A bill to establish a national historic country store preservation and revitalization program.
National Historic Country Store Preservation and Revitalization Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a historic country store preservation and revitalization program to: (1) collect and disseminate information on country stores; (2) promote State and regional partnerships among proprietors of historic country stores; and (3) sponsor and conduct research on the economic impact of historic country stores in rural areas, best practices to improve profitability and protect such stores from foreclosure or seizure, and best practices for developing cooperative organizations that address economic and historic preservation needs of historic country stores and the communities served by them.
Allows the Secretary to make grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, an eligible applicant to carry out a project to: (1) rehabilitate or repair a historic country store; (2) enhance the economic benefit of the historic country store to the communities served; (3) identify, document, and conduct research on historic country stores; and (4) develop and evaluate appropriate techniques or best practices for protecting historic country stores.
Directs the Secretary to carry out a pilot project in Vermont under which the Secretary shall conduct demonstration activities to preserve historic country stores and the communities served.
Authorizes the Secretary, using amounts in the Fund, to make direct loans to eligible applicants for projects to purchase, rehabilitate, or repair historic country stores or to establish microloan funds to make short-term, fixed-interest rate loans to proprietors of such stores.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S5074-5075)
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7923)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR S7923-7924)
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