Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 104 Part 5.djvu/729

 PUBLIC LAW 101-624—NOV. 28, 1990 104 STAT. 4051 SEC. 2385. ANALYSIS BY OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT. 7 USC 950aaa-4. (a) IN GENERAL.—The Office of Technology Assessment shall include, in a study of the effects of information age technology on rural America, an analysis of the feasibility of ensuring that rural citizens in their homes and schools have the ability to acquire, by computer, information in a national library. (b) CONTENTS. —In conducting the analysis under subsection (a), the Office of Technology Assessment shall— (1) evaluate, in consultation with the Librarian of Congress, the costs and benefits of establishing a national library whose volumes, periodicals, instructional materials, sound and video resources, and other data are accessible to individuals through their personal computers; (2) assess the technological, regulatory, or other impediments to the establishment of the library and information retrieval system described in paragraph (1), and the length of time required to establish such a library and retrieval system; (3) describe the potential for the library and information described in paragraph (1) to provide rural citizens the opportunity to study and explore foreign languages, geography, math, science, history, or other interests, and to exchange scholarly information and ideas with other users, and otherwise to engage in interactive study; and (4) recommend to the Congress the measures that should be taken to establish the library and retrieval system described in paragraph (1). SEC. 2386. GRANTS TO BROADCASTING SYSTEMS. Section 310B(f) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(f)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: "(4) The Secretary may make grants to statewide private nonprofit public television systems, whose coverage area is predominately rural, for the purpose of demonstrating the effectiveness of such systems in providing information on agriculture and other issues of importance to farmers and other rural residents. Grants available under this paragraph may be used for capital equipment expenditures, start-up and program costs, and other costs necessary to the operation of such demonstrations.". SEC. 2387. MERGER OF CERTAIN RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES. Section 306B of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 936b) is amended— (1) by inserting "(a)" before "A direct"; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: "(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), a direct or insured loan may be prepaid by an electric borrower at the lesser of the outstanding principal balance due thereon or the present value thereof discounted from the face value at maturity at the rate set by the Administrator if the borrower is an electrical organization which resulted from a merger or consolidation between a borrower and an organization which, prior to October 1, 1987, prepaid its direct or insured loans pursuant to this section. Prepayments by a borrower hereunder shall be made not later than one year after the effective date of the merger, consolidation, or other transaction. The discount rate to be set by the Administrator for direct or insured loans prepayments hereunder shall be based on the current cost of funds

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