§ 653. Office of Rural Affairs

• (a) Establishment

  There is hereby established in the Small Business Administration an Office of Rural Affairs (hereafter in this section referred to as the "Office").

• (b) Appointment of director

  The Office shall be headed by a director who shall be appointed by the Administrator not later than 90 days after November 15, 1990.

• (c) Functions

  The Office shall -

  • (1) strive to achieve an equitable distribution of the financial assistance available from the Administration for small business concerns located in rural areas;
  • (2) to the extent practicable, compile annual statistics on rural areas, including statistics concerning the population, poverty, job creation and retention, unemployment, business failures, and business startups;
  • (3) provide information to industries, organizations, and State and local governments concerning the assistance available to rural small business concerns through the Administration and through other Federal departments and agencies;
  • (4) provide information to industries, organizations, educational institutions, and State and local governments concerning programs administered by private organizations, educational institutions, and Federal, State, and local governments which improve the economic opportunities of rural citizens; and
  • (5) work with the United States Tourism and Travel Administration to assist small businesses in rural areas with tourism promotion and development.