, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--(1) There is hereby 
authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry 
out the purpose of this section.
    (2) There is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the purposes 
of carrying out the memoranda of understanding and other appropriate 
forms of agreement referred to in paragraph (a)(2) of section 102 and 
for related facilities and equipment, such sums as may be necessary.

SEC. 103. LOWER MISSISSIPPI DELTA REGION HERITAGE STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary is directed to prepare and transmit 
to the Congress a study of significant natural, recreational, 
historical or prehistorical, and cultural lands, waters, and structures 
located within the Delta Region.
    (b) Transportation Routes.--(1) The study shall include 
recommendations on appropriate designation and interpretation of 
historically significant roads, trails, byways, waterways, or other 
routes within the Delta Region.
    (2) In order to provide for public appreciation, education, 
understanding, interpretation, and enjoyment of the nationally 
significant sites identified pursuant to subsection (a), which are 
accessible by public roads, the Secretary shall recommend in the study 
vehicular tour routes along existing public roads linking such sites 
within the Delta Region.
    (3) Such recommendations shall include an analysis of designating 
the Great River Road (as depicted on the map entitled ``Proposed Delta 
Transportation Network'' on pages 102-103 of the Delta Initiatives 
Report) and other sections of the River Road between Baton Rouge and 
New Orleans, Louisiana and an analysis of designating that portion of 
El Camino Real which extends along Highway 84 from Vidalia, Louisiana, 
to Clarence, Louisiana, and Louisiana Highway 6 from Clarence, 
Louisiana, to the Toledo Bend Reservoir as a National Scenic Byway, or 
as a component of the National Trails System, or such other designation 
as the Secretary deems appropriate.
    (4) The Secretary shall also recommend in the study an appropriate 
route along existing public roads to commemorate the importance of 
timber production and trade to the economic development of the region 
in the early twentieth century, including an analysis of designating 
that portion of US 165 which extends from Alexandria, Louisiana, to 
Monore, Louisiana, as a National Scenic Byway, or as a component of the 
National Trails System, or such other designation as the Secretary 
deems appropriate.
    (5) The Secretary shall also develop a comprehensive recreation, 
interpretive, and visitor use plan for the routes described in the 
above paragraphs, including bicycle and hiking paths, and make specific 
recommendations for the acquisition and construction of related 
interpretive and visitor information facilities at selected sites along 
such routes.
    (6)(A) In furtherance of the purposes of this subsection, the 
Secretary is authorized to make grants to States for work necessary to 
stabilize, maintain, and widen such public roads to allow for adequate 
access to the nationally significant sites identified by the study, to 
allow for proper utilization of the vehicular tour route, trails, 
byways, or other public roads within the Lower Mississippi Delta Region 
and to implement the comprehensive recreation, interpretive, and 
visitor use plan required in paragraph (5).
    (B) For the purposes of this paragraph, the term ``Secretary'' 
shall mean the Secretary of the Interior acting through the Secretary 
of Transportation.
    (c) Listing.--On the basis of the study, the Secretary shall 
prepare a list of the most appropriate sites, including an analysis of 
the suitability and feasibility of their inclusion in the National Park 
System, or for designation as a National Historic Landmark, or such 
other designation, as the Secretary deems appropriate.
    (d) Completion Date.--The study shall be completed not later than 
three years after the date funds are made available for the study.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is hereby authorized to 
be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the purposes 
of this section.

SEC. 104. DELTA HERITAGE TRAILS AND CULTURAL CENTERS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that--
            (1) in 1990, the Congress authorized the Institute of 
        Museum Services to prepare a report assessing the needs of 
        small, emerging, minority, and rural museums in order to 
        identify the resources such museums needed to meet their 
        educational mission, to identify the areas of museum operation 
        in which the needs were greatest, and to make recommendations 
        on how these needs could best be met;
            (2) the Institute of Museum Services undertook a 
        comprehensive eighteen-month study of such needs with the 
        assistance of two advisory groups, surveyed five hundred and 
        twenty-four museums from throughout the Nation, held discussion 
        groups in which representatives of twenty-five museum groups 
        participated, and conducted case studies of twelve museum 
        facilities around the Nation;
            (3) on the basis of this assessment, the Institute of 
        Museum Services issued a report entitled National Needs 
        Assessment of Small, Emerging, Minority and Rural Museums in 
        the United States in September 1992, which found that small, 
        emerging, minority, and rural museums provide valuable 
        educational and cultural resources for their communities and 
        contain a reservoir of the Nation's material, cultural, and 
        scientific heritage, but due to inadequate resources are unable 
        to meet their full potential or the demands of the surrounding 
        communities;
            (4) the needs of these institutions are not being met 
        through existing Federal programs;
            (5) fewer than half of the participants in the survey had 
        applied for Federal assistance in the past two years and that 
        many believe existing Federal programs do not meet their needs;
            (6) based on the national needs assessment, that funding 
        agencies should increase support available to small, emerging, 
        minority, and rural museums and make specific recommendations 
        for increasing technical assistance in order to identify such 
        institutions and provide assistance to facilitate their 
        participation in Federal programs;
            (7) the May 1990 Delta Initiatives Report made specific 
        recommendations for the creation and development of centers for 
        the preservation of the cultural, historical, scientific, and 
        literary heritage of the Delta area, including recommendations 
        for the establishment of a Native American Cultural Center and 
        a Delta African American Cultural museum with additional 
        satellite museums linked throughout the delta; and
            (8) the Delta Initiatives Report stated that new ways of 
        coordinating, preserving, and promoting the Delta Region's 
        literature, art, and music should be established including the 
        creation of a network to promote the region's literary, 
        artistic, and musical heritage.
    (b) In General.--(1) The Secretary is directed to prepare and 
transmit to the Congress, in consultation with the States of the Delta 
Region, a study outlining specific recommendations, including 
recommendations for necessary funding, for the establishment of a 
Native American Heritage Route and a Delta African American Heritage 
Trail in the Delta Region as identified on pages 148 and 149 of the 
Delta Initiatives Report.
    (2) The Secretary, in consultation with the Chairman of the 
National Endowment for the Arts, is further directed to prepare and 
transmit to the Congress a report outlining specific recommendations, 
including recommendations for necessary funding, for the establishment 
of a Native American Heritage Cultural Center, a Delta African American 
Heritage and Cultural Center with a network of satellite or cooperative 
units, and an appropriate arrangement to serve as a clearinghouse for 
providing incremental financial and technical assistance to small, 
emerging, rural or minority institutions seeking to preserve the Delta 
Region's literary, artistic, and musical heritage.
    (c) Native American Route and Center.--(1) The study referred to in 
subsection (b) of this section shall include recommendations for 
establishing a network of archaeological parks and museums in the Delta 
Region, including a master plan and ten year development strategy for 
such network.
    (2) Such study shall include specific proposals for the development 
of a Native American Heritage and Cultural Center in the Delta Region, 
along with recommendations for the appropriate Federal role in such a 
center including matching grants, technical and interpretive 
assistance.
    (3) Such study shall be conducted in consultation with tribal 
leaders.
    (4) Such study shall also include specific proposals for 
educational and training assistance for Native Americans to carry out 
the recommendations provided in the study.
    (d) Delta Region African American Heritage Trail and Cultural 
Center.--(1) The study referred to in subsection (b) of this section 
shall include recommendations for establishing a heritage corridor or 
trail system, consisting of one or two major north-south routes and 
several east-west-spur loops to preserve, interpret and commemorate the 
rich African American heritage and culture in the Delta Region during 
all significant historical periods.
    (2) Such study shall make specific recommendations for representing 
all forms of expressive culture including the musical, folklife, 
literary, artistic, scientific, historical, educational, and political 
contributions and accomplishments of African Americans in the Delta 
Region.
    (3) Such study shall also include specific recommendations for 
providing assistance to strengthen existing institutions as well as the 
inclusion of sites of historical and cultural importance on the 
campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the Delta.
    (4) Such study shall make specific recommendations for implementing 
the findings of the Delta Initiatives Report with respect to 
establishing an African American Heritage and Cultural Center and 
related satellite museums in the Delta Region, together with specific 
funding levels necessary to carry out these recommendations and shall 
also include recommendations for improving access of small, emerging, 
minority or rural museums to technical, incremental financial 
assistance.
    (5) Such study shall be conducted in consultation with institutions 
of higher education in the Delta Region with expertise in African 
American studies, Southern studies, anthropology, history, and other 
relevant fields.
    (6) Such study shall make specific recommendations for improving 
educational programs offered by existing cultural facilities and 
museums as well as establishing new outreach programs for elementary, 
middle and secondary schools, including summer programs for youth in 
the Delta Region.
    (7) Such study shall also include specific recommendations, 
together with specific funding levels necessary to implement such 
recommendations, for training museum professionals at small, emerging, 
minority, and rural museums, for upgrading exhibitions, and for any 
other steps necessary to assure the integrity of collections in these 
facilities.
    (e) Comprehensive Folklife Survey.--(1) In general.--The Secretary, 
in consultation with the Chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts 
and the States of the Delta Region, shall undertake a comprehensive 
regional survey to document and identify regional folklife within the 
Delta Region.
    (2) Such survey shall include an assessment of existing marketing 
programs for folklife and crafts in the region as well as 
recommendations for developing an improved, regional approach to 
marketing crafts and folklife programs, including the development of a 
common logo for signs and materials as recommended in the Delta 
Initiatives Report.
    (f) Completion Date.--The study, report, and survey authorized in 
subsections (b), (d), and (e) shall be completed not later than three 
years after the date funds are made available for such study, report, 
and survey.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriate such sums as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of 
this section.

SEC. 105. HISTORIC AND PREHISTORIC STRUCTURES SURVEY.

    (a) The Secretary shall provide technical and incremental financial 
assistance to Historically Black Colleges and Universities to undertake 
a comprehensive survey of historic and prehistoric structures located 
on their campuses, including recommendations as to the inclusion of 
appropriate structures on the National Register of Historic Places, 
designation as National Historic Landmarks, or other appropriate 
designation as determined by the Secretary. The Secretary shall further 
make specific proposals and recommendations, together with estimates of 
necessary funding levels, for a Comprehensive Plan to be carried out by 
the Department to assist Historically Black Colleges and Universities 
in the preservation and interpretation of such structures.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of 
this section.

         TITLE II--INITIATIVES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

SEC. 201. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this title, the term--
            (1) ``Center'' means the Delta Energy Technology and 
        Business Development Center;
            (2) ``Department'' means the United States Department of 
        Energy, unless otherwise specifically stated;
            (3) ``departmental laboratory'' means a facility operated 
        by or on behalf of the Department of Energy that would be 
        considered a laboratory as that term is defined in section 12 
        of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 
        U.S.C. 3710(d)(2)) or other laboratory or facility the 
        Secretary designates;
            (4) ``partnership'' means an arrangement under which the 
        Secretary or one or more departmental laboratories undertakes 
        research, development, demonstration, commercial application 
        activities, or technical assistance for the mutual benefit of 
        the partners in cooperation with one or more participants of 
        which one or more is a non-Federal partner from among the 
        following: an educational institution, private sector entity, 
        or State or local governmental entity;
            (5) ``persons in the Delta Region'' means an entity 
        primarily located in the Delta Region, the controlling interest 
        (as defined by the Secretary) of which is held by persons of 
        the United States, including:
                    (A) a for-profit business;
                    (B) a private foundation;
                    (C) a non-profit organization such as a university;
                    (D) a trade or professional society;
                    (E) a tribal government; or
                    (F) a unit of State or local government; and
            (6) ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Energy, unless 
        otherwise specifically stated.

SEC. 202. DELTA ENERGY TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish at Louisiana 
State University in partnership with Southern University in Baton 
Rouge, Louisiana, and other institutions of higher education in the 
Delta Region, the Delta Energy Technology and Business Development 
Center.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Center shall be to:
            (1) retain and create energy manufacturing and related 
        energy service jobs in the Delta Region;
            (2) encourage the export of energy resources and 
        technologies, including services related thereto, from the 
        Delta Region;
            (3) develop markets for energy resources and technologies 
        from the Delta Region to be used in meeting the energy resource 
        and technology needs of foreign countries;
            (4) ensure the successful, long-term market penetration of 
        energy resources and technologies from the Delta Region into 
        foreign countries;
            (5) better ensure that United States participation in 
        energy-related projects in foreign countries includes the 
        participation of persons in the Delta Region as well as the 
        utilization of energy resources and technologies that have been 
        developed, demonstrated, and manufactured in the Delta Region; 
        and
            (6) assist persons in the Delta Region to obtain 
        opportunities to transfer energy technologies to, or undertake 
        projects in, foreign countries.
    (c) General.--The Center shall--
            (1) identify and establish flexible manufacturing networks 
        in consultation with the States of the Delta Region to promote 
        the development of energy resources and technologies that have 
        the potential to expand technology development, manufacturing, 
        and exports in the Delta Region;
            (2) provide technical, business, training, marketing, and 
        other assistance to persons in the Delta Region;
            (3) develop a comprehensive database and information 
        dissemination system, that will provide information on the 
        specific energy resources and technologies of the Delta Region, 
        as well as opportunities for Delta Region firms in the domestic 
        and international markets;
            (4) establish a network of business and technology 
        incubators to promote the design, manufacture, and sale of 
        energy resources and technologies; and
            (5) enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with 
        persons in the Delta Region to carry out these objectives.
    (d) Assistance From the Secretary.--The Secretary is authorized to 
provide the Center assistance in obtaining such personnel, equipment, 
and facilities as may be needed by the Center to carry out its 
activities.
    (e) Grants.--The Secretary is authorized to make grants to the 
Center to support the creation of flexible manufacturing networks as 
identified in subsection (c) and to develop the comprehensive database 
described in paragraph (c)(3) in order to electronically link the 
Center with other institutions of higher education in the Delta Region, 
and to support the training, marketing, and other related activities of 
the Center.
    (f) General Provisions.--
            (1) Acceptance of grants and transfers.--The Center may 
        accept--
                    (A) grants and donations from private individuals, 
                groups, organizations, corporations, foundations, State 
                and local governments, and other entities; and
                    (B) transfers of funds from other Federal agencies.
            (2) Contracts and cooperative agreements.--Subject to 
        appropriations, the Center may enter into contracts and 
        cooperative agreements with the Federal Government or persons 
        in the Delta Region to carry out the Center's responsibilities.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary for the establishment, 
operation, construction, and maintenance of the Center.

SEC. 203. INSTITUTIONAL CONSERVATION PROGRAM FOR THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI 
              DELTA REGION.

    (a) In General.--Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation 
Act (Public Law 94-163 as amended) is amended--
            (1) by adding a new section 400K as follows:

 ``institutional conservation program for the lower mississippi delta 
                                 region

    ``Sec. 400K. (a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to 
encourage energy conservation measures in the schools and hospitals in 
the Lower Mississippi Delta Region.
    ``(b) Grants for Establishment of Program.--Not later than 12 
months after the date of the enactment of the Lower Mississippi Delta 
Initiatives Act of 1993, the Secretary shall make grants to schools or 
hospitals, or to consortiums consisting of a school or hospital and one 
or more of the following: State or local government; local education 
agency; State hospital facilities agency; or State schools facility 
agency; for purposes of conducting innovative energy conservation 
projects and providing supplemental Federal financing for energy 
conservation projects at schools and hospitals in the Lower Mississippi 
Delta Region.
    ``(c) Applications.--(1) Applications of schools or hospitals for 
grants for energy conservation projects under this section shall be 
made not more than once for any fiscal year. Such applications shall be 
submitted to the State energy agency, in consultation with the Planning 
and Development Districts in the Lower Mississippi Delta Region, and 
the State energy agency shall make a single submittal to the Secretary 
containing all applications which comply with subsection (e).
    ``(2) Applications for grants for energy conservation projects 
shall contain, or be accompanied by, such information as the Secretary 
may reasonably require.
    ``(d) Selection of Proposals.--(1) Not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of the Lower Mississippi Delta Initiatives 
Act of 1993, the Secretary shall select at least seven, but not more 
than 21, proposals from States to receive grants under subsection (b).
    ``(2) The Secretary may select more than 21 proposals under this 
subsection, if the Secretary determines that the total amount of 
available funds is not likely to be otherwise utilized.
    ``(3) No one State shall receive less than one, or more than four, 
grants under subsection (b).
    ``(4) Such grants shall be in addition to such grants as would 
otherwise be provided under Part G of this Act.
    ``(5) No one grant proposal under this section shall receive a 
consideration greater than $2,000,000.
    ``(e) Selection Criteria.--The Secretary shall select recipients of 
grants under this section on the basis of the following criteria:
            ``(1) the location of the grant recipient in the States of 
        the Lower Mississippi Delta Region;
            ``(2) the demonstrated or potential resources available to 
        the grant recipient for carrying out the purposes of this 
        section; and
            ``(3) the demonstrated or potential ability of the grant 
        recipient to improve energy efficiency in the designated school 
        or hospital.
    ``(f) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term `Lower 
Mississippi Delta Region' means that region consisting of the 219 
counties and parishes within the States of Arkansas, Illinois, 
Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee, as defined 
in the `Final Report The Delta Initiatives: A Report by the Lower 
Mississippi Delta Development Commission' dated May 14, 1990, except 
that, for any State for which the Delta Region as defined in such 
report comprises more than half of the geographic area of such State, 
the entire State shall be considered as part of the Delta Region for 
purposes of this Act.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated for purposes of carrying out this section, to remain 
available until expended, not more than $20,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 1994, 1995, and 1996.''.

SEC. 204. ENERGY RELATED EDUCATION INITIATIVES.

    (a) Minority College and University Report.--Within one year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
of the United States Senate and to the United States House of 
Representatives a report addressing opportunities for minority colleges 
and universities to participate in programs and activities being 
carried out by the Department or the departmental laboratories. The 
Secretary shall consult with representatives of minority colleges and 
universities in preparing the report. Such report shall--
            (1) describe current education and training programs being 
        carried out by the Department or the departmental laboratories 
        with respect to or in conjunction with minority colleges and 
        universities in the areas of mathematics, science, and 
        engineering;
            (2) describe current research, development or demonstration 
        programs involving the Department or the departmental 
        laboratories and minority colleges and universities;
            (3) describe funding levels for the programs referred to in 
        paragraphs (1) and (2);
            (4) identify ways for the Department or the departmental 
        laboratories to assist minority colleges and universities in 
        providing education and training in the fields of math, 
        science, and engineering;
            (5) identify ways for the Department or the departmental 
        laboratories to assist minority colleges and universities in 
        entering into partnerships;
            (6) address the need for and potential role of the 
        Department or the departmental laboratories in providing 
        minority colleges and universities:
                    (A) increased research opportunities for faculty 
                and students;
                    (B) assistance in faculty development and 
                recruitment and curriculum enhancement and development; 
                and
                    (C) laboratory instrumentation and equipment, 
                including computer equipment, through purchase, loan, 
                or other transfer;
            (7) address the need for and potential role of the 
        Department or departmental laboratories in providing funding 
        and technical assistance for the development of infrastructure 
        facilities, including buildings and laboratory facilities at 
        minority colleges and universities; and
            (8) make specific proposals and recommendations, together 
        with estimates of necessary funding levels, for initiatives to 
        be carried out by the Department or the departmental 
        laboratories to assist minority colleges and universities in 
        providing education and training in the areas of mathematics, 
        science, and engineering, and in entering into partnerships 
        with the Department or departmental laboratories.
    (b) Partnerships.--The Secretary shall encourage partnerships that 
involve minority colleges or universities or private sector entities 
owned or controlled by disadvantaged individuals.
    (c) Scholarship Programs.--
            (1) Minority colleges or universities.--The Secretary shall 
        establish a scholarship program for students attending minority 
        colleges or universities and pursuing a degree in energy-
        related scientific, mathematical, engineering, and technical 
        disciplines. The program shall include tuition assistance. The 
        program shall provide an opportunity for the scholarship 
        recipient to participate in an applied work experience in a 
        departmental laboratory. Recipients of such scholarships shall 
        be students deemed by the Secretary to have demonstrated (1) a 
        need for financial assistance and (2) academic potential in the 
        particular area of study.
            (2) Delta region.--The Secretary shall establish a 
        scholarship program for students pursuing degrees in energy-
        related scientific, mathematical, engineering, and technical 
        disciplines at colleges and universities in the Delta Region. 
        The scholarship program shall include tuition assistance. 
        Recipients of such scholarships shall be students deemed by the 
        Secretary to have demonstrated (1) a need for financial 
        assistance and (2) potential in the particular area of study.
    (d) Pre-College Enrichment.--The Secretary shall undertake 
activities to encourage pre-college enrichment programs in energy-
related scientific, mathematical, engineering, and technical 
disciplines for students in the Delta Region. Such activities shall 
include, but not be limited to the following:
            (1) cooperation with, and assistance to, State departments 
        of education and local school districts in the Delta Region to 
        develop and carry out after school and summer enrichment 
        programs for elementary, middle, and secondary school students 
        in energy-related scientific, mathematical, engineering, and 
        technical disciplines;
            (2) cooperation with, and assistance to, institutions of 
        higher education in the Delta Region to develop and carry out 
        pre-college enrichment programs in energy related scientific, 
        mathematical, engineering, and technical disciplines for middle 
        and secondary students;
            (3) cooperation with, and assistance to, State departments 
        of education and local school districts in the Delta Region in 
        the development and use of curriculum and educational materials 
        in energy-related scientific, mathematical, engineering, and 
        technical disciplines for middle and secondary students; and
            (4) the establishment of enrichment programs in subjects 
        relating to energy-related scientific, mathematical, 
        engineering, and technical disciplines for elementary, middle, 
        and secondary school teachers in the Delta Region at research 
        facilities of the Department of Energy.
    (e) Volunteer Program.--The Secretary shall establish and carry out 
a program to encourage the involvement on a voluntary basis of 
qualified employees of the Department in education enrichment programs 
relating to energy-related scientific, mathematical, engineering, and 
technical disciplines, in cooperation with State departments of 
education and local school districts in the Delta Region.
    (f) Women and Minorities in the Sciences.--The Secretary shall 
establish and carry out a program to encourage women and minority 
students in the Delta Region to study and pursue careers in the 
sciences, mathematics, engineering and technical disciplines.
    (g) Coordination With Other Federal Agencies.--The Secretary shall 
ensure that the programs authorized in this section are coordinated 
with, and complimentary to, education assistance programs administered 
by other Federal agencies in the Delta Region. These agencies include, 
but are not limited to, the Department of the Interior, the Department 
of Agriculture, the Department of Education, the National Science 
Foundation, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--(1) There is hereby 
authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry 
out the purposes of this section.
    (2) There is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the purposes 
of carrying out the partnerships referred to in paragraph (b) and for 
related facilities and equipment, such sums as may be necessary.

SEC. 205. INTEGRATED BIOMASS ENERGY SYSTEMS.

    (a) Program Direction.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Agriculture, shall conduct a research and demonstration 
program to determine the economic viability of integrated biomass 
energy systems within the Delta Region.
    (b) Program Plan.--Not later than six months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the 
Congress a program plan to guide the activities under this section.
    (c) Solicitation of Proposals.--Not later than one year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall solicit proposals 
for conducting activities consistent with the program plan. Such 
activities shall include at least three demonstrations of integrated 
biomass energy systems that:
            (1) shall involve the production of dedicated energy crops 
        of not less than 25,000 acres per demonstration;
            (2) shall include one demonstration of predominantly 
        herbaceous energy crops and one demonstration of predominantly 
        short-rotation woody crops;
            (3) shall demonstrate cost-effective methods for growing, 
        harvesting, storing, transporting, and preparing energy crops 
        for conversion to electricity or transportation fuel; and
            (4) shall result in the conversion of such crops to 
        electricity or transportation fuel by a non-Federal energy 
        producer or the Tennessee Valley Authority.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated for purposes of carrying out this section, to remain 
available until expended, not more than $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 1994, 1995, and 1996.

SEC. 206. WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI 
              DELTA REGION.

    Title IV of the Energy Conservation and Production Act (Public Law 
94-385 as amended) is further amended by adding a new section 423 as 
follows:

  ``weatherization assistance program for the lower mississippi delta 
                                 region

    ``Sec. 423. (a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to 
encourage the weatherization of low-income dwelling units in the Lower 
Mississippi Delta Region.
    ``(b) Grants for Establishment of Program.--Not later than 12 
months after the date of the enactment of the Lower Mississippi Delta 
Initiatives Act of 1993, the Secretary shall make grants to (1) States, 
and (2) in accordance with the provisions of subsection (413)(d), to 
Indian tribal organizations to serve Native Americans in the Lower 
Mississippi Delta Region. Such grants shall be made for the purposes of 
providing financial assistance for weatherization of low-income 
dwelling units.
    ``(c) Applications.--(1) Applications of States or Indian tribal 
organizations for grants under this section shall be made not more than 
once for any fiscal year. Such applications shall be submitted to the 
State energy agency, in consultation with Community Action Agencies and 
Planning and Development Districts in the Lower Mississippi Delta 
Region, and the State energy agency shall make a single submittal to 
the Secretary containing all applications which comply with subsection 
(e).
    ``(2) Applications for grants for energy conservation projects 
shall contain, or be accompanied by, such information as the Secretary 
may reasonably require.
    ``(d) Selection of Proposals.--(1) The Secretary shall select 
proposals from States to receive grants under subsection (b).
    ``(2) Such grants shall be in addition to such grants as would 
otherwise be provided under section 414 of this Act.
    ``(3) No one grant proposal under this section shall receive a 
consideration greater than $2,000,000.
    ``(e) Selection Criteria.--The Secretary shall select recipients of 
grants under this section in accordance with the requirements of 
sections 414(b) and 415 of this Act, and on the basis of the following 
criteria:
            ``(1) the location of the grant recipient in the States of 
        the Lower Mississippi Delta Region;
            ``(2) the demonstrated or potential resources available to 
        the grant recipient for carrying out the purposes of this 
        section; and
            ``(3) the demonstrated or potential ability of the grant 
        recipient to improve energy efficiency in low-income dwelling 
        units.
    ``(f) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term `Lower 
Mississippi Delta Region' means that region consisting of the 219 
counties and parishes within the States of Arkansas, Illinois, 
Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee, as defined 
in the `Final Report The Delta Initiatives: A Report by the Lower 
Mississippi Delta Development Commission' dated May 14, 1990, except 
that, for any State for which the Delta Region as defined in such 
report comprises more than half of the geographic area of such State, 
the entire State shall be considered as part of the Delta Region for 
purposes of this Act.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated for purposes of carrying out this section, to remain 
available until expended, not more than $20,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 1994, 1995, and 1996.''.

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