§ 178. — Congressional findings and declaration of policy.
[Laws in effect as of January 7, 2003]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 7, 2003 and December 19, 2003]
[CITE: 7USC178]
TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
CHAPTER 8A--RUBBER AND OTHER CRITICAL AGRICULTURAL MATERIALS
SUBCHAPTER II--CRITICAL AGRICULTURAL MATERIALS
Sec. 178. Congressional findings and declaration of policy
(a)(1) Congress recognizes that natural latex rubber is a commodity
of vital importance to the economy, the defense, and the general well-
being of the Nation. The United States is totally dependent upon foreign
sources for its supplies of natural (Hevea) latex, which total about one
million tons per year. Synthetic rubber, manufactured from petroleum
feedstocks, cannot be substituted for natural rubber.
(2) Congress further recognizes that certain plant species of the
genus Parthenium (Guayule), native to Texas and the Republic of Mexico,
as well as other plants, are known to contain commercial quantities of
extractable rubber. During World War II, through research carried out by
the Secretary of Agriculture in the Emergency Rubber Project, the United
States demonstrated that Parthenium latex is a promising and realistic
substitute for Hevea latex.
(3) Congress further recognizes that additional research and
development are needed, especially into methods for increasing latex
yields, before commercialization of native Parthenium latex or other
hydrocarbon-containing plants by private industry is feasible.
(4) Congress further recognizes that the development of a domestic
natural rubber industry, based on Parthenium and other hydrocarbon-
containing plants, would not only relieve the Nation's dependence upon
foreign latex sources but also convey substantial economic benefits to
people living in arid and semiarid regions of the United States. Such an
industry would comprise the agricultural production of the hydrocarbon-
containing plants and the development of commercial processing and
manufacturing facilities to extract the latex and other products.
(5) Congress further recognizes that ongoing research into the
development and commercialization of native latex has been conducted by
the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the National
Science Foundation, and other public as well as private and industrial
research groups, and that these research efforts should be continued and
expanded.
(b) In addition, Congress recognizes that the development of a
domestic industry or industries for the production and manufacture from
native agricultural crops of products other than rubber which are of
strategic and industrial importance but for which the Nation is now
dependent upon foreign sources, would benefit the economy, the defense,
and the general well-being of the Nation, and that additional research
efforts in this area should be undertaken or continued and expanded.
(c) It is therefore the policy of the United States to provide for
the development and demonstration of economically feasible means of
culturing and manufacturing Parthenium and other hydrocarbon-containing
plants, along with other native agricultural crops, for the production
of critical agricultural materials to benefit the Nation and promote
economic development.
(Pub. L. 95-592, Sec. 2, Nov. 4, 1978, 92 Stat. 2529; Pub. L. 98-284,
Sec. 2, May 16, 1984, 98 Stat. 181.)
Amendments
1984--Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 98-284, Sec. 2(1), redesignated
existing provisions of subsec. (a) as par. (1).
Subsec. (a)(2) to (4). Pub. L. 98-284, Sec. 2(2), redesignated
subsecs. (b), (c), and (d) as pars. (2), (3), and (4), respectively, of
subsec. (a).
Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 98-284, Sec. 2(2), (3), redesignated subsec.
(e) as par. (5) of subsec. (a), and in par. (5), as so redesignated,
substituted ``development and commercialization of native latex has been
conducted by the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce,
the National Science Foundation, and other public as well as private and
industrial research groups,'' for ``commercialization of native latex
has been conducted by the Department of Agriculture and by the
Department of Commerce through the regional commissions''.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98-284, Sec. 2(4), added subsec. (b). Former
subsec. (b) redesignated (a)(2).
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 98-284, Sec. 2(4), added subsec. (c). Former
subsec. (c) redesignated (a)(3).
Subsecs. (d) and (e). Pub. L. 98-284, Sec. 2(2), redesignated
subsecs. (d) and (e) as (a)(4) and (a)(5), respectively.
Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 98-284, Sec. 2(4), struck out subsec. (f) which
provided: ``It is the policy of the Congress, therefore, to provide for
the development and demonstration of economically feasible means of
culturing and manufacturing Parthenium and other hydrocarbon-containing
plants for the extraction of natural rubber and other products to
benefit the Nation and promote economic development''. See subsec. (c).
Short Title
Section 1 of Pub. L. 95-592, as amended by Pub. L. 98-284, Sec. 1,
May 16, 1984, 98 Stat. 181, provided: ``That this Act [enacting this
subchapter and amending section 1314f of this title] may be cited as the
`Critical Agricultural Materials Act'.'' As originally enacted Pub. L.
95-592 had been cited as the ``Native Latex Commercialization and
Economic Development Act of 1978''.
