,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bjeh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #bg1 
#bjad,mr4 ,begich introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry 
,a ,,bill  ,to establish a loan         
guarantee program for natural gas       
distribution grids to be installed in   
areas with extremely high energy costs4 
#a4 ,short title  ,this ,act may be     
cited as the ,fuel ,grid ,distribution  
,loan ,pilot ,program ,act4  #b4 ,fuel  
distribution utility pilot loan program 
7a7 ,authorization of pilot loan program
 ,section #bcb7;c7 of the ,department of
 ,agriculture ,reorganization ,act of   
#aiid 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #fidb7;c77 is       
amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#a77;,b71  
by striking 2 and and inserting a       
period2 and  7#b7 by adding at the end  
the following3  7#c7 ,the biofuels and  
natural gas distribution utility pilot  
loan program authorized by section #b of

 the ,fuel ,grid ,distribution ,loan    
,pilot ,program ,act4  4  7b7           
,establishment of pilot loan program    
7#a7 ,definition of local government ,in
 this subsection1 the term local        
government means-- 7,a7 a county1       
municipality1 city1 town1 township1     
local public authority1 school district1
 special district1 intrastate district1 
council of governments 7regardless of   
whether the council of governments is   
incorporated as a nonprofit corporation 
under ,state law71 regional or          
interstate government entity1 or agency 
or instrumentality of a local           
government2  7,b7 an ,indian tribe or   
authorized tribal organization or1 in   
,alaska1 a ,native village or ,alaska   
,regional ,native ,corporation2 and     
7,c7 a rural community1 unincorporated  
town or village1 or other public entity4
  7#b7 ,establishment ,the              
,administrator of the ,rural ,utilities 
,service shall establish a biofuels and 
natural gas distribution utility pilot  

loan program to add cooperatives and    
municipally or privately owned biofuels 
or natural gas distribution utilities to
 the list of utilities eligible to      
receive loans from the ,rural ,utilities
 ,service4  7#c7 ,eligibility ,in making
 loans authorized under paragraph 7#a71 
the ,administrator of the ,rural        
,utilities ,service shall grant loans   
only to utilities serving an area under 
the jurisdiction of a local government  
that has-- 7,a7 a population of not more
 than #ej1jjj people2 and  7,b7 energy  
prices higher than #bjj percent of the  
national average for energy prices1 as  
determined by the ,administrator of the 
,energy ,information ,administration    
using the most recent data available4   
7#d7 ,funding ,the ,administrator of the
 ,rural ,utilities ,service shall carry 
out the loan pilot program using        
existing funds of the ,rural ,utilities 
,service4  7#e7 ,duration ,the loan     
pilot program shall be authorized for a 
period of #e years1 beginning on the    

date of enactment of this ,act4  7#f7   
,report ,at the conclusion of the loan  
pilot program1 the ,administrator of the
 ,rural ,utilities ,service shall       
complete a report examining-- 7,a7 the  
economic benefits of providing low cost 
loans2 and  7,b7 any upward price       
pressure on biofuels or natural gas     
prices in the ,united ,states resulting 
from the loan pilot program4