Title 7 — AgricultureRelease 119-73
§902 General authority of Secretary of Agriculture
Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 31— - RURAL ELECTRIFICATION AND TELEPHONE SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - RURAL ELECTRIFICATION › § 902
Summary
Make or refinance loans in states and territories to bring or improve electric and telephone service in rural areas, and to help electric borrowers with demand-side management, energy efficiency, conservation, and grid or off-grid renewable energy. The Secretary may study and share information on rural electric, telecom, and economic matters. Within 180 days after December 20, 2018, the Secretary must sign an agreement with the Energy Secretary to provide technical aid to the Rural Utilities Service on these loans and on loans under section 904(a).
Full Legal Text
Title 7, §902
Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this chapter as the “Secretary”) is authorized and empowered to make loans, or refinance loans made or guaranteed by the Secretary under this chapter, in the several States and Territories of the United States for rural electrification and for the purpose of furnishing and improving electric and telephone service in rural areas, as provided in this chapter, and for the purpose of assisting electric borrowers to implement demand side management, energy efficiency and conservation programs, and on-grid and off-grid renewable energy systems.
(b)The Secretary may make, or cause to be made, studies, investigations, and reports regarding matters, including financial, technological, and regulatory matters, affecting the condition and progress of electric, telecommunications, and economic development in rural areas, and publish and disseminate information with respect to the matters.
(c)Not later than 180 days after December 20, 2018, the Secretary shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Energy under which the Secretary of Energy shall provide technical assistance to the Rural Utilities Service on loans to be made under subsection (a) of this section and section 904(a) of this title.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 made identical
Amendments
to this section. The
Amendments
by Pub. L. 110–234 were repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.
Amendments
2019—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–94 substituted “made or guaranteed by the Secretary” for “made by the Secretary”. 2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–334, § 6501(a), substituted “loans, or refinance loans made by the Secretary under this chapter, in” for “loans in”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 115–334, § 6501(b), added subsec. (c). 2008—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–246, § 6101, inserted “efficiency and” before “conservation”. 1996—Pub. L. 104–127, § 771(1), inserted section catchline. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–127, § 771(1), (2), inserted heading, substituted “The Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this chapter as the ‘Secretary’) is” for “The Secretary of Agriculture is”, struck out “and the furnishing of electric energy to persons in rural areas who are not receiving central station service” after “rural electrification”, and substituted “systems.” for “systems; to make, or cause to be made, studies, investigations, and reports concerning the condition and progress of the electrification of and the furnishing of adequate telephone service in rural areas in the several States and Territories; and to publish and disseminate information with respect thereto.” Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–127, § 771(3), added subsec. (b) and struck out former subsec. (b) which read as follows: “By January 1, 1994, the Secretary shall issue interim
Regulations
to implement the authority contained in subsection (a) of this section to make loans for the purpose of assisting electric borrowers to implement demand side management, energy conservation programs, and on-grid and off-grid renewable energy systems. If the
Regulations
are not issued by
January 1, 1994, the Secretary shall consider any demand side management, energy conservation, or renewable energy program, system, or activity that is approved by a State agency to be eligible for the loans.” 1994—Pub. L. 103–354 substituted “Secretary of Agriculture” for “Administrator” in subsec. (a) and “Secretary” for “Administrator” in two places in subsec. (b). 1993—Pub. L. 103–129 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), substituted “electric and telephone service in rural areas, as provided in this chapter, and for the purpose of assisting electric borrowers to implement demand side management, energy conservation programs, and on-grid and off-grid renewable energy systems;” for “telephone service in rural areas, as hereinafter provided;”, and added subsec. (b). 1949—Act Oct. 28, 1949, authorized loans to furnish and improve rural telephone service; and inserted “title I,” in credit of act
May 20, 1936.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2008 AmendmentAmendment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 8701 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
7 U.S.C. § 902
Title 7 — Agriculture
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73