Rural Business Enterprise Grants and Television Demonstration Grants; Definition of “Rural Area” and New Types of “Eligible Small and Emerging Private Business Enterprises”

The Rural Business--Cooperative Service (RBS) is amending the Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) Program regulation by revising the definition of rural area to comply with the amendment to section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)) made by section 6020 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. The intended effect of this action is to provide a consistent definition of rural and rural area for programs administered under the Rural Community Advancement Program. RBS will be adding nonprofit entities and other tax-exempt organizations as eligible small and emerging private business enterprises under certain circumstances to comply with the amendment to section 310B(c)(1) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C.1932(c)) made by Section 6014 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. The intended effect of this action is to give priority to the newly authorized small and emerging private business enterprises.