123STA T .547PUBLIC LA W 111 –8—M A R .11 , 2 0 0 9prio r yea r b a l a nc e sf or h i g h cos t energy grants a u thori z e d by section 19 of the R ural E lectrification A ctof19 36(7U.S . C . 9 0 1(19 ) ) shall be transferred to and m erged w ith the Rural Utilities Ser v ice ,H igh Energy Costs G rants Account
- Provide
d fu r th er, T hat sections 3 8 1E – H and 381 N of the Consolidated F arm and Rural D evelop - ment Act are not applicable to the funds made available under this heading: Provided further, That any prior balances in the Rural Development, Rural Community Advancement P rogram account programs authorized by sections 306, 306A, 306C, 306D, and 310 B and described in sections 306C(a)( 2 ), 306D, and 381E(d)(2) of such Act be transferred to and merged with this account and any other prior balances from the Rural Development, Rural Community Advancement Program account that the Secretary determines is appropriate to transfer. RU R ALE LE CT R IF ICATI ON AN D TELECO M MUNICATION S LOANS P RO G RAM ACCOUNT ( INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS ) The principal amount of direct and guaranteed loans as author- ized by section 30 5 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 935) shall be made as follows: 5 percent rural electrification loans, $ 100,000,000
loans made pursuant to section 306 of that Act, rural electric, $6,500,000,000; 5 percent rural telecommuni- cations loans, $1 4 5,000,000; cost of money rural telecommunications loans, $250,000,000; and for loans made pursuant to section 306 of that Act, rural telecommunications loans, $295,000,000. For the cost, as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, including the cost of modifying loans, of direct and guaranteed loans authorized by sections 305 and 306 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 935 and 936), as follows: the cost of telecommunications loans, $525,000: Provided, That not- withstanding section 305(d)(2) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, borrower interest rates may e x ceed 7 percent per year. I n addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry out the direct and guaranteed loan programs, $39,245,000, which shall be transferred to and merged with the appropriation for ‘ ‘Rural Development, Salaries and Expenses ’ ’. DISTANCE LEARNING, TELEMEDICINE, AND B ROADBAND PROGRAM (INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS) For the principal amount of broadband telecommunication loans, $400,487,000. For grants for telemedicine and distance learning services in rural areas, as authorized by 7 U.S.C. 950aaa et se q ., $34,755,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That the Secretary may use funds under this heading for grants authorized by 379(g) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act: Provided further , That $4,965,000 shall be made available to convert analog to digital operation those noncommercial educational television broadcast stations that serve rural areas and are qualified for Community Service Grants by the Corporation for Public Broad- casting under section 396( k ) of the Communications Act of 1934, including associated translators and repeaters, regardless of the location of their main transmitter, studio-to-transmitter links, and
