[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1466 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1466
To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to provide
grants for special environmental assistance for the regulation of
communities and habitat (``SEARCH grants'') to small communities.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 26, 2001
Mr. Crapo (for himself and Mr. Craig) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to provide
grants for special environmental assistance for the regulation of
communities and habitat (``SEARCH grants'') to small communities.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Project SEARCH Act of 2001''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) small communities often struggle to meet environmental
goals because of difficulty in securing funding;
(2) often, sources of funding for environmental projects
require expensive, complex studies or other application
materials;
(3) a small community that secures funding for an
environmental project from a traditional source often is unable
to provide matching funds required by the traditional source;
and
(4) small communities would benefit from a grant program
designed to provide funding for environmental projects--
(A) through a simplified application process; and
(B) without the requirement of matching funds.
SEC. 3. SEARCH GRANTS FOR SMALL COMMUNITIES.
The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1921 et
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Subtitle G--SEARCH Grants for Small Communities
``SEC. 391. DEFINITIONS.
``In this subtitle:
``(1) Council.--The term `council' means an independent
citizens' council established by section 392(b).
``(2) Environmental project.--
``(A) In general.--The term `environmental project'
means a project that--
``(i) benefits human health or the
environment; and
``(ii) is necessary to comply with an
environmental law (including a regulation).
``(B) Inclusion.--The term `environmental project'
includes an initial feasibility study of a project.
``(3) Region.--The term `region' means a geographic area of
a State, as determined by the Governor of the State.
``(4) SEARCH grant.--The term `SEARCH grant' means a grant
for special environmental assistance for the regulation of
communities and habitat awarded under section 392(c)(3).
``(5) Small community.--The term `small community' means an
incorporated or unincorporated rural community having a
population of not more than 2,500 individuals.
``(6) State.--The term `State' has the meaning given the
term in section 381A.
``SEC. 392. SEARCH GRANT PROGRAM.
``(a) In General.--
``(1) Establishment.--There is established the SEARCH Grant
Program.
``(2) State requirements.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than October 1 of each
fiscal year, a State may submit to the Secretary an
application to receive a grant under paragraph (3) for
the fiscal year.
``(B) Application requirements.--An application
under subparagraph (A) shall contain--
``(i) a certification by the State that the
State has appointed members to the council of
the State under subsection (b)(2)(C); and
``(ii) such information as the Secretary
may reasonably require.
``(3) Grant to state.--Not later than 60 days after the
date on which the Office of Management and Budget apportions
any amounts made available under this subtitle, for each fiscal
year after the date of enactment of this subtitle, the
Secretary shall, on request by a State--
``(A) determine whether any application submitted
by the State under paragraph (2) meets the requirements
of that paragraph; and
``(B) subject to section 394(b) and subsection
(c)(4)(B), if the Secretary determines that the
application meets the requirements of paragraph (2)(B),
award a grant of not to exceed $1,000,000 to the State,
to be used by the council of the State to award SEARCH
grants under subsection (b)(3).
``(b) Independent Citizens' Council.--
``(1) Establishment.--There is established in each State an
independent citizens' council to carry out the duties described
in this section.
``(2) Composition.--
``(A) In general.--Each council shall be composed
of 9 members, appointed by the Governor of the State.
``(B) Representation; residence.--Each member of a
council shall--
``(i) represent an individual region of the
State, as determined by the Governor of the
State in which the council is established; and
``(ii) reside in a small community of the
State.
``(C) Appointment.--Before a State receives funds
under this subtitle, the State shall appoint members to
the council for the fiscal year, except that not more
than 1 member shall be an agent, employee, or official
of the State government.
``(D) Chairperson.--Each council shall select a
chairperson from among the members of the council,
except that a member who is an agent, employee, or
official of the State government shall not serve as
chairperson.
``(E) Federal representation.--An agent, employee,
or official of the Federal Government may participate
in the activities of the council--
``(i) in an advisory capacity; and
``(ii) at the invitation of the council.
``(3) SEARCH grants.--
``(A) In general.--Each council shall review
applications for, and recommend awards of, SEARCH
grants to small communities that meet the eligibility
criteria under subsection (c).
``(B) Recommendations.--In awarding a SEARCH grant,
a State--
``(i) shall follow the recommendations of
the council of the State;
``(ii) shall award the funds for any
recommended environmental project in a timely
and expeditious manner; and
``(iii) shall not award a SEARCH grant to a
grantee or project in violation of any law of
the State (including a regulation).
``(C) No matching requirement.--A small community
that receives a SEARCH grant under this section shall
not be required to provide matching funds.
``(c) SEARCH Grants for Small Communities.--
``(1) Eligibility.--A SEARCH grant shall be awarded under
this section only to a small community for 1 or more
environmental projects for which the small community--
``(A) needs funds to carry out initial feasibility
or environmental studies before applying to traditional
funding sources; or
``(B) demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the
council, that the small community has been unable to
obtain sufficient funding from traditional funding
sources.
``(2) Application.--
``(A) Date.--The council shall establish such
deadline by which small communities shall submit
applications for grants under this section as will
permit the council adequate time to review and make
recommendations relating to the applications.
``(B) Location of application.--A small community
shall submit an application described in subparagraph
(A) to the council in the State in which the small
community is located.
``(C) Content of application.--An application
described in subparagraph (A) shall include--
``(i) a description of the proposed
environmental project (including an explanation
of how the project would assist the small
community in complying with an environmental
law (including a regulation));
``(ii) an explanation of why the project is
important to the small community;
``(iii) a description of all actions taken
with respect to the project, including a
description of any attempt to secure funding
and a description of demonstrated need for
funding for the project, as of the date of the
application; and
``(iv) a SEARCH grant application form
provided by the council, completed and with all
required supporting documentation.
``(3) Review and recommendation.--
``(A) In general.--Except as provided in
subparagraph (B), not later than March 5 of each fiscal
year, each council shall--
``(i) review all applications received
under paragraph (2); and
``(ii) recommend for award SEARCH grants to
small communities based on--
``(I) an evaluation of the
eligibility criteria under paragraph
(1); and
``(II) the content of the
application.
``(B) Extension of deadline.--The State may extend
the deadline described in subparagraph (A) by not more
than 10 days in a case in which the receipt of
recommendations from a council under subparagraph
(A)(ii) is delayed because of circumstances beyond the
control of the council, as determined by the State.
``(4) Unexpended funds.--
``(A) In general.--If, for any fiscal year, any
unexpended funds remain after SEARCH grants are awarded
under subsection (b)(3)(B), the council may repeat the
application and review process so that any remaining
funds may be recommended for award, and awarded, not
later than July 30 of the fiscal year.
``(B) Retention of funds.--
``(i) In general.--Any unexpended funds
that are not awarded under subsection (b)(3)(B)
or subparagraph (A) shall be retained by the
State for award during the following fiscal
year.
``(ii) Limitation.--A State that
accumulates a balance of unexpended funds
described in clause (i) of more than $3,000,000
shall be ineligible to apply for additional
funds for SEARCH grants until such time as the
State expends the portion of the balance that
exceeds $3,000,000.
``SEC. 393. REPORT.
``Not later than September 1 of the first fiscal year for which a
SEARCH grant is awarded by a council, and annually thereafter, the
council shall submit to the Secretary a report that--
``(1) describes the number of SEARCH grants awarded during
the fiscal year;
``(2) identifies each small community that received a
SEARCH grant during the fiscal year;
``(3) describes the project or purpose for which each
SEARCH grant was awarded, including a statement of the benefit
to public health or the environment of the environmental
project receiving the grant funds; and
``(4) describes the status of each project or portion of a
project for which a SEARCH grant was awarded, including a
project or portion of a project for which a SEARCH grant was
awarded for any fiscal year before the fiscal year in which the
report is submitted.
``SEC. 394. FUNDING.
``(a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out section 392(a)(3) $50,000,000.
``(b) Actual Appropriation.--If funds to carry out section
392(a)(3) are made available for a fiscal year in an amount that is
less than the amount authorized under subsection (a) for the fiscal
year, the appropriated funds shall be divided equally among the 50
States.
``(c) Unused Funds.--If, for any fiscal year, a State does not
apply, or does not qualify, to receive funds under section 392(a)(2),
the funds that would have been made available to the State under
section 392(a)(3) on submission by the State of a successful
application under section 392(a)(2) shall be redistributed for award
under this subtitle among States, the councils of which awarded 1 or
more SEARCH grants during the preceding fiscal year.
``(d) Other Expenses.--There are authorized to be appropriated such
sums as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this subtitle
(other than section 392(a)(3)).''.
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