SA 3731. Mr. MENENDEZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 3500 proposed by Mr. Harkin (for himself, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Baucus, and Mr. Grassley) to the bill H.R. 2419, to provide for the continuation of agricultural programs through fiscal year 2012, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 776 strike line 19 and insert the following:

20,000 inhabitants.
``(D) AREAS RURAL IN CHARACTER.--
``(i) IN GENERAL.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph, the Under Secretary for Rural Development may determine that an area described in clause (ii) or (iii) of subparagraph (A) is a rural area for the purposes of this paragraph, if the Under Secretary finds that the area is rural in character, as determined by the Under Secretary.
``(ii) DELEGATIONS.--The authority described in clause (i) may not be delegated by the Under Secretary for Rural Development.
``(E) EXCLUSIONS.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph, in determining which census blocks are not in a rural area (as defined in this paragraph), the Secretary shall exclude any cluster of census blocks that would otherwise be considered not in a rural area only because a census block in the cluster is adjacent to only 1 census block that--
``(i) is otherwise considered not in a rural area under this paragraph; and
``(ii) is also adjacent to only 1 census block that is otherwise considered not in a rural area.''.


(As printed in the Congressional Record for the Senate on Nov 15, 2007.)