Office of Rural Community Affairs becomes Texas Department of Rural Affairs September 1st

AUSTIN — The state agency dedicated to rural Texas will have a new name as of September 1, 2009, thanks to legislation authored by Representative Drew Darby and carried in the Senate by Senator Craig Estes.

The law changes the name of the Office of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA) to the Texas Department of Rural Affairs (TDRA). The agency's URL will become www.tdra.state. tx.us. The agency's duties and dedication to rural communities remain the same.

"The new name will make their status as an official state agency unmistakable," said Representative Darby. "HB 1918 supports the agency's ability to deliver services in the most efficient and effective manner."

The agency's acronym, TDRA, pronounced Te' De' r' A, will replace the old acronym of ORCA, which often led to confusion about the agency's role.

"Rural communities and even other state agencies often mistook us for a non-profit organization," said ORCA executive director Charles S. (Charlie) Stone. "The new name makes our role as a state agency and provider of state and federal grants immediately clear to everyone."

Since its creation in 2001 by the 77th Legislature, the agency has awarded over 4,891 grants, totaling more than $642 million. These funds have gone out to communities and counties for economic development, disaster relief, infrastructure, and healthcare, benefiting more than four million people in Texas.

"Rural communities are vital contributors to the prosperity of this state going well beyond agriculture with manufacturing and a growing renewable energy industry," said Senator Estes, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Affairs. "The newly named Texas Department of Rural Affairs emphasizes not only the value of this department, but the value of our rural areas to our overall state economy."

"We thank Representative Darby and Senator Estes for supporting rural communities and this agency during the legislative session," said Dr. Wallace Klussmann chair of the ORCA governing board.

ORCA is the state agency dedicated solely to rural Texas and is a provider of rural-focused state and federal resources for community development, disaster recovery, economic development, housing and rural health. The agency serves as the state's primary liaison with HUD and manages the federal disaster allocation for public infrastructure. ORCA is the federally-designated State Office of Rural Health. For more information, visit ORCA online at www.orca.state.tx.us