Sec. 305. Urban agricultural workforce training pilot program
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/bill/113/hr/1933/ih/section-305A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, shall award not more than 25 grants to eligible entities to develop and implement urban agricultural workforce training programs. An eligible entity seeking a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary of Agriculture an application containing— a description of the urban agricultural workforce training program such entity intends to develop and implement using grant funds; and such other information as the Secretary may require.
The Secretary of Agriculture shall award grants under this section in equal amounts. The term of a grant awarded under this section shall be two years. Each recipient of a grant under this section shall return to the Secretary of Agriculture any unused portion of such grant at the end of the two-year period beginning on the date the grant was awarded, together with any earnings on such unused portion. The Secretary of Agriculture shall return to the general fund of the Treasury of the United States any amounts returned pursuant to subparagraph (A).
An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section may only use grant funds for the following purposes: To develop and implement an urban agricultural workforce training program in accordance with paragraph (2). To provide funding to trainees to defray the start-up costs for new urban agricultural businesses of such trainees. An urban agricultural workforce training program developed and implemented by an eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall provide training for individuals to carry out any of the following urban agricultural activities:
Designing, constructing, and maintaining biocellar structures. Community gardening. Urban farming. Viticulture. Agricultural education. Rehabilitating land for agricultural use. Developing farmers’ markets. Transporting fresh, local food. Developing mobile pantries for fresh produce. Not less than 30 percent of the amount received through a grant awarded under this section shall be used to provide the funding described in paragraph (1)(B). In this section: The term eligible entity means— a unit of general local government located in an urban area (as defined by the Bureau of the Census); a tribal government; an accredited college or university; or a nonprofit organization.
The term State includes, in addition to the several States of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The term unit of general local government means any city, county, town, township, parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a State. There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.