[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 177 (Thursday, November 20, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10745-S10746]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REID (for himself and Mr. Harkin):
  S. 3709. A bill to amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act 
of 2002 to expand the Rural Energy for America Program to include 
schools in rural areas; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation, along 
with my colleague Senator Harkin, to create opportunities for schools, 
located in rural communities across this country, to compete for grants 
and loans to purchase energy systems or make energy efficiency 
improvements.
  The recently passed Farm Bill authorized roughly $1 billion in 
mandatory spending for renewable energy programs. One of those programs 
is The Rural Energy for America Program, REAP. This program provides 
loans, loan guarantees, and grants to agricultural producers and rural 
small businesses to invest in energy saving improvements to their 
current energy systems or to purchase renewable energy systems. 
Examples include purchasing or replacing equipment with more efficiency 
units, such as lighting or insulation, or the wholesale installment of 
energy projects that produce energy from wind, solar, biomass, 
geothermal, and hydrogen-based sources to produce any form of energy 
including, heat, electricity, or fuel.
  My legislation would authorize an additional $100 million over 5 
years for these grants and in effect expand the scope of the program, 
allowing it to better meet the needs of rural communities and creating 
important incentives for institutions to invest in renewable 
technology. It is my hope that Congress will support this legislation 
and its goal of helping rural communities play a key role in our 
Nation's energy future.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 3709

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. RURAL ENERGY FOR AMERICA PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--Section 9007 of the Farm Security and 
     Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and rural small businesses'' each place 
     it appears and inserting ``, rural small businesses, and 
     rural schools''; and
       (2) in subsection (b)(6) and (c)(3)(A), by striking ``or 
     rural small business'' each place it appears and insert ``, 
     rural small business, or rural school''.
       (b) Definition of Rural School.--Section 9007(a) of the 
     Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 
     8107(a) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 
     subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and indenting 
     appropriately; and
       (2) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(1) Definition of rural school.--In this section, the 
     term `rural school' means a school in a rural area (as 
     defined in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
     Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a))).
       ``(2) Establishment.--The Secretary''.
       (c) Mandatory Funding.--Section 9007(g)(1) of the Farm 
     Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 
     8107(g)(1) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (D) as 
     clauses (i) through (iv), respectively, and indenting 
     appropriately;
       (2) by striking ``Of the funds'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(A) In general.--Of the funds''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) Funding for rural schools.--In addition to amounts 
     made available under subparagraph (A), of the funds of the 
     Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to 
     provide assistance to rural schools under this section, 
     $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2013, to 
     remain available until expended.''.

  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, today I am proud to cosponsor this 
legislation to expand the Rural Energy for America Program, REAP, to 
include schools in rural areas. This amendment to the program will 
encourage our rural schools to carry out energy efficiency projects and 
install renewable energy systems, thus reducing their dependence on 
fossil energy and reducing future energy costs. I am proud to join my 
colleague, Senator Reid of Nevada, as a cosponsor of this bill.
  The Rural Energy for America Program, enacted in the 2008 farm bill--
the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008--is an expansion of the 
very successful section 9006 program which was established by the 2002 
farm bill. The program has supported over 2,000 renewable energy and 
energy efficiency projects for farmers, ranchers, and rural small 
businesses since its enactment. Most impressive is the fact that the 
Federal investments in these projects were matched by almost 10 times 
as much in funding from the developers of the projects and other 
sources. This truly is a hallmark of a

[[Page S10746]]

successful Federal program, exactly the kind of program that deserves 
expansion, especially because it supports rural economic development 
while helping to provide us with cleaner and more sustainable energy 
systems. Expanding this program to rural schools just makes sense--they 
foster rural economic development and should be able to take part in 
this transition to better energy systems and to realize the associated 
environmental and economic benefits.
  I urge my Senate colleagues to join me in passing this important 
legislation.
                                 ______