PRINTER'S NO. 80
No. 95 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY CAPPABIANCA, M. BAKER, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI,
BENNINGHOFF, CLYMER, M. COHEN, COLAFELLA, CORRIGAN, DeWEESE,
D. EVANS, GEIST, GEORGE, GORDNER, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HERMAN,
HERSHEY, HORSEY, LAUGHLIN, LEDERER, MANDERINO, PETRONE,
PISTELLA, READSHAW, SCHULER, SCRIMENTI, SOLOBAY, STABACK,
STEELMAN, SURRA, THOMAS, WASHINGTON, WILT AND YOUNGBLOOD,
JANUARY 23, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS,
JANUARY 23, 2001
AN ACT
1 Relating to agriculture and rural youth; creating an Agriculture
2 and Rural Youth Organization Grant Program; imposing duties
3 on the Department of Agriculture; conferring powers and
4 duties upon the Department of Agriculture and the Legislative
5 Reference Bureau; and making an appropriation.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Short title.
9 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Agriculture
10 and Rural Youth Development Act.
11 Section 2. Definitions.
12 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
13 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
14 context clearly indicates otherwise:
15 "Agriculture and rural youth organization." Any organization
16 composed mainly of youth and organized to promote development in
1 the areas of agriculture, rural community leadership, vocational
2 training and peer fellowship. The term includes, but is not
3 limited to, Pennsylvania Future Farmers of America, 4-H, Ag in
4 the classroom, Future Homemakers of America and vocational
5 education programs.
6 "Board." The State Agriculture and Rural Youth Development
7 Board.
8 "Department." The Department of Agriculture of the
9 Commonwealth.
10 "Program." The Agriculture and Rural Youth Organization
11 Grant Program.
12 Section 3. Board creation and membership.
13 The State Agriculture and Rural Youth Development Board is
14 hereby created, consisting of the following members:
15 (1) The Secretary of Agriculture or a designee, who
16 shall serve as chairperson.
17 (2) The Secretary of Education or a designee.
18 (3) One representative from the Pennsylvania Agriculture
19 Teachers Association and one from the Penn State Cooperative
20 Extension, both of whom shall be appointed by the Governor.
21 (4) The Statewide president of the Pennsylvania Future
22 Farmers of America.
23 (5) A youth representative of the Pennsylvania 4-H.
24 (6) Up to three representatives, each from a different
25 Pennsylvania farm or rural organization having a youth
26 program, all of whom shall be appointed by the Secretary of
27 Agriculture.
28 (7) The chairman and minority chairman of the
29 Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the Senate or
30 their designees.
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1 (8) The chairman and minority chairman of the
2 Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the House of
3 Representatives or their designees.
4 Section 4. Authorization and purpose.
5 (a) Grant program.--The department, in consultation with the
6 board, shall establish a program of grants to agriculture and
7 rural youth organizations qualifying to receive grants under
8 this act.
9 (b) Purpose.--Grants awarded under this act may be used for
10 any of the following purposes:
11 (1) to cover the costs of special projects conducted by
12 the organization and approved by the board;
13 (2) for educational programs conducted by the
14 organization and approved by the board;
15 (3) for educational seminars and field trips conducted
16 by the organization and approved by the board;
17 (4) for agricultural safety training programs conducted
18 by the organization and approved by the board; or
19 (5) for certain capital projects and equipment purchases
20 approved by the board.
21 (c) Guidelines.--The department, in consultation with the
22 board, shall establish guidelines to award grants for the
23 purposes set forth in subsection (b) and other purposes deemed
24 appropriate by the department with the approval of the board.
25 Section 5. Applications.
26 (a) Application procedure.--An agriculture and rural youth
27 organization may make application at the time, in the manner and
28 containing the information required by the department. The
29 department shall determine from the information provided whether
30 the application is eligible for consideration by the board.
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1 (b) Annual meeting.--The board shall meet annually to
2 recommend to the department the awarding of grants to qualifying
3 organizations.
4 (c) Other meetings.--The board shall meet at the call of the
5 chairperson to conduct business related to the award of grants.
6 Section 6. Grants.
7 (a) General rule.--The department shall make grants in an
8 amount not to exceed $2,500 per grant to qualifying agriculture
9 and rural youth organizations upon the recommendation of the
10 board.
11 (b) Matching funds.--Grants in an amount not to exceed
12 $15,000 per grant shall be awarded to qualifying agriculture and
13 rural youth organizations selected to receive these awards for
14 the purposes of capital projects. Grants for capital projects
15 must be matched by private funds in an amount equal to the State
16 grant.
17 (c) Annual allocation.--The first annual allocation of
18 grants to qualifying organizations shall not exceed a total of
19 $150,000. The board shall establish annual allocation limits for
20 each subsequent year.
21 Section 7. Regulations.
22 The department is charged with administering the provisions
23 of this act and is authorized, with the approval of the board,
24 to prescribe and adopt program policy guidelines or regulations
25 relating to the administration and enforcement of this act.
26 Section 8. Funding.
27 The department shall use such moneys as are necessary and
28 available from the Rural Rehabilitation Corporation assets to
29 implement the provisions of this act.
30 Section 9. Notice.
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1 When the department determines that the assets of the Rural
2 Rehabilitation Corporation have been depleted, the department
3 shall transmit notice of the determination to the Legislative
4 Reference Bureau for publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
5 Section 10. Appropriation.
6 The sum of $250,000 is hereby appropriated to the department
7 for the fiscal year July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2001, for use in
8 implementing the provisions of this act.
9 Section 11. Expiration.
10 The provisions of this act shall terminate upon publication
11 of the notice under section 9.
12 Section 12. Effective date.
13 This act shall take effect immediately.
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