§3125b. National Rural Information Center Clearinghouse

(a) Establishment

The Secretary shall establish, within the National Agricultural Library, in coordination with the Extension Service, a National Rural Information Center Clearinghouse (in this section referred to as the "Clearinghouse") to perform the functions specified in subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Functions

The Clearinghouse shall provide and distribute information and data to any industry, organization, or Federal, State, or local government entity, on request, about programs and services provided by Federal, State, and local agencies and private nonprofit organizations and institutions under which individuals residing in, or organizations and State and local government entities operating in, a rural area may be eligible for any kind of assistance, including job training, education, health care, and economic development assistance, and emotional and financial counseling. To the extent possible, the National Agricultural Library shall use telecommunications technology to disseminate information to rural areas.

(c) Federal agencies

On request of the Secretary, the head of a Federal agency shall provide to the Clearinghouse such information as the Secretary may request to enable the Clearinghouse to carry out subsection (b) of this section.

(d) State and local agencies and nonprofit organizations

The Secretary shall request State and local governments and private nonprofit organizations and institutions to provide to the Clearinghouse such information as such agencies and organizations may have about any program or service of such agencies, organizations, and institutions under which individuals residing in a rural area may be eligible for any kind of assistance, including job training, educational, health care, and economic development assistance, and emotional and financial counseling.

(e) Limitation on authorization of appropriations

To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $500,000 for each of the fiscal years 1991 through 2002.

( Pub. L. 101–624, title XXIII, §2381, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 4049 ; Pub. L. 104–127, title VIII, §842, Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1170 ; Pub. L. 105–185, title III, §301(b)(3), June 23, 1998, 112 Stat. 563 .)

Codification

Section was enacted as part of the Rural Economic Development Act of 1990, and also as part of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990, and not as part of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 which comprises this chapter.

Amendments

1998-Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 105–185 substituted "2002" for "1997".

1996-Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 104–127 substituted "1997" for "1995".

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in section 917 of this title.