Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 94 Part 1.djvu/1222

 94 STAT. 1172

Hearings and comments.

Hearings and suggestions.

Updates, transmittal to congressional committees. Budget recommendations and projections.

PUBLIC LAW 96-355—SEPT. 24, 1980

departments and agencies to participate in any working groups that the Secretary deems necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. "(5) The Secretary may hold public hearings and receive comments on any matter that the Secretary determines may have a significant impact on rural development or the economic development of rural communities. "(c) RURAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.—-(1) The Secretary shall prepare a comprehensive rural development strategy based on the needs, goals, objectives, plans, and recommendations of local communities, substate areas. States, and multistate regions, which is designed to— "(A) maximize the effectiveness, mcrease the responsiveness, and improve the delivery of Federal programs to rural areas; "(B) increase the coordination of Federal programs with the development needs, objectives, and resources of local communities, substate areas, States, and multistate regions; and "(C) achieve the most effective combinations of Federal, State, and local resources to meet the needs of rural areas for orderly growth and development. "(2) The rural development strategy shall take into account the need to— "(A) improve the economic well-being of all rural residents and alleviate the problems of low income, elderly, minority, and otherwise disadvantaged rural residents; "(B) improve the business and employment opportunities, occupational training and employment services, health care services, educational opportunities, energy utilization and availability, housing, transportation, community services, community facilities, water supplies, sewage and solid waste management systems, credit availability, and accessibility to and delivery of private and public financial resources in the maintenance and creation of jobs in rural areas; "(C) improve State and local government management capabilities, institutions, and programs related to rural development and expand educational and training opportunities for State and local officials, particularly in small rural communities; "(D) strengthen the family farm system; and "(E) maintain and protect the environment and natural resources of rural areas. "(3) The rural development strategy developed under this subsection shall be for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1982, and updated for eachfiscalyear thereafter. "(4) The Secretary shall hold public hearings and receive such suggestions and recommendations as the Secretary deems appropriate during the preparation of the rural development strategy and the annual updates to the strategy. "(5) The rural development strategy and the annual updates to the strategy shall be transmitted to the House Committee on Agriculture and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry by January 31 of the calendar year immediately preceding the beginning of the appropriate fiscal year. (6) The rural development strategy and each annual update of the strategy shall contain an analysis of the budget recommendations of the President for the fiscal year following the transmittal of the strategy or update of the strategy and of all the available budget projections of the President for subsequent fiscal years, and projections regarding the budget that are relevant or essential to the rural development policy and the rural development strategy developed

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