S.Amdt. 1044

1. Adds SEC. 3708. LAND GRANT-MERCEDES on page 731, between lines 6 and 7

   Adds a sectionPrinted page

   Inserted: SEC. 3708. LAND GRANT-MERCEDES.

   Inserted: (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--

   Inserted: (1) Spanish and Mexican land grant-mercedes are part of a unique and important history in the southwest United States dating back to the 1600s and becoming incorporated into the United States through the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits, and Settlement between the United States of America and the Mexican Republic, signed at Guadalupe Hidalgo February 2, 1848, and entered into force May 30, 1848 (9 Stat. 922) (commonly referred to as the 'Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo');

   Inserted: (2) the years following the signing of that treaty resulted in a significant loss of land originally belonging to the land grant-mercedes due to manipulations and unfulfilled commitments;

   Inserted: (3) the land grant-mercedes that are recognized as political subdivisions are in need of increased economic opportunities; and

   Inserted: (4) the rural development programs of the Department of Agriculture are an appropriate venue for addressing the needs of the land grant-mercedes.

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

   Inserted: (1) Land grant-mercedes.--The term 'land grant-mercedes' means land that was granted by the government of Spain or the government of Mexico to a community, town, colony, pueblo, or person for the purpose of establishing a community, town, colony, or pueblo.

   Inserted: (2) Land grant council.--The term 'Land Grant Council' means an agency of the New Mexico State government established by law--

   Inserted: (A) to provide support to land grants-mercedes in the State of New Mexico; and

   Inserted: (B) to serve as a liaison between land grant-mercedes and other State agencies and the Federal government.

   Inserted: (3) Qualified land grant-mercedes.--The term 'qualified land grant-mercedes' means a land grant-mercedes recognized under a State law.

   Show 9 more inserted paragraphsShow less

   Inserted: (c) Program.--

   Inserted: (1) In general.--In addition to any other funds made available for similar purposes, the Secretary shall use funds set aside under paragraph (3) to provide grants to qualified land grant-mercedes and the Land Grant Council for the purpose of carrying out economic development initiatives under--

   Inserted: (A) the Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (SEARCH) program under section 3501(e)(6);

   Inserted: (B) the community facility grant program under section 3502;

   Inserted: (C) the program of rural business development grants and rural business enterprise grants under section 3601(a);

   Inserted: (D) the rural microentrepreneur assistance program under section 3601(f)(2); and

   Inserted: (E) the rural community development initiative.

   Inserted: (2) Federal share.--Notwithstanding any other requirement of the programs described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall make available to qualified land grant-mercedes grants under those programs at a Federal share of up to 100 percent.

   Inserted: (3) Set aside.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, of amounts made available for a fiscal year for rural development programs of the Department of Agriculture, $10,000,000 shall be used to carry out this section.

   Original wording

   On page 731, between lines 6 and 7, insert the following:

Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.

As printed