To support the State Rural Development Partnership.

1. Adds SEC. 3707. STATE RURAL DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP on page 652, between lines 12 and 13

   Adds a sectionPrinted page

   Inserted: SEC. 3707. STATE RURAL DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP.

   Inserted: (a) Definitions.--In this section:

   Inserted: (1) Agency with rural responsibilities.--The term 'agency with rural responsibilities' means any executive agency (as defined in section 105 of title 5, United States Code) that implements a Federal law, or administers a program, targeted at or having a significant impact on rural areas.

   Inserted: (2) Partnership.--The term 'Partnership' means the State Rural Development Partnership continued by subsection (b).

   Inserted: (3) State rural development council.--The term 'State rural development council' means a State rural development council that meets the requirements of subsection (c).

   Inserted: (b) Partnership.--

   Inserted: (1) In general.--The Secretary shall support the State Rural Development Partnership comprised of State rural development councils.

   Inserted: (2) Purposes.--The purposes of the Partnership are to empower and build the capacity of States, regions, and rural communities to design flexible and innovative responses to their rural development needs in a manner that maximizes collaborative public- and private-sector cooperation and minimizes regulatory redundancy.

   Inserted: (3) Coordinating panel.--A panel consisting of representatives of State rural development councils shall be established--

   Inserted: (A) to lead and coordinate the strategic operation and policies of the Partnership; and

   Inserted: (B) to facilitate effective communication among the members of the Partnership, including the sharing of best practices.

   Inserted: (4) Role of federal government.--The role of the Federal Government in the Partnership may be that of a partner and facilitator, with Federal agencies authorized--

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   Inserted: (A) to cooperate with States to implement the Partnership;

   Inserted: (B) to provide States with the technical and administrative support necessary to plan and implement tailored rural development strategies to meet local needs;

   Inserted: (C) to ensure that the head of each agency with rural responsibilities directs appropriate field staff to participate fully with the State rural development council within the jurisdiction of the field staff; and

   Inserted: (D) to enter into cooperative agreements with, and to provide grants and other assistance to, State rural development councils.

   Inserted: (c) State Rural Development Councils.--

   Inserted: (1) Establishment.--Notwithstanding chapter 63 of title 31, United States Code, each State may elect to participate in the Partnership by entering into an agreement with the Secretary to recognize a State rural development council.

   Inserted: (2) Composition.--A State rural development council shall--

   Inserted: (A) be composed of representatives of Federal, State, local, and tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, regional organizations, the private sector, and other entities committed to rural advancement; and

   Inserted: (B) have a nonpartisan and nondiscriminatory membership that--

   Inserted: (i) is broad and representative of the economic, social, and political diversity of the State; and

   Inserted: (ii) shall be responsible for the governance and operations of the State rural development council.

   Inserted: (3) Duties.--A State rural development council shall--

   Inserted: (A) facilitate collaboration among Federal, State, local, and tribal governments and the private and nonprofit sectors in the planning and implementation of programs and policies that have an impact on rural areas of the State;

   Inserted: (B) monitor, report, and comment on policies and programs that address, or fail to address, the needs of the rural areas of the State;

   Inserted: (C) as part of the Partnership, facilitate the development of strategies to reduce or eliminate conflicting or duplicative administrative or regulatory requirements of Federal, State, local, and tribal governments; and

   Inserted: (D)(i) provide to the Secretary an annual plan with goals and performance measures; and

   Inserted: (ii) submit to the Secretary an annual report on the progress of the State rural development council in meeting the goals and measures.

   Inserted: (4) Federal participation in state rural development councils.--

   Inserted: (A) In general.--A State Director for Rural Development of the Department of Agriculture, other employees of the Department, and employees of other Federal agencies with rural responsibilities shall fully participate as voting members in the governance and operations of State rural development councils (including activities related to grants, contracts, and other agreements in accordance with this section) on an equal basis with other members of the State rural development councils.

   Inserted: (B) Conflicts.--Participation by a Federal employee in a State rural development council in accordance with this paragraph shall not constitute a violation of section 205 or 208 of title 18, United States Code.

   Inserted: (d) Administrative Support of the Partnership.--

   Inserted: (1) Detail of employees.--

   Inserted: (A) In general.--In order to provide experience in intergovernmental collaboration, the head of an agency with rural responsibilities that elects to participate in the Partnership may, and is encouraged to, detail to the Secretary for the support of the Partnership 1 or more employees of the agency with rural responsibilities without reimbursement for a period of up to 1 year.

   Inserted: (B) Civil service status.--The detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil service status or privilege.

   Inserted: (2) Additional support.--The Secretary may provide for any additional support staff to the Partnership as the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out the duties of the Partnership.

   Inserted: (3) Intermediaries.--The Secretary may enter into a contract with a qualified intermediary under which the intermediary shall be responsible for providing administrative and technical assistance to a State rural development council, including administering the financial assistance available to the State rural development council.

   Inserted: (e) Matching Requirements for State Rural Development Councils.--

   Inserted: (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), a State rural development council shall provide matching funds, or in-kind goods or services, to support the activities of the State rural development council in an amount that is not less than 33 percent of the amount of Federal funds received from a Federal agency under subsection (f)(2).

   Inserted: (2) Exceptions to matching requirement for certain federal funds.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply to funds, grants, funds provided under contracts or cooperative agreements, gifts, contributions, or technical assistance received by a State rural development council from a Federal agency that are used--

   Inserted: (A) to support 1 or more specific program or project activities; or

   Inserted: (B) to reimburse the State rural development council for services provided to the Federal agency providing the funds, grants, funds provided under contracts or cooperative agreements, gifts, contributions, or technical assistance.

   Inserted: (3) Department's share.--The Secretary shall develop a plan to decrease, over time, the share of the Department of Agriculture of the cost of the core operations of State rural development councils.

   Inserted: (f) Funding.--

   Inserted: (1) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2013 through 2017.

   Inserted: (2) Federal agencies.--

   Inserted: (A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law limiting the ability of an agency, along with other agencies, to provide funds to a State rural development council in order to carry out the purposes of this section, a Federal agency may make grants, gifts, or contributions to, provide technical assistance to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, a State rural development council.

   Inserted: (B) Assistance.--Federal agencies are encouraged to use funds made available for programs that have an impact on rural areas to provide assistance to, and enter into contracts with, a State rural development council, as described in subparagraph (A).

   Inserted: (3) Contributions.--A State rural development council may accept private contributions.

   Inserted: (g) Termination.--The authority provided under this section shall terminate on September 30, 2017.

   Original wording

   On page 652, between lines 12 and 13, insert the following:

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As printed