[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 114 (Wednesday, July 10, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S4507]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2239. Mr. SCHATZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2025 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle H of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1095. PARITY FOR NATIVE HAWAIIANS FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT 
                   PROGRAMS.

       (a) In General.--
       (1) Definition of covered program.--In this subsection, the 
     term ``covered program'' means any program administered by 
     any agency of the rural development mission area of the 
     Department of Agriculture.
       (2) Parity for native hawaiians.--Notwithstanding any 
     requirement under any other provision of law relating to 
     eligibility for covered programs, and without regard to the 
     population of, or income of individuals residing in, the area 
     served by assistance received under covered programs--
       (A) Native Hawaiians (as defined in section 6207 of the 
     Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     7517)) shall be eligible for covered programs to the same 
     extent that other individuals are eligible for covered 
     programs; and
       (B) Native Hawaiian organizations (as defined in that 
     section), including the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and 
     the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, shall be eligible for covered 
     programs to the same extent that other nonprofit 
     organizations and other State, local, or other government 
     agencies, respectively, are eligible for covered programs.
       (b) Substantially Underserved Trust Areas in Hawaii.--
     Section 306F of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 
     U.S.C. 936f) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in paragraph (1)--
       (i) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as clauses 
     (i) and (ii), respectively, and indenting appropriately;
       (ii) in the matter preceding clause (i) (as so designated), 
     by striking ``The term'' and inserting the following:
       ``(A) In general.--The term''; and
       (iii) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) Hawaii.--With respect to the State of Hawaii, the 
     term `eligible program' means any program administered by any 
     agency of the rural development mission area.''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2)--
       (i) by striking ``The term'' and inserting the following:
       ``(A) In general.--The term''; and
       (ii) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) Hawaii.--With respect to the State of Hawaii, the 
     term `substantially underserved trust area' includes any land 
     located within the same county as a community described in 
     subparagraph (A).'';
       (2) in subsection (b), by striking ``in communities''; and
       (3) in subsection (c), in paragraphs (1) and (2), by 
     inserting ``(or by any agency of the rural development 
     mission area, in the case of the State of Hawaii)'' after 
     ``Rural Utilities Service'' each place it appears.
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