§ 7621. — Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 7USC7621]
TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
CHAPTER 103--AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND EDUCATION REFORM
SUBCHAPTER II--NEW AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND EDUCATION
INITIATIVES
Sec. 7621. Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems
(a) Treasury account
There is established in the Treasury of the United States an account
to be known as the Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems
(referred to in this section as the ``Account'') to provide funds for
activities authorized under this section.
(b) Funding
(1) In general
On October 1, 1998, and each October 1 thereafter through
October 1, 2001 \1\, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise
appropriated, the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer
$120,000,000 to the Account.
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\1\ So in original. Probably should be ``2007''.
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(2) Entitlement
The Secretary of Agriculture--
(A) shall be entitled to receive the funds transferred to
the Account under paragraph (1);
(B) shall accept the funds; and
(C) shall use the funds to carry out this section.
(3) Other funding
Out of funds in the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary
shall transfer to the Account--
(A) on October 1, 2003, $120,000,000;
(B) on October 1, 2004, $140,000,000;
(C) on October 1, 2005, $160,000,000; and
(D) on October 1, 2006, and each October 1 thereafter,
$200,000,000.
(c) Purposes
(1) Critical emerging agricultural and rural issues
The Secretary shall use the funds in the Account for research,
extension, and education grants (referred to in this section as
``grants'') to address critical emerging agricultural and rural
issues related to--
(A) future food production;
(B) environmental quality and natural resource management;
(C) farm income; or
(D) rural economic and business and community development
policy.
(2) Priority mission areas
In making grants under this section, the Secretary, in
consultation with the Advisory Board, shall address priority mission
areas related to--
(A) agricultural genome;
(B) food safety, food technology, and human nutrition;
(C) new and alternative uses and production of agricultural
commodities and products;
(D) agricultural biotechnology;
(E) natural resource management, including precision
agriculture; and
(F) farm efficiency and profitability, including the
viability and competitiveness of small- and medium-sized dairy,
livestock, crop, and other commodity operations.
(d) Eligible grantees
The Secretary may make a grant under this section to--
(1) a Federal research agency;
(2) a national laboratory;
(3) a college or university or a research foundation maintained
by a college or university;
(4) a private research organization with an established and
demonstrated capacity to perform research or technology transfer; or
(5) a State agricultural experiment station.
(e) Special considerations
(1) Smaller institutions
The Secretary may award grants under this section in a manner
that ensures that the faculty of small, mid-sized, and minority-
serving institutions that have not previously been successful in
obtaining competitive grants under subsection (b) of section 450i of
this title receive a portion of the grants under this section.
(2) Priorities
In making grants under this section, the Secretary shall provide
a higher priority to--
(A) a project that is multistate, multi-institutional, or
multidisciplinary; or
(B) a project that integrates agricultural research,
extension, and education.
(f) Administration
(1) In general
In making grants under this section, the Secretary shall--
(A) seek and accept proposals for grants;
(B) determine the relevance and merit of proposals through a
system of peer review in accordance with section 7613 of this
title;
(C) award grants on the basis of merit, quality, and
relevance to advancing the purposes and priority mission areas
established under subsection (c) of this section; and
(D) solicit and consider input from persons who conduct or
use agricultural research, extension, or education in accordance
with section 7612(b) of this title.
(2) Competitive basis
A grant under this section shall be awarded on a competitive
basis.
(3) Term
A grant under this section shall have a term that does not
exceed 5 years.
(4) Matching funds
As a condition of making a grant under this section, the
Secretary shall require the funding of the grant be matched with
equal matching funds from a non-Federal source if the grant is--
(A) for applied research that is commodity-specific; and
(B) not of national scope.
(5) Delegation
The Secretary shall administer this section through the
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service of the
Department. The Secretary may establish 1 or more institutes to
carry out all or part of the activities authorized under this
section.
(6) Availability of funds
Funds for grants under this section shall be available to the
Secretary for obligation for a 2-year period.
(7) Administrative costs
The Secretary may use not more than 4 percent of the funds made
available for grants under this section for administrative costs
incurred by the Secretary in carrying out this section.
(8) Buildings and facilities
Funds made available for grants under this section shall not be
used for the construction of a new building or facility or the
acquisition, expansion, remodeling, or alteration of an existing
building or facility (including site grading and improvement and
architect fees).
(Pub. L. 105-185, title IV, Sec. 401, June 23, 1998, 112 Stat. 564; Pub.
L. 105-277, div. A, Sec. 101(a) [title VII, Sec. 753(c)(2)], Oct. 21,
1998, 112 Stat. 2681, 2681-33; Pub. L. 107-171, title VII, Sec. 7205(a),
May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 439.)
Amendments
2002--Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 107-171, Sec. 7205(a)(1), substituted
``2001'' for ``2002''.
Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 107-171, Sec. 7205(a)(2), added par. (3).
Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 107-171, Sec. 7205(a)(2), which directed
amendment of section 401(b) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and
Education Reform Act of 1998 by amending subsec. (c)(1) generally, was
executed by generally amending subsec. (c)(1) of this section to reflect
the probable intent of Congress. Prior to amendment, text read as
follows: ``The Secretary shall use the funds in the Account--
``(A) subject to paragraph (2), for research, extension, and
education grants (referred to in this section as `grants') to
address critical emerging agricultural issues related to--
``(i) future food production;
``(ii) environmental quality and natural resource
management; or
``(iii) farm income; and
``(B) for activities carried out under the Alternative
Agricultural Research and Commercialization Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C.
5901 et seq.).''
Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 107-171, Sec. 7205(a)(3), which directed
amendment of section 401(b) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and
Education Reform Act of 1998 by substituting ``small, mid-sized, and
minority-serving'' for ``small and mid-sized'' in subsec. (e)(1), was
executed by making the substitution in subsec. (e)(1) of this section to
reflect the probable intent of Congress.
1998--Subsec. (d)(5). Pub. L. 105-277 added par. (5).
Effective Date of 1998 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 105-277 effective June 23, 1998, see section
101(a) [title VII, Sec. 753(f)] of Pub. L. 105-277, set out as a note
under section 343 of this title.
