7 U.S.C. § 917 : US Code - Section 917: Prohibition on restricting water and waste facility services to electric customers

Search 7 U.S.C. § 917 : US Code - Section 917: Prohibition on restricting water and waste facility services to electric customers

(a) Prohibition
Assistance under any rural development program administered by
the Secretary or any agency of the Department of Agriculture shall
not be conditioned on any requirement that the recipient of the
assistance accept or receive electric service from any particular
utility, supplier, or cooperative.
(b) Ensuring compliance
The Secretary shall establish, by regulation, adequate safeguards
to ensure that assistance under any rural development program is
not subject to such a condition. The safeguards shall include
periodic certifications and audits, and appropriate measures and
sanctions against any person violating, or attempting to violate
subsection (a) of this section.
(c) "Rural development programs" defined
In this section, the term "rural development program" means the
following:
(1) Sections 304(b), 306, 306A, 306C, 306D, 310B, and 375 (!1)
and subtitle E [7 U.S.C. 2009 et seq.] of the Consolidated Farm
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1924(b), 1926, 1926a, 1926c,
1926d, and 1932).
(2) Subtitle G (!1) of title XVI and sections 2281 [42 U.S.C.
5177a], 2333, and 2381 [7 U.S.C. 950aaa-2, 3125b] of the Food,
Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990.
(3) Subtitle C of title IX of the Food, Agriculture,
Conservation, and Trade Act Amendments of 1991 (Public Law 102-
237; 7 U.S.C. 5930 note).
(4) Section 1323(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (Public
Law 99-198; 7 U.S.C. 1932 note).
(5) Title V [7 U.S.C. 2661 et seq.] and section 603(c) [7
U.S.C. 2204a] of the Rural Development Act of 1972.
(6) Sections 905 and 940a (!1) of this title and subchapter IV
of this chapter.
(d) Regulations
Not later than 60 days after April 4, 1996, the Secretary shall
issue final regulations to ensure compliance with subsection (a) of
this section.