article: SECTION 1. RURAL COMMUNITY SERVICE. Title XI of the of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1136 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new part: ``PART C--RURAL COMMUNITY SERVICE ``SEC. 1171. FINDINGS; PURPOSE. ``(a) Findings.--The Congress finds that-- ``(1) the Nation's rural centers are facing increasingly pressing problems and needs in the areas of economic development, community infrastructure and service, social policy, public health, housing, crime, education, environmental concerns, planning and work force preparation; ``(2) there are, in the Nation's rural institutions, people with underutilized skills, knowledge, and experience who are capable of providing a vast range of services towards the amelioration of the problems described in paragraph (1); ``(3) the skills, knowledge, and experience in these rural institutions, if applied in a systematic and sustained manner, can make a significant contribution to the solution of such problems; and ``(4) the application of such skills, knowledge, and experience is hindered by the limited funds available to redirect attention to solutions to such rural problems. ``(b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this part to provide incentives to rural academic institutions to enable such institutions to work with private and civic organizations to devise and implement solutions to pressing and severe problems in their communities. ``SEC. 1172. PROGRAM. ``The Secretary is authorized to carry out a program of providing assistance to eligible institutions to enable such institutions to carry out the authorized activities described in section 1174 in accordance with the provisions of this part. ``SEC. 1173. APPLICATIONS FOR RURAL COMMUNITY SERVICE GRANTS. ``(a) Application.-- ``(1) In general.--Each eligible institution desiring a grant under this part shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such form, and containing or accompanied by such information and assurances, as the Secretary may require by regulation. ``(2) Contents.--Each application submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall-- ``(A) describe the activities and services for which assistance is sought; and ``(B) contain assurances that the eligible institution will enter into a consortium to carry out the provisions of this part that includes, in addition to the eligible institution, one or more of the following entities: ``(i) A community college. ``(ii) A rural local educational agency. ``(iii) A local government. ``(iv) A business or other employer. ``(v) A nonprofit institution. ``(3) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the consortium requirements described in paragraph (2) for any applicant who can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the applicant has devised an integrated and coordinated plan which meets the purpose of this part. ``(b) Priority in Selection of Applications.--The Secretary shall give priority to applications that propose to conduct joint projects supported by other local, State, and Federal programs. ``(c) Selection Procedures.--The Secretary, by regulation, shall develop a formal procedure for the submission of applications under this part and shall publish in the Federal Register an announcement of that procedure and the availability of funds under this part. ``SEC. 1174. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES. ``Grant funds made available under this part shall be used to support planning, applied research, training, resource exchanges or technology transfers, the delivery of services, or other activities the purpose of which is to design and implement programs to assist rural communities to meet and address their pressing and severe problems, such as any of the following: ``(1) Work force preparation. ``(2) Rural poverty and the alleviation of such poverty. ``(3) Health care, including health care delivery and access as well as health education, prevention and wellness. ``(4) Underperforming school systems and students. ``(5) Problems faced by the elderly and individuals with disabilities in rural settings. ``(6) Problems faced by families and children. ``(7) Campus and community crime prevention, including enhanced security and safety awareness measures as well as coordinated programs addressing the root causes of crime. ``(8) Rural housing. ``(9) Rural infrastructure. ``(10) Economic development. ``(11) Rural farming and environmental concerns. ``(12) Other problem areas which participants in the consortium described in section 1173(a)(2)(B) concur are of high priority in rural areas. ``(13)(A) Problems faced by individuals with disabilities and economically disadvantaged individuals regarding accessibility to institutions of higher education and other public and private community facilities. ``(B) Amelioration of existing attitudinal barriers that prevent full inclusion of individuals with disabilities in their community. ``SEC. 1175. PEER REVIEW. ``The Secretary shall designate a peer review panel to review applications submitted under this part and make recommendations for funding to the Secretary. In selecting the peer review panel, the Secretary may consult with other appropriate Cabinet-level Federal officials and with non-Federal organizations, to ensure that the panel will be geographically balanced and be composed of representatives from public and private institutions of higher education, labor, business, and State and local government, who have expertise in rural community service or in education. ``SEC. 1176. DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS. ``(a) Multiyear Availability.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, grants under this part may be made on a multiyear basis, except that no institution, individually or as a participant in a consortium, may receive a grant for more than 5 years. ``(b) Equitable Geographic Distribution.--The Secretary shall award grants under this part in a manner that achieves equitable geographic distribution of such grants. ``(c) Matching Requirement.--An applicant under this part and the local governments associated with its application shall contribute to the conduct of the program supported by the grant an amount from non- Federal funds equal to at least one-fourth of the amount grant, which contribution may be in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated. ``SEC. 1177. DESIGNATION OF RURAL GRANT INSTITUTIONS. ``The Secretary shall publish a list of eligible institutions under this part and shall designate such institutions of higher education as `Rural Grant Institutions'. The Secretary shall establish a national network of Rural Grant Institutions so that the results of individual projects achieved in 1 rural area can be generalized, disseminated, replicated and applied throughout the Nation. ``SEC. 1178. DEFINITIONS. ``As used in this part: ``(1) Rural area.--The term `rural area' means any area that is-- ``(A) outside an urbanized area, as such term is defined by the Bureau of the Census; and ``(B) outside any place that-- ``(i) is incorporated or Bureau of the Census designated; and ``(ii) has a population of 75,000 or more. ``(2) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible institution' means an institution of higher education, or a consortium of such institutions any one of which meets all the requirements of this paragraph, which-- ``(A) is located in a rural area; ``(B) draws a substantial portion of its undergraduate students from the rural area in which such institution is located, or from contiguous areas; ``(C) carries out programs to make postsecondary educational opportunities more accessible to residents of such rural areas, or contiguous areas; ``(D) has the present capacity to provide resources responsive to the needs and priorities of such rural areas and contiguous areas; ``(E) offers a range of professional, technical, or graduate programs sufficient to sustain the capacity of such institution to provide such resources; and ``(F) has demonstrated and sustained a sense of responsibility to such rural area and contiguous areas and the people of such areas. ``SEC. 1179. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; FUNDING RULE. ``(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary in each fiscal year to carry out the provisions of this part. ``(b) Funding Rule.--If in any fiscal year the amount appropriated pursuant to the authority of subsection (a) is less than 50 percent of the funds appropriated to carry out part A in such year, then the Secretary shall make available in such year from funds appropriated to carry out part A an amount equal to the difference between 50 percent of the funds appropriated to carry out part A and the amount appropriated pursuant to the authority of subsection (a).''.
summary: Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a rural community service program. Authorizes appropriations.