 National Association of Counties * Washington, D.C. Vol. 33, No. 21 * November 12, 2001 Previous story | Table of Contents | Next story Harkin unveils Farm Bill proposal By Eric Ciliberti
Senate Agriculture Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Ind.) unveiled his farm bill proposal on Nov. 1. The bill would cover five years and would spend roughly the same $175 billion as the House-passed bill. Among the highlights in the rural development title of Harkin’s farm bill proposal is the creation of a Rural America Infrastructure Development Account. Funds in this account could be used by the Secretary of Agriculture to clear the existing backlog of applications for community facility, water or waste disposal grants or direct loans, and rural water or wastewater technical assistance and training grants. Harkin’s proposal also significantly boosts waste and water facility grants, from $590 million to $1.5 billion a year. Water and waste disposal grants were rated as the most important component of the farm bill’s rural development title, according to NACo’s June 2001 Rural Action Caucus Farm Bill Survey. Harkin’s plan also includes various initiatives aimed at bridging the digital divide. These include loan and grant programs for advanced broadband telecommunications, creation of a grant program that would fund rural “telework” centers and a simplified grant program aimed toward small, rural communities struggling to adhere to environmental regulations. The Senate Agriculture Committee is hoping to mark up various titles of the farm bill asCounty News goes to press , while final passage of a farm bill is still uncertain at this time. Differences between the House and Senate farm bills in conference may preclude completion of a farm bill before the end of the legislative session. |