Imported Fire Ant Control, Management, and Eradication Act of 1997

Summary: Imported Fire Ant Control, Management, and Eradication Act of 1997 - Amends the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a National Advisory and Implementation Board on Imported Fire Ant Control, Management, and Eradication.  Directs the Board to select and fund specified research or demonstration projects, including a final national plan for fire ant control, management, and possible eradication.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Imported Fire Ant Control, 
Management, and Eradication Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) imported fire ants infest at least 13 southern and 
        southeastern States and over 275,000,000 acres;
            (2) the annual fire ant impact on Texas alone is estimated 
        at $300,000,000, including--
                    (A) an annual fire ant impact on the cattle 
                industry in Texas of an estimated $67,000,000;
                    (B) fire ant infestation of approximately 
                56,000,000 acres, or \2/3\, of Texas; and
                    (C) an annual expenditure, in the 5 major 
                metropolitan areas of Texas, of an estimated 
                $93,000,000 on treatment, medical costs, and repairs 
                from fire ant infestation;
            (3) the annual fire ant impact on Georgia is estimated at 
        $46,000,000, including an annual fire ant impact on households 
        in Georgia of an estimated $12,000,000;
            (4)(A) row crop farmers in southern Arkansas experience 
        average annual losses in excess of $1,100 due to fire ants;
            (B) catfish farmers in Arkansas experience average annual 
        losses of approximately $20,000 due to fire ants;
            (C) the annual fire ant impact on homeowners in Arkansas is 
        estimated at $106,000,000; and
            (D) the annual fire ant impact on paper mills in Arkansas 
        is estimated at $3,000,000;
            (5) 25 counties in North Carolina are infested with fire 
        ants;
            (6) the annual fire ant impact on Tennessee is estimated at 
        $1,330,000;
            (7) the annual fire ant impact on Mississippi is estimated 
        at $12,326,000, including an annual fire ant impact on the 
        cattle industry in Mississippi of an estimated $9,217,000;
            (8) the annual fire ant impact on Alabama is estimated at 
        $16,000,000;
            (9) the annual fire ant impact on Louisiana is estimated at 
        $23,818,250, including an annual fire ant impact on the feed 
        grain industry of $790,000; and
            (10) demonstration of fire ant control methodology may 
        provide property owners with timely information, helpful in 
        reducing costs associated with fire ant damage.

SEC. 3. BOARD AND GRANTS FOR RESEARCH ON IMPORTED FIRE ANT CONTROL, 
              MANAGEMENT, AND ERADICATION.

    Subtitle C of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and 
Teaching Policy Act of 1977 is amended by inserting after section 1419A 
(7 U.S.C. 3155) the following:

``SEC. 1419B. BOARD AND GRANTS FOR RESEARCH ON IMPORTED FIRE ANT 
              CONTROL, MANAGEMENT, AND ERADICATION.

    ``(a) National Advisory and Implementation Board on Imported Fire 
Ant Control, Management, and Eradication.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a 
        National Advisory and Implementation Board on Imported Fire Ant 
        Control, Management, and Eradication.
            ``(2) Membership.--The Board shall consist of 12 members 
        who are experts on entomology, ant ecology, wildlife biology, 
        electrical engineering, economics, and agribusiness and who are 
        appointed by the Secretary from academia, research institutes, 
        and the private sector.
            ``(3) Compensation.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A member of the Board shall not 
                receive any compensation by reason of service on the 
                Board.
                    ``(B) Expenses.--A member of the Board shall be 
                reimbursed for travel, subsistence, and other necessary 
                expenses incurred by the member in the performance of a 
                duty of the member.
            ``(4) Termination.--The Board shall terminate 60 days after 
        the date on which the national plan is submitted to the 
        Secretary under subsection (d)(2).
    ``(b) Initial Grants.--
            ``(1) Request for proposals.--The Board shall publish a 
        request for proposals to colleges, universities, research 
        institutes, Federal laboratories, and private entities for 
        grants for research or demonstration projects related to the 
        control, management, and possible eradication of imported fire 
        ants.
            ``(2) Selection.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        publication of the request for proposals, the Board shall 
        evaluate and select not less than 4, nor more than 13, research 
        or demonstration projects related to the control, management, 
        and possible eradication of imported fire ants.
            ``(3) Grants.--The Secretary shall award a total of 
        $6,000,000 in grants to colleges, universities, research 
        institutes, Federal laboratories, or private entities selected 
        under paragraph (2), for a term of not to exceed 5 years, for 
        the purpose of conducting research or demonstration projects 
        related to the control, management, and possible eradication of 
        imported fire ants. Each project shall be completed not later 
        than the end of the term of the grant.
    ``(c) Subsequent Grants.--
            ``(1) Evaluation; selection.--The Board shall--
                    ``(A) evaluate all of the research or demonstration 
                projects conducted under subsection (b)(3) for their 
                use as the basis of a national plan for the control, 
                management, and possible eradication of imported fire 
                ants by the Federal government, State and local 
                governments, and owners and operators of land; and
                    ``(B) on the basis of the evaluation, select 2 of 
                the 13 grant projects for additional research or 
                demonstration related to the control, management, and 
                possible eradication of imported fire ants and notify 
                the Secretary of the selection.
            ``(2) Grants.--The Secretary shall award a grant of 
        $4,000,000 to each of the 2 colleges, universities, research 
        institutes, Federal laboratories, or private entities selected 
        under paragraph (1)(B) for the purpose of conducting research 
        or demonstration projects for the preparation of a national 
        plan for the control, management, and possible eradication of 
        imported fire ants. Each project shall be completed not later 
        than 2 years after the grant is made.
    ``(d) National Plan.--
            ``(1) Evaluation; selection.--The Board shall--
                    ``(A) evaluate all of the research or demonstration 
                projects conducted under subsection (c)(2) for their 
                use as the basis of a national plan for the control, 
                management, and possible eradication of imported fire 
                ants by the Federal government, State and local 
                governments, and owners and operators of land; and
                    ``(B) on the basis of the evaluation, select 1 of 
                the 2 grant projects, or a combination of both grant 
                projects, as the basis for the plan and notify the 
                Secretary of the decision.
            ``(2) Grant.--The Secretary shall award a grant of up to 
        $5,000,000 to the sponsor or sponsors of the grant project 
        selected under paragraph (1)(B) for the purpose of the final 
        preparation of the national plan for the control, management, 
        and possible eradication of imported fire ants that is based on 
        the project. The national plan shall be completed, and 
        submitted to the Secretary, not later than 1 year after the 
        grant is made.
            ``(3) Report to congress.--Not later than 60 days after the 
        plan is submitted to the Secretary under paragraph (2), the 
        Secretary shall submit to Congress the national plan for the 
        control, management, and possible eradication of imported fire 
        ants.''.