§2008m National Rural Development Partnership

Summary

Continues a National Rural Development Partnership made up of a National Rural Development Coordinating Committee (inside the Department of Agriculture) and State rural development councils. The Partnership helps States and rural communities make their own plans and choose projects that meet local needs. A panel of representatives from the Coordinating Committee and the State councils leads the Partnership and must send an annual report to Congress. Federal agencies with rural responsibilities must cooperate, give technical and administrative help, name a senior official to sit on the Coordinating Committee, and may enter into agreements or give grants to support the Partnership. The Coordinating Committee includes one representative from each federal agency with rural duties and other approved national group representatives. It supports State councils, coordinates policies across governments and sectors, reviews rules and laws that affect rural areas, works to remove administrative barriers, and requires State councils to report yearly on plans, goals, and results. States may join by agreeing with the Agriculture Secretary and setting up a State rural development council made of federal, state, local, tribal, nonprofit, regional, and private sector members. Councils must be nonpartisan and broadly representative. Councils must coordinate programs, track and comment on policies, help reduce duplicative rules, and give an annual plan and report with goals and measures. Federal employees may fully participate, including voting, and may be detailed to the Partnership for up to 1 year without pay and without losing civil service status. State councils must provide at least 33 percent matching funds or in-kind support for most federal funds they receive. The law authorized $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2023, allows federal and private support, and ends on September 30, 2023.