[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 710 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 710

    To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to provide financial 
  assistance for the construction, improvement, and rehabilitation of 
                            farmers markets.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 9, 2005

  Ms. Kaptur (for herself, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Case, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. 
     Grijalva, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Ms. Kilpatrick of Michigan, Mr. 
LaTourette, Mr. Marshall, Ms. McCollum of Minnesota, Mr. McDermott, Mr. 
     Moran of Virginia, Mr. Scott of Georgia, Mr. Serrano, and Ms. 
  Slaughter) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                        Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to provide financial 
  assistance for the construction, improvement, and rehabilitation of 
                            farmers markets.

    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 ``Farmers Markets Infrastructure 
Assistance Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING FOR FARMERS MARKETS.

    (a) In General.--In addition to exercising authority to make loans 
and loan guarantees under other law, the Secretary shall make loans, 
loan guarantees, and grants to public agencies and nonprofit 
organizations for the construction of new farmers markets, or the 
improvement or rehabilitation of existing farmers markets.
    (b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a loan, loan guarantee, 
or grant under subsection (a) with respect to a farmers market the 
public agency or nonprofit organization involved shall--
            (1) demonstrate financial need as determined by the 
        Secretary; and
            (2) commit to reserving at least 50 percent of the floor 
        area of the farmers market for the sale of products that are 
        produced locally, as determined by the Secretary, by farmers, 
        ranchers, or aquaculture, mariculture, or fisheries operators, 
        or by associations of farmers, ranchers, or such operators, .
    (c) Cost Sharing.--
            (1) Grants.--The amount of a grant shall not exceed 25 
        percent of the cost of the activity funded under subsection 
        (a).
            (2) Maximum amount of combined grant and loan.--The 
        combined amount of a grant and loan made or guaranteed shall 
        not exceed 80 percent of the cost of the activity funded under 
        subsection (a).
    (d) Interest Rate.--
            (1) In general.--A loan made by the Secretary under 
        subsection (a) shall bear interest at the rate equivalent to 
        the rate of interest charged on Treasury securities of 
        comparable maturity on the date the loan is approved.
            (2) Duration.--The interest rate for each loan will remain 
        in effect for the term of the loan.
    (e) Funding.--Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the 
Secretary shall make available to carry out this section $50,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2007.
    (f) Effective Date.--This Act shall take effect 60 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act.
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