106 STAT. 4148 PUBLIC LAW 102-554—OCT. 28,1992

a plan approved by a county committee under this section if the
Secretary determines that—

"(1) the operation would generate income sufficient to cover
the expenses of the operation, debt service, and adequate living
expenses of the applicant, to the extent that other income
would not cover the living expenses, if the operation received
assistance under this section as provided for in the plan; and
"(2) during the commitment period established in accord-
ance with subsection (eXD, the operation will be financially
viable without further assistance from the Secretary and the
identified goals are reasonable and practicable.
a(e) PROVISION OP ASSISTANCE.—

"(1) DETERMINATION OF COMMITMENT PERIOD.—

"(A) INITIAL DETERMINATION.—In approving an applica-
tion under subsection (d), the Secretary shall, subject to
subparagraph (C), determine the period during which
assistance under this section is to be provided for the
operation described in the application (referred to in this
subsection as the 'commitment period').

*(B) AUTHORITY TO EXTEND PERIOD; NO AUTHORITY TO
REDUCE PERIOD.—At any time, the Secretary may, subject
to subparagraph (C) and subsections (f) and (g), extend
the duration or the commitment period. The Secretary shall
not reduce the duration of the commitment period.
*(C) LIMITATIONS.—

M(i) IN GENERAL.—The duration of any commitment
period (including any extensions of the period) shall
not exceed 10 years and shall be consistent with section
319.

a(ii) ELIGIBILITY FOR INSURED OPERATING LOANS.—
During the commitment period, an applicant shall not
be eligible to receive an insured operating loan under
this section after the date that is 8 years after the
date on which the applicant first receives assistance
under this section.
"(2) OPERATING LOANS; LOAN GUARANTEES.—

"(A) IN GENERAL.—To the extent that an applicant
whose application is approved under subsection (d) is
unable to obtain sufficient credit from commercial or
cooperative lenders to finance the operation described in
the application at reasonable rates and terms (taking into
consideration prevailing private and cooperative rates, and
terms in the community in which the operation is (or
is to be) located, for loans for similar purposes and periods
of time), the Secretary shall, subject to the availability
of funds and to subsections (f) and (g) and consistent with
sections 360 and 362, make a conditional commitment to
the applicant for each of the years of the commitment
period—

"(i) to provide to any commercial or cooperative
lender who makes a loan to the applicant that is within
the credit needs of the operation (as specified in the
plan contained in the application) a guarantee under
section 309(h) for the repayment of 90 percent of the
loan principal and interest;

(iiXD to provide to any commercial or cooperative
lender who makes a loan to the applicant that is within