Agricultural Research Advisory Board Improvement Act

Summary: Agricultural Research Advisory Board Improvement Act  This bill amends the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to extend and modify the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education, and Economics Advisory Board.  The bill reduces the membership of the board from 25 to 15 members and modifies the membership categories. It also specifies that the duties of the board include making recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture regarding agricultural research, extension, education, and economics programs.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Agricultural Research Advisory Board 
Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, EDUCATION, AND 
              ECONOMICS ADVISORY BOARD.

    Section 1408 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and 
Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``25'' and 
                inserting ``15''; and
                    (B) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:
            ``(3) Membership categories.--The Advisory Board shall 
        consist of members from each of the following categories:
                    ``(A) Three members representing national farm or 
                producer organizations, which may include members--
                            ``(i) representing farm cooperatives;
                            ``(ii) who are producers actively engaged 
                        in the production of a food animal commodity 
                        and who are recommended by a coalition of 
                        national livestock organizations;
                            ``(iii) who are producers actively engaged 
                        in the production of a plant commodity and who 
                        are recommended by a coalition of national crop 
                        organizations; or
                            ``(iv) who are producers actively engaged 
                        in aquaculture and who are recommended by a 
                        coalition of national aquacultural 
                        organizations.
                    ``(B) Two members representing academic or research 
                societies, which may include members representing--
                            ``(i) a national food animal science 
                        society;
                            ``(ii) a national crop, soil, agronomy, 
                        horticulture, plant pathology, or weed science 
                        society;
                            ``(iii) a national food science 
                        organization;
                            ``(iv) a national human health association; 
                        or
                            ``(v) a national nutritional science 
                        society.
                    ``(C) Five members representing agricultural 
                research, extension, and education, which shall include 
                each of the following:
                            ``(i) One member representing the land-
                        grant colleges and universities eligible to 
                        receive funds under the Act of July 2, 1862 (7 
                        U.S.C. 301 et seq.).
                            ``(ii) One member representing the land-
                        grant colleges and universities eligible to 
                        receive funds under the Act of August 30, 1890 
                        (7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.), including Tuskegee 
                        University.
                            ``(iii) One member representing the 1994 
                        Institutions (as defined in section 532 of the 
                        Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 
                        1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law 103-382)).
                            ``(iv) One member representing NLGCA 
                        Institutions or Hispanic-serving institutions.
                            ``(v) One member representing the American 
                        Colleges of Veterinary Medicine.
                    ``(D) Five members representing industry, consumer, 
                or rural interests, including members representing--
                            ``(i) transportation of food and 
                        agricultural products to domestic and foreign 
                        markets;
                            ``(ii) food retailing and marketing 
                        interests;
                            ``(iii) food and fiber processors;
                            ``(iv) rural economic development;
                            ``(v) a national consumer interest group;
                            ``(vi) a national forestry group;
                            ``(vii) a national conservation or natural 
                        resource group; or
                            ``(viii) private sector organizations 
                        involved in international development.'';
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
                        (A), by striking ``review and'' and inserting 
                        ``make recommendations, review, and'';
                            (ii) by striking subparagraph (A) and 
                        inserting the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(A) long-term and short-term national policies 
                and priorities consistent with the--
                            ``(i) purposes specified in section 1402 
                        for agricultural research, extension, 
                        education, and economics; and
                            ``(ii) priority areas of the Agriculture 
                        and Food Research Initiative specified in 
                        subsection (b)(2) of the Competitive, Special, 
                        and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 
                        3157(b)(2));''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking clause (i) and 
                inserting the following new clause:
                            ``(i) are in accordance with the--
                                    ``(I) purposes specified in a 
                                provision of a covered law (as defined 
                                in subsection (d) of section 1492) 
                                under which competitive grants 
                                (described in subsection (c) of such 
                                section) are awarded; and
                                    ``(II) priority areas of the 
                                Agriculture and Food Research 
                                Initiative specified in subsection 
                                (b)(2) of the Competitive, Special, and 
                                Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 
                                3157(b)(2)); and'';
                    (C) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``and make 
                recommendations to the Secretary based on such 
                evaluation'' after ``priorities''; and
                    (D) in paragraph (4), by inserting ``and make 
                recommendations on'' after ``review''; and
            (3) in subsection (h), by striking ``2018'' and inserting 
        ``2023''.