Title 7AgricultureRelease 119-73

§2204b–1 Rural development

Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 55— - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE › § 2204b–1

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Congress says the country must keep a fair balance between rural and urban areas and makes reviving and developing rural places a top priority. Congress directs the heads of all federal departments and agencies to create and keep policies that give first priority to putting new offices and other facilities in rural areas as defined by the private business enterprise exception in section 1926(a)(7) of this title.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §2204b–1

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Congress commits itself to a sound balance between rural and urban America. The Congress considers this balance so essential to the peace, prosperity, and welfare of all our citizens that the highest priority must be given to the revitalization and development of rural areas.
(b)Congress hereby directs the heads of all executive departments and agencies of the Government to establish and maintain departmental policies and procedures giving first priority to the location of new offices and other facilities in rural areas as defined in the private business enterprise exception in section 1926(a)(7) 11 See References in Text note below. of this title.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 1926(a)(7) of this title, referred to in subsec. (b), was repealed and a new section 1926(a)(7) was added by Pub. L. 104–127, title VII, § 741(a)(2), Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1123. As added, section 1926(a)(7) of this title defined “rural areas” but no longer contained provisions relating to a private business enterprise exception. Subsequently, section 1926(a)(7) was repealed by Pub. L. 107–171, title VI, § 6020(b)(1), May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 363. Codification Section was formerly classified to section 3122 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

Amendments

1980—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 96–355 struck out provisions respecting annual report to Congress by the President covering efforts, etc., made for locating all new facilities. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 96–355 struck out subsec. (c) which related to planning assistance and annual report to Congress respecting such assistance. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 96–355 struck out subsec. (d) which related to information and technical assistance and annual report to Congress respecting such assistance. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 96–355 struck out subsec. (e) which related to provision of government services and annual report to Congress respecting such services. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 96–355 struck out subsec. (f) which required report to Congress by July 1, 1971, relating to implementation of rural financial assistance requirements. 1976—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 94–273 substituted “December” for “September”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 94–273 substituted “December 1 of” for “September 1 of”. 1972—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 92–419 struck out “insofar as practicable,” after “maintain” and substituted “policies and procedures giving first priority to the location of new offices and other facilities in rural areas as defined in the private business enterprise exception in section 1926(a)(7) of this title”, for “policies and procedures with respect to the location of new offices and other facilities in areas or communities of lower population density in preference to areas or communities of high population densities”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1980 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 96–355 effective Oct. 1, 1980, see section 10 of Pub. L. 96–355, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 2204b of this title.

Executive Documents

Executive Order No. 11797 Ex. Ord. No. 11797, July 31, 1974, 39 F.R. 27893, which delegated to the Secretary of Agriculture the President’s authority to prepare and submit to Congress annual reports concerning the location of new Federal facilities in rural areas, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 12553, Feb. 25, 1986, 51 F.R. 7237.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 2204b–1

Title 7Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73